Definition: A model's prototype is the real-world locomotive, railcar or other object that it is a model of. The more realistic the model, the more "prototypical" it is said to be. A common modeler joke is to refer to the prototype as the 1:1 scale model.
In model railroading the term "prototypical" is applied not only to locomotives and railroad cars but to tracks, signals, buildings, and other structures and landscape items.
In model railroading the term "prototypical" is applied not only to locomotives and railroad cars but to tracks, signals, buildings, and other structures and landscape items.