After cruising around youtube watching train videos by model train geeks the following needs to be said... 
1) GET A TRIPOD. I don't care how compact and discrete your video camera is, shaky, bobbling images are crap, in video. Mostly, you're not shooting hidden footage for 60 Minutes... For ground level layouts, there are compact mini tripods that work well - Slik has a good one. Avoid the spidery flimsy junk sold to people who just bought a cheap point & shoot.
2) Once acquired, USE the tripod. (see number 1)
3) Don't want to carry a tripod when you're out at the next railfan or club outing? GET A MONOPOD! A monopod will give you the needed stability while you're trying to get the train in view. Get one with an adjustable head (or add an adjustable head) so you can angle it as needed for point of view and stability. Make sure its tall enough (and stiff enough) to be comfortable to view the viewfinder. There are good monopods that fold compactly, can hang from a belt loop, and can also be used for safely poking sleeping dogs or beating nerdhaters off. Choose slightly robust over slightly flimsy.
4) Step back from the track. People like to see the whole train, not 3 minutes of shaky, bobbly, blurry rivets passing by. There is a generic sequence of basic shots for video that establishes detail within context, some need to learn how to use it. The viewer can't see the detail when shot with a shaky, bobbly camera, and not when its going past the lens at 40mph.
5) Discover tripods and monopods work for still cameras too....
Professional videographers use tripods, monopods and inertial stabilizers for a reason...
Ok, abuse over...
1) GET A TRIPOD. I don't care how compact and discrete your video camera is, shaky, bobbling images are crap, in video. Mostly, you're not shooting hidden footage for 60 Minutes... For ground level layouts, there are compact mini tripods that work well - Slik has a good one. Avoid the spidery flimsy junk sold to people who just bought a cheap point & shoot.
2) Once acquired, USE the tripod. (see number 1)
3) Don't want to carry a tripod when you're out at the next railfan or club outing? GET A MONOPOD! A monopod will give you the needed stability while you're trying to get the train in view. Get one with an adjustable head (or add an adjustable head) so you can angle it as needed for point of view and stability. Make sure its tall enough (and stiff enough) to be comfortable to view the viewfinder. There are good monopods that fold compactly, can hang from a belt loop, and can also be used for safely poking sleeping dogs or beating nerdhaters off. Choose slightly robust over slightly flimsy.
4) Step back from the track. People like to see the whole train, not 3 minutes of shaky, bobbly, blurry rivets passing by. There is a generic sequence of basic shots for video that establishes detail within context, some need to learn how to use it. The viewer can't see the detail when shot with a shaky, bobbly camera, and not when its going past the lens at 40mph.
5) Discover tripods and monopods work for still cameras too....
Professional videographers use tripods, monopods and inertial stabilizers for a reason...
Ok, abuse over...