advice for first locomotive and track/scenery?

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

im a beginner to all this model train stuff and was thinking of making my own N scale track and was wondering what some good quality locomotives and accessories, or starter packs would be.

all help and advice would be appreciated.

what i am currently looking into are:

http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/product_p/atl-45963.htm

http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/product_p/atl-44513.htm for this and the first one i was planning on getting track and power packs etc.

and then these 2 starter sets:

http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/Atlas_N_2100_Trainman_Train_Set_with_BNSF_GP_15_p/atl-2100.htm

http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/product_p/atl-2101.htm

once again; all advice would be greatly appreciated, i am definitely going to do N scale, but if Atlas isnt the most cost effective brand for a first set, then please provide me with the link(s) to your suggestion(s)

thanks in advance!

2

Hey Larson, what’s up man (yes guys, I know him, lol, he goes to my school).

You might want to ditch one starter set and go for some switches and more true track, b/c running trains in circles gets real old real quick.

Also, can you afford all that man?

3

well im hoping to start out for under $100

and once again; i dont have ant earthly idea of what all i need. so just give me advice adn ill go from there.

sawyer; please explain more indepth what you mean.

also: i didnt mean that i was planning on All of that; just that those were what i was interested in so far.

4

Well, I mean that you might want to do some switching, or at least make the track more interesting than an oval. You can add some industrial spurs and such with switches. There are people of far more knowledge than me here that’ll help you out. Poke around on some threads on the other subforums here, as well as this, and get an idea of what all you can do in model railroading. If you want to go under $100, I think you’d better go w/ the starter set (but that seaboard U23B looks nice (and they were a southern road [:D]).

EDIT: Also, drop in on the Elliot’s Trackside diner and tell everyone else a little about ya.

5

Get the Atlas Trainman set, they are supposed to be really good.

6

thanks for the advice luke.

thats probably what im going todo. but i may do as sawyer has suggested and get more switches and track to have a more creative track layout

7

Yeah, get the trainset, and then you can come up w/ some indsutry ideas from the cars it has in it. I’ve got an article on building a table for trains if you need it (I’ll bring it tomorrow, just ask me for it).

8

Or this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/MODEL-POWER-METALTRAIN-READY-TO-RUN-HO-TRAIN-SET-NEW_W0QQitemZ250356181280QQihZ015QQcategoryZ484QQssPageNameZWD1VQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1638Q2em118Q2el1247

9

ok thanks again sawyer.

yea if you would please bring that article tomorrow that would be great.

thanks again to you too, luke.

10

thank you, but i think that i will stay with a brand that i have heard of, and i also dont really trust ebay (as i have gotten scammed on there before)

but thatnk you for the idea :smiley:

11

Your welcome Larson.

12

–actually, the ATLAS starter sets are great ways to get into the hobby. The locomotives are good runners.