Hey Guys
Well I’m in a little bit more of a dilema now. Like I said the other day the more research I do the more confussed I get and the more questions I have. I found someone I work with who is in to Model Railroading, and he thinks I need to use HO scale. The larger buildings in my Village collections are about 8 3/4"L x 5 1/4"w x 6 1/2"H. Do you think I need HO or O? If I do need HO I have been told to look at Bachmann spectrum, Kato, and Atlas, what do you think?
Thanks again.
Randy
Randy, perhaps you can compare your buildings to your friends railroad. Still, they sound closer to 0 scale to me. HO is a fine alternative for the “serious” modeler. It allows you to have more buildings in less space and without the 3rd rail it is more realistic. However, it just does not provide the heft, tradition, operating accessories, and romance of O scale trains. Still the entry costs to HO are so low that it might be worth a look.
Jim Haley
Hey Jim,
I plan on taking a look. I want the village to look right, I don’t want to look like a train is overwhelming or just too small. Unfortunatley my co worker runs something called N scale. He tells me it is very small. When I mentioned O scale he said oh the big stuff! He did tell me that Kato, Atlas and Bachmann Spectrum were all good HO train sets. Unfortunatley I can’t find a Christmas set from Bachmann in their spectrum line. I will spend some more time researching and maybe hit a couple of hobby shops tomorrow.
Randy
Gauge Scale
G (#1) 1 3/4 inch (45 millimeters) no particular scale
American O 1 1/4 inch (32 millimeters) 1/48
S 7/8 inch 1/64
HO 16.5 millimeters (about 5/8 inch) 1/87
N 9 millimeters (about 3/8 inch) 1/160
Z 6.5 millimeters (about 1/4 inch) 1/220
Randy,
Also check out this link about discussion of O vs HO.
| New to the hobby and I have a few questions… |
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If you let your christmas buildings determine the scale of your train I am almost certain you will end up in O gauge. Christmas building selection is one area where O gauge has a MUCH wider selection than HO gauge and it is more by coincidence than design. It turns out all those building collectors prefer something with a bit of heft also.
Jim H
P.S. Nice post Lionelsoni. You are much better at exact details than I am. Your chart really helps me to put the different sizes in perspective.
Randy, I can understand your confusion. Nevermind HO scale. The 3-rail “Lionel” end of the hobby is more confusing than ever to a beginner like you. There’s all the differing track styles, differing control systems, scale and “traditional” non-scale, plus all the differing companies that didn’t exist a couple decades ago. While it’s confusing, the choices and options today are unequaled. For a holiday layout, even the traditional Plasticville buildings (which have been around for over 50 years) are still being made.
Now, you say you are in upstate NY. Today and tomorrow there’s the excellent train show at the NY State Fairgrounds in Syracuse. For someone like you, this is possibly one of the best shows you could attend nationwide. Far better than even the YORK show because of all the operating displays. If you can, GO! There’s upcoming shows in Binghamton and Norwood too.
There’s excellent large train shops in Buffalo and Rochester. Plus there are other good shops in Ithaca, Syracuse, and Horseheads. If you were close to Corning you could see my layout and I guarantee you’d be blown away with what I have done in a small space and on a budget with Lionel and K-Line traditionally sized trains.
You could check you library system and see if some of the TM DVD’s or layout videos are available. TM has produced a variety of layout tour shows and this couple help you decide the direction you want to go.
We here are a biased group towards our beloved 3-rail trains. Personally for the fun element, 3-rail Lionel (or other brands) is the way to go. There’s NO need to go gung-ho at first and get in over your head. For what you are thinking of doing, there’s no immediate need for digital control. Really, on a small layout it’s a waste of money anyways.
Any of the basic starter end current Lionel train sets are decent value for the money. Likewise, you could probably still locate K-Line train sets still in their original sealed wrap
As usual, Brian you are right on the money. The electronics are nice BUT definately not required to enjoy this hobby. And 3-rail is a blast! And about MTH track…it has a tendency to have “open” connections. They are easy for us to diagnose and fix but can drive a newbie NUTS!
Jim H
Well Guys,
I shopped a little today, compared sizes of buildings and decided to go O scale. I picked up a Lionel North Pole Central set. The wife wanted a Christmas set! I think I got a good deal about $180.00. I also found a 1989 Lionel Christmas Boxcar 6-19908 brand new in the box. It’s white with Santa in a sleigh being pulled by his reindeer. It was burried on a shelve in this small hobby shop where I got my train. Some catalog used to appraise trains and parts led us to believe the boxcar may hold some value. Is this possible??? I have enjoyed discussing trains and learning a bunch from everyone. I think I might be hooked. If I can figure out how to post photos, when I get my village up I will post some. Now I have to figure out how to set up my track, what to use for a temporary base and how to disguise and decorate the base. Unfortunatley I have to set up the village off the floor.
Thanks again for all of the help!
Randy
Second that, that’s how I got my start very infomative.
laz57
Well Randy good for you! As far as the car from 1989, the rule of thumb (and this goes for any sort of so-called collectible) is that it is only worth what someone else is willing to give you for it. Guys who have been in the hobby for decades just by experience, know what is and isn’t unusual or rare. For example, there a very common GN sky blue 2-bay Great Northern hopper made in the early 70’s by Lionel MPC. There’s also a very unusual midnight blue version of the same car which is quite hard to find.
You don’t learn this stuff from the catalogs, but just from being in the hobby and spending the time in it… going to shows, asking questions, having people tell you about certain trains, reading the various 3-rail magazines and periodicals. Today, overall train prices on collectibles are down. Which is great for all of us budget operators. BUT good money is STILL being paid for top condition mint or near mint unusual or old postwar Lionel trains.
It’s great that you have your wife behind you on this. It’s a blessing and also sometimes a liability. She’ll probably help keep your feet planted firmly on the ground of reality as far as what you spend. But that’s okay, because there are deals out there and affordable decent products. The starter Lionel cars, the new K-Line by Lionel stuff (IF it ever gets released?!!), the Atlas Industrial Rail line and the new Ready Made Toys product line. I bet your wife would like one of the RMT “Buddy” RMT self-propelled passenger Budd cars. There’s a CHRISTmas one I belive for the North Pole. For $70, a good deal in todays current retail market.
Now here’s a funny story you can share with your wife too. A train buddy of mine years ago was looking over his stuff for some “fodder” to take to a train show to maybe trade with someone. So he grabbed his silver Lionel passenger cars and was going to take those along. His wife told him “nothing doing” becase those cars had people in them and she
Congratulations!
Here’s a link to a recent thread here regarding Christmas layouts…this should give you some ideas, also check out Sunday Photo Fun.
http://www.trains.com/TRC/CS/forums/1252253/ShowPost.aspx
Great that your wife is involved! Have a great time with the layout!
Kurt
Randy you made a huge mistake! 
You should have purchased a non-Christmas themed train so next week you wife would let you purchase the Christmas themed train!
Just kidding! I think you did very well and will have a ton of fun. Before jumping in on constructing the base for this layout consider a visit to the library to check out the toy train books. Some will have a ton of ideas to help you get going. You can also ask here and check out the free articles CTT has made available.
Also check out the FREE articles CTT has graciously provided to help us get started. A few of them are listed below.
Basics of toy trains
Collectible toy trains
Layout gallery
Layout visits
Layout construction and wiring
Do check out the RMT Beep Christmas loco’s and cabose. Also check out lionel’s expansion sets (about $100). Both are great ways to add different operations to your new railroad.
Jim H
Randy, according to the 2008 Greenburg’s Guide, the boxcar is worth $47 new.
Hey Guys,
I didn’t think that Box car was that valuable, it doesn’t matter because I liked it anyway. I am doing some thinking and planning today. I have an idea of having a two tier village set up with maybe my Christmas trolly or another Train set (maybe?) in an upper village and my North Pole Central down in the lower village. It might be too much to try and accomplish for my first time? But, I do like putting some thought into it. It was suggested to me if I do try two trains that I make one of the HO scale or smaller. I am actually thinking about the Polar Express.
Randy
Kurt,
Thank you for the link you are right thay are helpful.
Randy: you might want to try having a straight run of track for a Christmas handcar or trolley. I actually did both with my Christmas layout - a handcar line running in front of the three loops, and an elevated trolley line that goes behind the Christmas tree. Here’s a picture of it:
I used the MTH trestle set for the elevated trolley line - it’s neat how the trolley appears and disappears behind the tree.
My Christmas layout will be 3 tiered. It is easy if each level is on a flat surface. I used 4" x 4’ x 8’ sheets of foam for the tiers. I stacked two sheets per tier (or about 8") except on the bottom just one sheet. My layout wll be 6ft x 6ft. The foam was a little spendy (about $100) but it is easy to carve and I will save it for next year. It gets a tad complicated when you add grades changing from one level to the next. You might consider starting small as it is easier. Still, two tiers should not take more than a week of effort (or less) as long as you use rollout “snow” fabric. Then just add your village on top of the snow and toss a bunch of presents around.
Jim H
Jim,
I saw some photos of your layout it doesn’t look easy or simple. You have a nice eye for the details. I’ll be okay because my wife also has a very nice eye for building Christmas Villages. I did however end up with a small dilema, after hearing my wife and I talk about our plans for our villages. Maybe doing two trains on different levels. My in laws ordered me two different sets, A K Line set “Santas Work shop” and also the Lionel set " The Polar Express". Anyway I returned my original Lionel “North Pole Central” So, I just might try running two sets? I’ll have to see how daring I am.
Randy
Spank,
Very nice layout. I really like the trolly on the piers going around the back of your tree. I did see a picture of your layout earlier. I am definatley getting some great ideas. I really like the fact that I can post a question and get so much feedback. You guys just might teach me something about Model Railroading.
Thanks
Randy
Randy,
That was last years layout. It really was just two loops. One of them went over/under and the other was just a circle underneath. The only thing complicated was that the overunder loop had grades. It was not easy getting just the right speed to make it up the grade without leaving the track on the way down! Especially when running top heavy steam engines. I corrected the problem by running two blocks on the large loop. That is why I suggested for this year you stick with level loops. It makes things much easier. Having a loop underneath that was covered most of the time gave me a neat “tunnel” and disguised the fact that it was just a little circle. That layout took about two weeks to build (about 4 hours per day). I enjoyed running 3 trains at once but when I had a party I dropped back to two trains (one per track) so that I would not need to constantly adjust the throttle.
Jim H