I decided to start a hobby with my 3 yr old son and this is what the final decision came to.
Today I bought an GP-9 BNSF locomotor (ho) and a
CHICAGO MODEL CMI TRAIN POWER TRANSFORMER
both from eBay. I figured I didn’t want to buy a kit, I wanted to start from scratch.
But now , after browsing thru the forums, I have been left scrathing my head and have no idea where to begin! I have plenty of room for a large layout (extra bedroom), so space is not a problem.
Any suggestions as to where to go from here would be greatly appreciated!
Pick up a few model railroad magizines or stop by any local hobby shop that carries trains and they will or should have a few books to get ideas from, probably the best thing to do is either get a 4’ x 8 ’ sheet of plywood and start laying track, you wont know where you want to go till you get started. I have a 36" x 75" Marklin German display layout I am building to take to shows. It is fully digitaly controled, and could even be linked to a home computer! I would recommend you pick up at least one good steam loco, the kids at the shows like to watch them run more than the diesels as the side rods are exciting to them. Look at Athearn Genesis, Bachman Spectrum, or Trix for good running steam locomotives. You can make this hobby as cheap or expensive as you want to. I used an interior hollow core or foam core door as a light weight table top, you can use the blue insulation foam for building up mountains ect. Have fun. Mike
Thank you so much for the info Mike!
I appreciate you taking the time to answer.
First of all, welcome to the hobby![#welcome]
I’m still kind of new to this myself, so a lot of stuff is still fresh in my mind from when I got started. First of all, visit the NMRA website (www.nmra.org). Scroll down about a third of the way and there’s a link to “Beginner’s Page Project.” Skim through that stuff and it will give you the basics.
I bought an Atlas layout book and picked out a track plan from that (www.atlasrr.com). The Atlas books are great because they’re cheap, they have a variety of track plans, and they pretty much hold your hand through the entire process. You can get them from any train hobby shop, and I’ve even seen them at Hobby Lobby as well. They have several similar books, all titled something like “12 HO layouts you can build” or something like that.
A lot of people recommend Kalmbach’s beginner-type books, but I’ve never read any of them myself. If you have a decent public library, they should have a few of these books for you to check out. If you’re lucky, they might even have some how-to videos to watch, too [:)]
Surf the MR website and flip through some MR magazines (also at the library).
In the meantime, if you want to get the train running, buy enough track to make a complete oval. You can get sectional track with plastic roadbed attached to it. It’s more stable and easier to assemble/disassemble repeatedly than “regular” track. Several companies make it, but I prefer the Atlas “True Track” because you can separate the track from the roadbed and use it on a “real” layout later.
Oh, yeah. You also might want to get a couple of freight cars to go with that loco [;)] Good luck!
Cheers,
First of all, WELCOME!
Since you have a computer, go to the ATLAS web site (http://www.atlasrr.com) and download their RTS (or Right Tracks software). It’s FREE and is a track planning program that uses their sectional track (straight, curves, turnouts, crossings, etc.) to help you try out your layout ideas. Nothing REALLY beats actually laying the track out on top of your newly constructed train table yourself, but, perhaps it will give you some ideas of what you want to do. ATLAS also makes some good basic planning books that you should be able to find at your local hobby shop (LHS). Again, the books incorporate their sectional track.
Suggestion #1: Keep your first layout simple. A basic oval with a couple of side spurs will probably keep that little guy of yours mesmerized for hours. It will also allow you to more quickly get your locomotives up and going sooner. There is a tendency or temptation to “bite off more than you should” the first time around. Keep it simple - for your sake, as well as your sons. Learn…read…go to train shows with your family…learn…get on the forum…ask “dumb” questions…LEARN…I think you get my drift. Get you track down and your locos running, then start musing over scenery and building and stuff.
You didn’t mention what scale you were going to be modeling in. If you will be modeling in N scale, then go down to your local Home Depot or Lowes and buy the cheapest wooden, hollow core door that you can find. A 24" or 30" wide door makes a great train table that is both very sturdy and ample room for that size scale.
For HO, for continuous run (or train going around in a circle) operation, I think it’s best to go with at least a 4 x 8’ top initially. Plywood sheeting is one way to go for your layout tabletop. Extruded foam insulation (EFI) is also another alternative that you can use. It’s lightweight, sturdy, and inexpensive. You can pick up both at any Home Depot or Home Center. Cost for the
Don’t be Sorry!
The suggestions of start small and get a track plan book are good starters. Kalmbach prints two books; 101 Track plans and 48 Top Notch Track Plans. Bothare excellent books and will help you find a plan suitable for your needs.
I would also suggest Kalmbachs videos on scenery and basics. These can be bought/rented or borrowed, depending on your Hobby Store’s policy. The video’s are excellent and make life so much easier. There are also layout kits available. These are made by Woodland scenics and DPM. I have never tried one and tend to be a tad pricey but they do offer an alternative “quick” method of construction.
Just remember Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither will your layout be! These do take time and if you stick around here long enough you will here the phrase “two steps backward for every step forward” more times than not.
Regards
Fergie
No need to be sorry. Heck, I wi***here was something like this when I started many many years ago! I’ll agree with everyone above. Get some magazine subscriptions going. While lots of the stuff might be too advanced you’ll be able to see what is attainable in this hobby and they all run some beginners articles quite often. My magazines (about 40 years worth) is almost like a model railroading encylopedia and with the comperized index (at the top of the forum page) its great!
I really think some of the Atlas track books are a good start. Each has been tested by Atlas to work.
I also think that Kalmbach has a few videos out that are aimed at beginners. Haven’t seen them, but they might be of interest.
Glad to have you aboard - Model Railroading is FUN!
Wow, thank you all for all this wonderful information, I do have a local hobby shop in town, so I guess this should be the first place to go to. Again, thank you all!
One of my greatest resources for information was visiting a bookstore in Everett, Wash. and finding used issues of Model Railroading Magazine, (and a few others) they were in bundles by year and cheap- great reading and super information. remember, some of us out here don’t have (or want) all the new electronic goodies or 200 brass engines, have fun, it’s not a contest, how great to share with your family.
Hello Importz2k1; Welcome to a wounderful hobby. All the advice has been good. I’ve been in HO for 51yrs,and have not regreated it. My dad was in HO and that is why I switched from S gauge. Your son is a lucky guy. There is alot of information available today. Start simple and learn as you go. Above all make it fun for your partner. This is something that the two of you can enjoy together for a life time. Anytime you have a question you can always come to the forum. We will all be here for you. And don’t worry there isn’t a question that we haven’t had to ask ourselves.
Again Welcome and have a great time together.
Paul
Importz2k1, welcome!
When I got back into the hobby 3 years ago, my oldest son was 4 and my youngest was 1 and 1/2. I also had a room to build a layout, but was not ready to jump into it right away. For the first year I made do with a loop of Atlas track (with the plastic roadbed) and a couple of turnouts. With this I would set up a loop on the floor, or on the table and my sons could both get up close and watch the trains. It is amazing how little hands at that age can learn to handle HO trains carefully and can develop the fine motor skills to get the freight cars on the track. I would make up a short train with hopper cars and gondolas and “deliver” M and M’s to them. They would have to give the start and stop commands. Very soon they leaern how to control the trains themselves. Take your son to train shows to see the layouts. Start collecting a building rolling stock kits. As your son gets a little older, he will even enjoy “helping” with the basic Athearn kits.
I used this time to develop my layout ideas and now am well advanced in construction. My oldest is now 7 the youngest almost 5 and we are now running DCC, buidling and weathering kits together and having a wonderful time with the hobby. I think that model rr is the very best hobby for helping to build a lasting bond with my boys. Enjoy it, it is so very rewarding.
Welcome!
I know right where you stand, i did the same two years ago. I got my son into this when he was turing 2, my daughter is into it as well, and she will turn two on saturday.
my son has his layout, its small, only 4x5 and it slides under his bed, we kept it very simple because i found that he and his sister still like to walk over it, sit in the middle and all sorts of crazy stuff. heck, they take their brio thomas trains and run them on the HO track as well, all items are fair game. my son is now almost 4 and i will have him help me with the grown-up layout building, but i plan on leaving his 4x5 the way it is because like i said he still likes to walk all over it. he runs his bachmann Thomas on it most of the time, even though i got him a few other switching diesels too.
keep that in mind, i guess is my suggestion, what you think might be fun, modeling a town and operations and all, may not be what your son wants to do. so try to keep an open mind and try to make things simple so they dont break too easily and such. you may have tons of space, but then again, keep it simple, start with some thing small, but think of future expansion too.
my son’s layout doesnt have any expansion possibilities in it, as his layout is kept under his bed when not in use and just slides out on the floor.
the train on the layout is not my son’s I was borrowing his layout to test my latest kit build. [;)]
This is all such great information and I thank you all for taking the time to write to me.