MysticStorm: Been there, Done, That, bu thanks for trying.
Okay, well, as that has put a damper on things, I have turned to British O gauge Prewar and Postwar Clockwork and Electric Trains. I have asked for a nice passenger set I saw for $199 with a red loco, a tender, and 2 coaches, mint conditon for my brithday. I see these can be cheap or expensive, so I think I have found something great here. They are not hard to find either.
But,I’m still going to look for a Hummer Train or 2, or trains similar, I have founf a great eal on e-bay.
Does anybody think it is a good idea to construct my layout with 3 boards for townwns and track connected by planks of wood?
Also, Are Marx switches easy to find ? I know that old Marx (not sure about new) trains can run through Lionel 0-27 switches (i’d perfer t use those, but I can’t).
Use ply wwood and Marx turnouts are cheap cheap cheap.
Marx switches, both the older metal ones and the newer plastic versions (that I mostly use in 27" and 34" radius) can be found readily any day on ebay (where I’ve bought all mine). I use Atlas #56 switch control boxes (the previously described HO/N slide-type button) for them instead of the old (and sometimes unreliable) Marx controllers. They run @ $3 apiece new.
If you’re only going to run Marx or similar “fat-wheeled” engines, then Marx switches are the best way to go IMHO. Since I don’t plan on any older fat-wheel motive power, I’ve added guide rails to my switches, as Lionel and other modern era engines like to derail on them without guides (at least they do on my low profile plastic ones).
You can also use old Lionel 1121 switches. The Marx and pre-war O American Flyer trains work fine through them. They are sometimes easier to find than the Marx switches.
I had heard the same thing about the 1121s, so I bought a pair for my Christmas layout a couple of years back when I wanted to set up a double-reverse loop. I ran my Marx 591 (with the fat wheel) on it, and it would make it through the 1121s probably 80% of the time. But it occasionally would bounce on them and derail–occasionally enough that I didn’t feel safe stepping away from the layout for a couple of minutes.
So, I think you’re still better off with Marx switches. The 1121s will do in a pinch, but I have much better luck with Lionel trains on Marx switches than the other way around.
Hello My friends, I like the Marx #610 manual switch, I like them because they very easy to fix just drill out the 2 rivets with a 7/64 drill bit and take it apart and look to see all the contacts and clean all dirt and rust off the rails and use contact cleaner too. Put back together use #4 machine screw and nut where drill out the 2 rivets very easy to do and should last a life of use too. I find a lot of them at train shows and ebay too. Yes I think Marx trains are the way to go they have lasted me over 60 years of my life. For my money Marx trains are the toughest toy trains ever made and made in USA too .Thanks Edward King