I’m trying to follow this acronym, but I find myself over thinking it [:(]
This is the problem I am having right now. I am totally new at this and haven’t yet bought a train, but I have unlimited space so that is not a problem, I also know I want DCC, I do have an idea I would like to incorporate for a layout and I have already started building my train table to house my track (just the bare table), but I don’t know if I should buy a DCC train set with track included and then expand or would it be easier to by a DCC train and then the track and other accessories as I plan on expanding fairly quickly.
any thoughts/suggestions would be greatly appreciated
HO is a good choice if you have the room. More stuff is availalbe for HO than any other scale.
Usually you will get better quality from buying the individual pieces to build your layout. This will usually cost more too but the hobby ain’t cheap and you only get what you pay for. Some sets have good quality in them but they are few and far between. I would buy track and turnouts to lay the track. Buy a DCC system for the layout. Purchase loco’s for the layout, and buy rolling stock. I think most sets will come with sectional track. It is better to use flex track to minimize the number of mechanical connections in your track work, in my opinion. Just my [2c]. Opinions will vary. [:)]
Well, that’s what I would do. On the other hand, lots of us got our start in the hobby with a train set. I started with a set as a Christmas gift in 1976. I had a lot of fun with that set. It was a Tyco set. Most people claim the Tyco stuff was total junk and swear at the stuff. It worked for me when I was twelve or so. Go figure. [:)]
I would, if I were you…figure out your track plan and then go from there. You might want to check the local library for books on getting started in the hobby, track planing, wiring, etc. If you can’t find any good books there, you can often find them at a local hobby shop or right here from the online store.
If you need help along the way, ask in the forums and you will get help. Once you have a track plan you can post it here and guys will tell you what, if anything is wrong with it. Note. Some guys are a bit harsh with their critique so if you ask for opinions be ready…[:)]
If you’re comfortable with the computer, you might want to download one of the free track-planning programs, either Atlas RTS (www.atlasrr.com) or XTrakCad (www.sillub.com.) These will let you plan your layout “on glass” which is a lot cheaper than buying track and using that to make those early mistakes. The Atlas program is easier to learn, but XTrakCad is more powerful. There are other programs you can pay for, too, if you’d like.
If you do have a good train shop nearby, it’s a good idea to pay them a visit or three. You may pay more for some items, but the advice and service is often worth it.
Before you buy anything, though, decide on the era and railroad you want to model. Think about what kind of freight would be appropriate, too. Then concentrate your search on models which are appropriate for your layout.
I wouldn’t buy a “bundled” train set. You’re not likely to get what you really want. Any DCC system will run any DCC engine on any brand of track, so you won’t have compatability problems if you mix-and-match manufacturers. If you get a boxed train set, you’re going to come home with what they have in the store, not what you ideally would like to have.
Something you will have to do at some point is start considering the pieces as individual items and not think of “sets”. Normally if you buy “train sets” or bundled stuff you never get exactly what you want. Think of what you want and get that.
Pick the DCC system you want and buy that system, then add throttles and accessories as required.
Buy your track as flex track and switches, not as train sets. You might want to stick with only one or two manufacturers of switches and track so you get more consistency of track height, rail shape and tie appearance.
Buy cars and engines individually so you get what you want in the road name you want.
My personal preference is to get a small section of your new miniature world up and running quickly.
Running the trains will sometimes change your mind about what, exactly, you want for the rest of the layout. It moves your planning from abstract to reality.
I also recommend visiting other people’s layouts. Don’t try to copy, but use them for inspiration.
This is the best advice I’ve seen yet. Plans are good, but plans change. I think some people get overwhelmed with trying to build an empire out of the gates. Planning is good, but don’t make it so you get to run your first train in a year from now.
Edit: I didn’t even answer the original question. I would try to buy it piece by piece. You’ll get exactly what you want. A train set may have the loco and track you want, but not the control or rolling stock. No sense in buying what you don’t want.
As a quick glance at my posts will show, I am a fanatic about good trackwork and a frequent user of the quoted acronym.
Train set trackwork is meant for someone who wants to erect a quick and dirty loop to entertain a preschooler. For anything more serious, I advocate flex track.
The sly and cunning trick is to design your railroad to expand. Get a simple loop down so you can run trains, even if most of it will come up as the empire expands. Add complcation and size slowly, and operate over everything you add. If When trackwork problems arise, fix them immediately (another good reason for running trains - there are never any problems on unused track!) As time and money allow, that single track along the length of the table can evolve into a multi-platform passenger station, a parallel freight yard, interchanges, industry tracks and an engine terminal - eventually, not next week.
Model Railroader left out a very important word:
Dream, Plan, Build, OPERATE!!! It just isn’t fun if the wheels don’t roll.
I was originally going to run Boston & Maine, because I liked the color (sounds stupid, but its true)[:-^]but I found it was harder to get trains & rolling stock, so because I live in Canada I decided on CN Rail…A ton of stuff to choose from and very easy to get, so now I am going to purchase a few books on layouts & DCC electrical and because I have my table almost built I will have somewhere to imagine what it is going to look like.
I really never imagined that this hobby could be so complicated, I thought you bought the train/track, plugged it in and away you went…WOW…I couldn’t have been more wrong, but I will figure it out and have fun doing it[:o)]
You’ve gotten some awfully good advice from the other posters. Can I just put in my two cents worth? You say you have fairly unlimited space. Which means, I think, that you can go for a wider radius track than is usually offered either in train sets or sectional track. Might I suggest, as you plan your layout, that you think of no SMALLER a radius than 24". This will enable you to run longer locomotives and cars (say 80’ passenger, for instance) without major problems. This is especially true if you decide to run long-wheelbased steam locos.
Best wishes for you. Keep us informed on how you progress, okay?
Thanks Tom, That is great advice & I never considered that, I think that would be a great thing to do so I never have to worry about the overall length of the train interferring with the track size…I have a basement with about 3800 square feet, besides my tools and a lawnmower it is pretty empty, Can’t wait to start;)
It doesn’t have to be complicated. It can be as easy as “I thought you bought the train/track, plugged it in and away you went”. It depends on what you enjoy. You want prototypical? It’s there. Freelance…you can do it. Pure fantasay? It’s there too.
Just have fun doing what you want. It’s your layout, your “little world”. [:D]
One of the best ways to get ideas of what is available and the list price is to get a Walthers catalog; just be aware that they do not carry Athern or Roundhouse products. You will have to visit the Athern website to see what they have.
Do you know of any hobby shops within striking distance of Spring Hill NS? If you can find one, that is a good starting point also. Look in phone book yellow pages under Hobby or in the back of Moder railraoder magazine. IN most cases, they are helpful to beginners. If you do any traveling, check the MR list or the local phone book for any nearby hobby shops.
Look around for model train shows, even if you have to travel a bit to find one. They usually have portable modular layouts on display. You can see what some others have done and get to talk with the poeple thet are running them. You may find a model RR club that you can join.
DCC train sets are hard come by. Closest I found in the 2007 Walthers Big Book was “DCC ready” which means a DCC decoder will plug in, no soldering required. DCC decoders can be installed in every engine, but the DCC ready engines have a socket that allows a plug in installation. A train set gets you an oval’s worth of track, locomotive, cars, and a plain DC power pack. Price of the set is usually OK. One purchase gets you running right away.
Running is important. That’s the fun part. I’d plan to get something running even if its small and much less than the final layout you have in mind. If you are forever building and nothing runs, you can loose interest. Get some something running.
Read things. Model Railroader magazine is always good. Your library must likely will have books on model railroads and real railroads. Your hobby shop will have how-to-do-it books on benchwork and wiring and track laying, all beautifully illustrated. The pictures alone are worth the price of the book. “Track Planning for Realistic Operation”
Thanks for all you help guys, There isn’t a hobby shop around Springhill, but I did find a nice one about 2 hours away, and I go to that city a few times a month, so that makes it easy, I have also found a few model train exhibitions in the next few months which I plan on attending and you guys may have a valid point…I found a train Set, it is DCC & it comes with everything, the guy said he would sell it to me for $150, can’t remember what the make is, but It is brand new…I could hook that up while I am building the rest of my table and it gives me and the kids something to play with and enjoy, good plan