I plan to get a starter HO train set for my first train. I’m still in the planning stages so I have plenty of time but I saw one that I liked. It is a Walthers Trainline Series UP Passenger set. The engine is a ALCO FA-1 diesel. This is all straight off the description so I apologize if I screwed that up. Do any of you have an opinion of starter sets or this one in particular? Thanks.
Try looking up a starter train set on the Walther website. >>> http://walthers.com/exec/sets
If you like the set go ahead and get it. I’ve heard that the Walthers diesels run very well, making them good starter engines.
I don’t know about the Trainline sets, but I do have trainline locomotives and passenger cars. They are fine.
This is totally different than the one you saw but it is my recomendation for a quality train set. This has been out of production for several years, but Caboose Hobbies in Denver still has three sitting on the shelf. Unfortunately they do not have a picture of it on the web site. Basically it has an S-2 locomotive, two freight cars, and a caboose. Loop of track and power supply.
$99
PRO-LINE TRAIN SET
Scale: HO Scale
Roadname: Chicago Burlington & Quincy
Manufacturer: Atlas Model Railroad Co Inc
Stock Status: Yes
http://www.caboosehobbies.com/catalog/Description.cfm?sku=01501011
Bachman also has some passenger sets with “Spectrum” steam locomotives and cars in them. That would be a fairly nice starter set.
The problem with any set these days is going to be the track. If you buy the Atlas it comes with a special “true track”, a Bachmann set will have “EZ track”, and a Life Like set will have “Power Lock” track. They are all of course incompatible. I don’t know what type the Walthers would have. You could of course ignore the track that comes with the set and just buy generic track separately.
It comes with Atlas snap-track. Is this also incompatible?
Nope, you can hook it to anything. It is just regular sectional track
I purchased one of the Atlas Pro-Line sets a few years back when I got back into the hobby. The S-2 switcher is a great little engine ( I got 2 more since), it pulls well and I recently upgraded it to DCC with the NCE ATLS4 decoder (almost a drop in). The rolling stock in the set is top of the line Atlas R to R with metal wheels. All of them are still running on my layout. The DC controller is basic but well made. I still use it as a Jump throttle on my Digitrax system. The track is Atlas Tru-Track. This is standard Atlas code 83 snap track mounted to a plastic road bed. You can separate it from the roadbed and and use it as regular sectional track. I would not hesitate to purchase one of these sets.
I would recommend the Bachmann Spectrum sets.
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