Hello, I was wondering if I could get some help with deciding on a new set for myself and in the future including my daughters. My father had a backman set when I was little and I remember loving it immensely. However we had track problems and never got it running well. Anyway my father worked for a large passenger rail company for 30 years and I work for the same for 7 years and have decided that I want to delve into the toy train hobby again but this time with a platform and the whole 9 yards. I was interested in a Pennsylvania RR train set (I grew up in PA) because my father used to tell my about it when I was little. I checked out the Lionel Penny Flier set for 200 dollars and was wondering if it was worth getting and using to add on for the future or is there another Pennsylvania RR set out there from Lionel that isnt 500 or 800 dollars I could check out. And is the NY flier set better than the PA set?
question about the sets. You will get many different opinions. Here is mine. Get a $600 or $700 train set. Why? Well, if you are saying you want to build a platform and you want to go the whole 9 yards, its best to start out with the best. Then, you might be able to use Lionels wireless control for trains, TMCC Lionel TMCC. You also need to find out wich track you would like to use. There are many out there, some almost just like the real thing, others just steel ties and rails. Lionel makes tubular (steel rails and ties) and Fastrack. (A little more realistic with ties and molded in ballast) There is also Atlas O track, MTH Scaletrax, and GarGraves (All of which are probably the most realistic). I’m sure other guys can help you out here, but thats my [2c]
Well, I don’t know if I need 700 hundred dollar trains right from the jump. I don’t want a cheap set either. I guess I could just save on top of my 200 dollars I have now though. I like the O tracks, Fast tracks. I don’t need the giant tracks that I have seen though. Or maybe I should buy a nice locomotive and tender and build from there adding freight cars as I go.
I have the NYC Flyer set. It’s a good beginner set - I like it. Bachmann trains have developed a much better line called Spectrum (their lesser quality is called standard) if you want to go HO.
The Flyer sets are both nice starting points and can be added to. The NYC set is a bit nicer in that the sounds are better and the freight cars are a bit sturdier with all metal wheel trucks.
Thanks J and Paul, I appreciate your help. I was looking at the NYC Flier set as well, and you are right it does look pretty nice. I guess from reading these forums, people buy multiple sets and collect all kinds of things which is really cool and exciting. I guess I was wondering if the Flyer sets were solid enough to make the puchase and begin the journey as I am planning a layout as well in the future.
I began my journey in O gauge with the NYC Flyer set, bought for my kids. Now we have a layout in the basement and several more sets. It truly is addictive.
Ides,
I would agree $600 - $700 is a bit steep. I have the C&O Super Freight set that comes with the TMCC Berkshire loco, it does not come with the Cab-1 or Command Base but those can be had for less than $150.00 for the set.
You should be able to find this set for less than $400.00 at any of the larger online dealers. It is an excellent set, comes with 40 x 60 oval and a CW80 transformer (enough to run the train and an accessory).
Then when you are ready, you can upgrade to a larger transformer and get the TMCC or TMCC-II controllers (TMCC-II will control the TMCC engine).
Thanks Lionroar, I appreciate your help. I guess I will go for the NYC flier set or the Pennsylvania flier set, one of the two. I am going to Joe’s train station in Feasterville Pa after work to look at some more things for ideas. I just can’t spend a crap load of cabbage on a set right now but the best thing about this hobby is you can always add on and upgrade. I really just wanted a good Pennsylvania RR set because of me and my dad working for the same company in PA all these years.
If you do buy a set, be sure to add 4-5 drops of smoke fluid to the smoke stack before you run the train. It will save your smoke unit from an early demise!
Welcome back to the hobby. I also agree that going with the prr flyer set is the best way to go. Those expansion packs look great and Im pretty sure they have a passenger cars and station platform expansion as well. You can always get a nice PRR K4 pacific later on along with some PRR madisons if you really get hooked on the hobby. Good Luck!
Thanks PostWar, I figure on going with the Pennsy flier set. I just wanted to know the quality of the set or not. I have heard it is a good set and the only difference between that and the Ny flier set is the sounds and one extra car. And yes I can always upgrade, those other Pennsylvania one’s you mentioned like the K4, are those Lionel too or another brand?
I’m a fan of any of the starter sets from MTH. All in the $300 range. The are quiet runners, but have built in DCS capability, flywheel motors with speed control, remote firing couplers, bell, whistle, and enough track to get you started. It comes with realtrax, which has simulated roadbed is was readily available for me locally at a couple of different local hobby shops.
Wes
I started my nephews out witha NYC Flyer set. Good way to get your feet wet in the hobby: later you can decide which path to take when you expand your layout.
Are the MTH (what does that stand for by the way?) O gauge or HO? I never thought of something besides Lionel. My father had a Bachman set but I can’t find the locomotive and the freight cars that went with it. And I like the size of the Locomotive 4-4-2 that comes with the Pennsy flier set. Are the MTH the same size? And is the 4-4-2 loco a good one? Sorry for all the questions Wes.
Ok, thanks Jim, I am new to all the model train terms so I hope I got the number of the locomotive correct with the Pennsy flier set but I believe that is the right one. Good to know it is a good locomotive. I looked at it last night and I liked it alot. I mostly want smoke, and horns like the one I had when I was a kid.
As luck would have it I was scanning the other mag today and noticed Side Track Hobbies has the Lionel 6-30000 TMCC Keystone Super Freight for $429.00, so I took a look online and found the following:
The Pennsy Flyer is a decent starter set, however the Berkshire in the Super Freight is a larger engine than the 4-4-2 in the Flyer, the Super Freight also has a nicer flatcar with piggyback trailer, the Flyer only has a flatcar with stakes. Also the Super Freight is TMCC equiped with Railsounds 5.0, all you need to step up to TMCC is the Cab-1, Command Center, and a TPC. You can run the Flyer in TMCC, but it will not have the Railsounds, nor will it be fully TMCC - just conventional with remote control.
IMHO, the Flyer at $169 is a decent buy, but the Super Freight at $429 is an even better buy (if you can front the money). I have the NYC Flyer and the C&O Super Freight and my Super Freight gets a lot more play time than the Flyer…
Wow, I will def check that out now! And your opinion is valued brother believe me. I didn’t realize how involved picking a starter set or beginning this over again could be. Maybe saving another couple hundred would be more valuble for the future.
MTH is one of Lionel’s remaining competitors. Mike’s Train House. I only use O gauge, but they have started making HO stuff as well. Some of their cars are bigger than my lowend Lionel. Tankers are bigger, cabooses are bigger. It’s the sounds and speed control that I really like. And the steam engines will smoke you out of a room if you are not careful!