While I don’t currently have space for layout, I am always planning. I have ready books and online posts about all the critiera one should consider when planning a layout. However, what is a happy medium between all that stuff and having 5-8 year old kids who want to “watch trains run”. Obviously continous running would be a requirement…I think. What are some things to consider to help make a layout that the kids will enjoy also.
Since you don’t have room for a layout now, the question is premature. You don’t know how old they will be when you actually have room to build one.
If you want to make them happy now, get a Thomas the Tank Engine set with a 36 inch circle of track and glue it to a piece of plywood that you can stand in the corner or slide under the bed when not in use.
hi
i do agree with the previous comment; however buying a quantity of wooden rails and let them make their own plan seems great for the 5 yr old.
My grandson is still using my marklin train-sets from 55 yrs ago, though i bought 2 DCC starter sets for together 200 dollars. Old and new rails are combined, old and new cars too. Might be an investment for the 8 yr old, but when the sets last as long as mine, your grand-grand children are still using it.
And again, just on the floor…a new plan every time.
Wish you the best, and do not dream to much…dads layout will not go well together with the kids-pike
paul
To “graduate” from “Thomas-technology” to HO Scale after you see that trains have a longer-term appeal…
You might consider using HO Scale Bachmann EZ-Track or Atlas True-Track that molds the track into the roadbed and literally snaps together. This provides track that is a tad-bit sturdier for handling by well-meaning little fingers.
Start with a 1-track oval mainline using 22" radius curves.
A longer-term vision (using say Atlas) would be a 2-track oval mainline: Outer Mainline #1 using 22" radius curves, and: Inner Mainline #2 using 18" radius curves. Each oval mainline could even employ one turrnout siding for freight car storage.
Again for longer-term visioning – You might add-in crossover turnouts – Here’s how: By connecting (2) right-hand turnouts – One from the outer mainline and one from inner mainline. The “crossover” occurs by adding/connecting (2) adjacent left-hand turnouts.
I have two layouts – one for me and one for my younger boys, who are 7 and 9 (my 14 yr old lost interest about the time he discovered girls). While I let them help me with my layout from time to time, I am the final arbiter of what goes on my layout and how we implement things. All the silly ideas go on their layout.
They are a little frustrated that my layout has multiple routes and many sidings, and theirs is a simple oval with a two-track siding, but they also have structures crammed into places where they would never go in real life, big piles of construction equipment, crashed airplanes, snow on a mountain less than 1000 scale feet of elevation, and all sorts of things I would never do on my layout.
As they grow, though, I find them gravitating much more to my layout and less to theirs, because they come to appreciate the higher level of realism.
So the previous points are spot on: it’s a waste of time to plan something with an indefinite time of accomplishment, because your kids’ interests will change over time.
If you must do something now, wooden Brio or Thomas pieces MIGHT do the trick (although mine lost interest as soon as self propelled electric stuff was an option). You can also, as a previous poster said, just make an oval – or something a little more complex – on a sheet of plywood that you can store out of the way when not in use. For this purpose, the sectional track with attached roadbed is probably your best option. Bachmann sells Thomas-themed stuff, but it’s incompatible with regular HO equipment (although you can create an adapter car with different couplers at each end). However, my 7 yr old already considers Thomas to be “baby stuff”, so make sure you know what your kids are interested in before you embark.
Thanks for all the suggestions. I guess I should have mentioned that I have been collecting model trains for 20 years and my current situation with no place for a layout is temperary. The question I was trying to ask is what aspects of a model train layout would make it more enjoyable for my kids. However, the ideas of building thier own layout to “their specifications” didn’t occur to me…that idea sounds good.
The good old 4x8 aint dead. Start a layout for the kids built to their specs/desires but leave a track or two running off the edge for mating to your future layout. I bet you’ll be running trains on this layout while you build yours and having the option of adding their 1st may make it more appealing in the long term. If they want to make changes they can do so on their section whenever they want. When they get older and more skilled/interested then they can help with the family layout. Look at what John Allen accomplished with a 3x7…
Scenery may be whimsical or impractical (Lego buildings and Matchbox cars) but that can all be changed as their desires change, heck 60 year old do it all the time. Again see the G+D…
I know I still have most of my original purchases of track and rolling stock which is approaching 30 yrs old and still reminds me of laying on the floor putting together various track plans.