I am a new beginner. looking for a good hobby. I would like to start with HO scale. I need some directions. What type of rails should I buy? There is any particular type of locomotive should I start ? etc…
Your first step is to do alot of reading. Go to your local bookstore or hobby shop and pick up some books. Jot down what you like and what you dont. Subscribe to a few train Mags.
David B
Definately read my beginner’s guide. You can click it in my signature. Might save you a heap of money.
[#welcome]
Lots of people start with Atlas track. It comes in different “Codes”. The"code" is an indication of the height of the rail in thousandths of an inch. Most fine modelers are using code 83 track to model mainline rail. Code 100 is heavier and is larger, (in scale) than any mail line rail in use today. It is best to use flex track if you can. Less joints=less problems. Get nickel silver rail rather than steel or brass. Nickel silver conducts better and stays clean longer.
As far as Locomotives and rolling stock, you will usually get better quality if you buy individual pieces rather than a set.
Good to see yolu here, have fun.
[#ditto] or Ditto!
As David already stated, reading is the best thing you can do to figure out what your interests are. Any good LHS (local hobby shop) should have some beginner books to choose from. And don’t forget your local library. The editions may be dated but you most of the material should still be applicable.
Tom
I could not agree more…saved me not just $$$$, but time too.
WELCOME TO THE BEST HOBBY! As mentioned, read some books, subscribe to train mags, and do your homework. I have 2 golden rules:
1.Never buy standard Bachmann (Spectrum is ok).
2.Atlas is the King of Locomotive manufacturers.
Now for a little advice. I’d start with flextrack because you’ll definitly thank yourself in the future. Don’t buy a locomotive or piece of rolling stock until you know what era you’re doing. And, of course, lay down some insulation foam from DOW Chemicals as a scenery base. Makes laying track a whole lot easier.
Hello and welcome to the forums and to model RRing, May it bring you much fun and relaxation.
Check your PM’s
Good luck, Mike
I may be opening a can of worms now, but here it goes…
All of the other replies are very good, but they are also from experienced modellers, and maybe their bar is set a bit to high for a newbie. Not everyone is interested in a lot of reading and researching before laying the first piece of track…
Buy a starter set with a track oval, an engine and some cars, a couple of turnouts for sidings, and run it for a while, figure out what you want before going to the next step.
Just my [2c]
Most of all, don’t buy cheap. A cheap locomotive is almost always of train-set quality and will not run well for long. If you can’t afford an expensive one there are options. The Walther’s Trainline locos are of good quality, Atlas has quite a selection though they can be pricey, Bachmann’s Spectrum line is descent if you’re looking for a steamer, Athearn has the line of blue box locomotives that go for under $70 usually (I’ve bought them as low as $10) that are a tad noisy but they are rugged and dependablem not to mention easy to work on. Proto 1000 and Proto 2000 (Walther’s) also have good quality locos that can be had for good prices, I’ve bought some for as little as $40. There are other lines available that other members can tell you about better than I can.
Thanks for your advice. Yes I have about 15 magazines right now.
I sincerely appreciate all those feed back. They are good information.Thanks again
Go to a few Train Shows in your area as well, ask your local hobby shop when they are. You will get an idea if you like Steam or Diesel loco’s or maybe even both, lol. Maybe your local hobby shop can put together a package of track, cars and a loco to get you started as well. Train sets aren’t the best quality so I would recommend you stay away from them.
New Tampa Train.
[#welcome] To a great hobby.
1st. Please realize that no matter what question you ask, you will get a number of different answers. As Martha Stewart says, “this is a good thing”. What works well for one person may work even better for someone else or not at all for others. Use what works best for you.
Having said that, what has been said previously here is all sound advise, including the Train Sets. They are usually the cheapest of the cheap but they will USUALLY run O.K. for a while. If you can afford them, buy some decent equipment with Kadee Couplers AFTER you have decided on your era, (1800’s, early to mid 1900’s, transition,(mid 40’s to mid 50’s) or modern). In other words, know what you want to do BEFORE you plunk down a bunch of $$$$$ for something that may not be right for what you want to do down the road. [%-)] [#oops]
The main thing is to have fun with the hobby. If you have questions, try the search box at the bottom of the page. Most questions have already been asked and answered, but if that doesn’t work, come on back and ask away.
Good luck.
Blue Flamer.
What they said!
Plus, consider visiting a train show or two and talking to some of the members of the clubs who are displaying their modular layouts,etc. Better, yet visit a local club layout and speak with some of them about entering the hobby. No matter what level we might be now, we all started out at the same place.
If you are in Tampa, there’s a nice show in Largo in two weekends and they can provide a lot of information. If you want to make the trek to St Pete, I’d be glad to have you visit my layout and we can talk about this sort of thing as well.
Jim
The best advice I can give you is the same thing I did when I got into the hobby, I got this book:
http://kalmbachcatalog.stores.yahoo.net/msi050101.html
This book helped me the most when I got into the hobby, and the DVD is great. One other thing–have fun!
If you are looking at train sets, check out this link:
http://www.trains.com/mrr/default.aspx?c=a&id=2107
Some neat videos of current, good quality sets plus a link to a listing of manufactures of sets.
Other than this, I can not see anything specifc on the MR site that is specific to new modelers.
And welcome, it is a great hobby, maybe the World’s Greatest Hobby [:D]
Jim. Thank you very much. Please can you provide me the info about the Largo show.
Yes I live in Tampa and that will very easy for me to attend. Thanks again
Thanks. I appreciate very much.
Yes I suggest RESEARCH so you are well informed and you don’t go out and spend $$$ on stuff that you’ll end up regretting later. If you make informed decisions you’ll likely enjoy the hobby better (or so I’ve found out… the hard way).