Hello all,
I am wanting to get into model railroading. I havent had a train set since I was a kid. I could realy use some help deciding on what to start with. I would like to go with HO scale, but I dont know where to start. I am thinking of starting with spending maybe 150.00 or so. I am a very tight budget. Any suggestions? Thanks!
Bill
Well, You’re really going to need more than $150. That will probably get you one locomotive, maybe a couple of cars and a caboose. If i were you, I’d first invest in some how-to books, One on track planning, one on benchwork, one on wiring (I’d go for Digital Command Control if you are planning on running more than one train.) DCC isn’t cheap either. I spent over $1700 for my DCC system. You can get a DCC system cheaper than that but it’ still going to cost more than $150. Then get a book on scenery. Try to read as much as you can on the hobby from how-to books and train magazines. Talk to people that are in clubs and go visit the club layouts or an individual model railroader’s layout whenever possible so you can get some good ideas before laying down your track. In the meantime save your money. It’s going to cost you at least $500.00 to get started with even the basic 4 x 8 set-up. You will be better off purchasing individual HO scale components i.e…track, power supply, track turnouts, rolling stock, locomotives, and scenery items, instead of those toy train sets. The toy train sets are very poor quality and you’ll get frustrated with the hobby right from the get go. If you are serious about getting into this hobby, learn as much as you can first and save your money so that when you do build your first layout, it will be worth the effort. Blindly jumping into a layout can only cause frustration if careful planning is not taken into consideration.
The hardest thing is the track plan for your layout. What you put down on paper usually won’t fit the first time you design it. Spend a lot of time designing a layout (I spent about a year in the planning stage alone for my latest layout,) so that the end result will be functional and enjoyable to your liking. I’ll let you in on a little secret, I probably have about $50,000 in my trains since 1977 and i haven’t even scratched the sur
Welcome to the hobby…I hope. $150, as Chuck suggests, will not go very far. At one time, perhaps 18 months ago, Bachmann Industries was selling a train set that had a very basic DCC set in it, complete with track and a locomotive with a decoder for the DCC operational system (DCC stands for Digital Command & Control). I don’t know if such an animal still exists, but if so, that will be your best bet, all things considered. At least it well get you in the door.
Otherwise, a good locomotive that is ready to run out of the box will be near $60 discounted or won on ebay. If you want the newer DCC operational control, then we are talking over $90 in most cases. If you get stung by the sound bug and want an engine that makes realistic noises, add another $50 at least, and that will be heavily discounted.
You also need tracks. What kind? There is snap-together track ($$, and limiting in the configurations you can make, plus those turnouts don’t work all that well without lots of fiddling), or there is flexible track that comes in three-foot lengths that you must bend to conform to your plan, and then glue or nail it into position to keep it from squirming back to tangent track (straight). Much less costly, but lots more work to get it ballasted and looking good.
This hobby is about money to an extent, although you are the determinant as to how much money. Otherwise, it is about determination and time invested. If you want to be happiest about your experience, doing a lot of reading and asking questions before you pick up a tool or plunk down the plastic is definitely the way to go. Otherwise it will be very expensive and most frustrating.
If you want some scenery, such as tunnels or hills, villages, streets and sidewalks, track signals, lighting, lots of trees, period automobiles, little people, here is where the money can get serious. The scenery and details can add up very quickly.
Find a post b
Hello and welcome to the forum:
As far as train sets go, you’ll get a mixed set of responses. Some will agree with you getting one, and some won’t. Just remember to do what suits you and what makes you happy. Now to give you a couple of suggestions. I don’t know what era you plan to model or if you prefer steam engines or diesels, but here goes.
Atlas_Trainman: They MSRP at $175, but if you look at some online dealers, you might find them at a cheaper price.
Walthers_Trainline: Although most of these sets seem to be out of stock, if you look for these online elsewhere, they can also be a good start. I just mentioned them to give you some ideas.
Athearn also has train sets available, some start at under $100. Visit their main website here to see their other available sets.
If you do have to go the train set route, be sure to avoid the chaper life like, model power, and bachmann stuff. Let me clarify though that Life Like and Bachmann have upped their quality a bit in the past years. Life Like’s Proto 1000 and 2000 lines have some nice equipment in them, but the prices for some of this equipment is kind of high. The same thing with Bachmann, they have the Spectrum and Plus lines that are way better than the bachmann stuff from years ago.
The three manufacturers that I listed all have good quality products (well actually 5 if you include Life Like and Bachmann). The train sets are probably considered the basic, less detailed models, but their respective extended production lines have some very detailed an
Thank you for all the replies. This is my thought process. I figured on spending around 150. for a set. Set it up and see if I can really get into it. It looks great and I think I could really get into the hobby. I now know that I will have to spend some real dollars if I want better quality. At least if I set up, and dont get into it, no big deal. If I add a little scenery, play with it and screw it up, again, no big deal. Anyway, that is my thoughts.
Thanks,
Bill Lakin
That makes some sense. HOwever, (sorry, I can’t stop doing that!) will you at least concede that by taking the experience with a cheap and less refined version of what “could be” as your guide you may do yourself a disservice? In other words, you may find, erroneously, that you do not find your trial to be very rewarding only because of the limitations of price and its resultant refinement in product also being limited.
I am not going to suggest to you that you spend $300, but most of us spend that much every 4-6 months on something or other, so even doubling your intitially expected investment will only meet what so many of us spend essentially casually for rolling stock replacements, new cars, or a really nice new locomotive with sound.
Another way of getting to my point is that your $150 will make an oval of track and provide you with a locomotive, probably one or two cars (although the sets often come with three or four) and a variable power supply. Your train will probably run very nicely for a good while. In circles. For that money you may even have enough left over to get some buildings in your scale to make a two structure village.
Now, for the really fine point. If you wanted to see what it was like driving a car, would you spend $500 and have a decent and methodical trial, or would you at least borrow a friend’s better machine and have a good go at it? Maybe that is what you should do…visit a club or find some way to trial something that will give you a more accurate sense of what the hobby can really offer you.
Just my [2c] However it goes for you, I do wish you success and hope that your experience is a rewarding one.
The following is an unpaid advertisement but I’m very sure the folks moderating the forum will allow it:
Get a subscription to Moder Railroader if you haven’t already.
End of ad.
I’m not very active at this time, having twins and all sorts of other time consuming obligations keeps me away from even these forums an awful lot. MR keeps my interest up and stay involved albeit it at a purely passive, intellectual level.
Sometimes your farther ahead going to a hobby shop and asking them to put something together for you for around the same price as a train set. I’m not a big fan of train sets, they usually are poor quality and can cause a lot of frustration. I started out with a Tech 4 power pack, an Atlas track package, a Proto 2000 loco and a few Athearn Blue Box kits all for under 200 Canadian. My local hobby shop put it all together for me.
Bill, you do whatever makes YOU happy. My layout started out from Bachmann’s Overland Limited train set. It has since grown to 27x18 ft. and I’ve upgraded my rolling stock and motive power. The cars in most trains sets rarely match era, let alone railroad line (covered hoppers mixed with woodside livestock cars, etc.) But, if you’re patient… you too can be what my friends call “Choo Choo”.
Welcome to the hobby!
From your forum profile I noted you are in the Nashville area. Have you gone to the hobby shops in the area? If you have not then you should go. Ask the attendant or even the owner what they can suggest. If possible, try to find a local club and show up to one of their public meetings. At one time the Great American Train Show (GATS) held regular shows there in Nashville. Unfortunately, GATS is no longer in business so I am not sure if someone else replaced their shows. It is likely the local NMRA section holds an open house or show at least once per year.
I guess my advice is to first talk to other model railroaders in your area and make them aware that you are interested in joining the hobby and need help. Get your hands on some model railroads first and then spend your money. Who knows, there may be some local fellows willing to part with some of their stuff at a discounted price.
A great set is the new Atlas set that comes with a GP38 and a few cars. Good quality set that sets you off on the right foot.
Dont let the ‘DCC will cost you 1700 dollars’ talk get to you…just egnore it. You can pickup a great DCC system for 200 dollars. Decoders then cost you 13 dollars per locomotive.
David B
Bill,
I will have to agree with others that $150 isn’t going to buy you a lot. However, if you know where to look, there are some bargains out there on very good and NEW locomotives.
Even so, David’s suggestion is a good one. Although I’m not keen on sets, perhaps in your case a set that contains a decent locomotive and cars, track, and transformer would be $$$ more well spent. If, somehow, you find that MRRing is not what you thought, everything would all fit back into one box and you could resell it to recoup some of the cost
I would also agree about picking up a copy of Model Railroading mag the next chance you get. This will give you ideas about what kinds of things are possible.
Tom
Blakin, do you have a Hobby Lobby near you? If you don’t, you can order online. To get you started, they have a scenery set from woodland scenic called ‘Mountain valley scenery kit’. It sells for 79.95. They also have a Bachmann easy command train set for $179. The set comes with a starter dcc power, two engines, a few cars, and track to almost fill out the previously mentioned kit. You can buy extra track there as well. Hobby Lobby has a coupon on their website every other week that is good for 40% off anything in the store. You can print off as many as you want. You can only use one at time, but you can come back in a couple of hours. With the discount, you can have a starter set, and starter scenery for a little over $160. It’s a decent way to get started to see if you’re interested or not. Don’t be scared of the prices that everyone is throwing around. You don’t need to spend that kind of money to experiment. Good luck.
Edit: You can’t use the coupons with their online store.
This sounds pretty good.
Based on my own experiences from when I started last year this is my idea. When started I got a very basic Roco DCC set that I’m still running and is fairly happy with. I also got the classic oval and an engine. Now, the oval is in my kids room and the engine is pretty much retired. The thing was, the engine was crap. If I hadn’t got my self a decent engine besides the starter set I would have given up. It was so poor. So here is the idea, get a starter set, not the terrain and then buy your self a decent loco. This is probable the easiest part to sell of as well in case you want to get rid of stuff. A decent engine doesn’t have to cost a lot and will be with you for as long as you are in the hobby. A poor engine will only leave you frustrated. My kids got bored really quickly when that engine kept stalling and not starting before the good engine ca
Bill,
I have to agree with David, go with the Atlas Trainman set. It comes with excellent quality stuff. The track can be incorporated into a larger layout at a latter date. It comes with a power pack that will get you going without spending a lot. Shop around for the best price and you may find it under your budget.
http://www.atlastrainman.com/HOLoco/tmhotrainset.htm
Many people get into and then out of this hobby. It’s not for everyone. Why jump in and spend a lot until you know for sure that it is something you like? Later you can upgrade the control system to DCC or maybe you will want to stay in DC. Try to find a LHS nearby if possible.
There is NOTHING more discouraging than to get into this hobby with low-end junk. You’re basically fighting a losing battle.
This is a great place to find out answers so ask away.
Jim
Good Morning,
Sorry I’m late, but one of the few benefits of being retired (that I enjoy) is not getting up at 4:45AM anymore - and now I get up with the sun!
There was a write-up years ago in MR (I believe) that addressed the Poster’s problem. Their suggestion was to NOT get a train set per se, but to make up your own.
They suggested an Athearn loco, a few Athearn or MDC kits, some nicklesilver track, and an MRC powerpack. Atlas snaptrack turnouts and the like can be added if the dollars are there.
This will allow the “newbie” to get some inexpensive, quality equipment of his own roadnames and car types. And, getting some of the inexpensive “shake the box” kits will give him some exposure to kit building. Additional “stuff” will come along piecemeal as they can be afforded.
Yes, the $300 BLI locos and $1000 DCC systems and $50 passenger cars can be daunting to a newbie (and to some of us that have been around for years), but these things will come with time, as the hobbiest gets more and more involved.
FWIW,
Mobilman44
Just decided to remind the OP of some train sets that are made of good equipment.
The Atlas set mentioned above is a good set. Bachman and Athearn also make some acceptable sets for someone starting out. Don’t worry about the Digital Command Control yet. Just use the power pack that comes with the set for now. (like people have done for decades of fun)
Here’s some choices-
http://www.discounttrainsonline.com/Electric-Train-Sets-HO-Scale-Bachmann/TS_HO_160_1.html
http://www.discounttrainsonline.com/Electric-Train-Sets-HO-Scale-Athearn/TS_HO_140_1.html
This is that 2 engine DCC set mentioned above
http://www.discounttrainsonline.com/Bachmann-Digital-Command-Control-Trainset-Santa-Fe-Union-Pacific/item160-00501.html
Hi Blakin,
I am pretty new at this myself. A few people suggested reading up on model railroading and thought you should buy some books. The books are very helpful, but they are expensive. Solution: Check your local library! I got about 200$ worth of model railroading books at my local library. I checked them out for three weeks, then renewed them and I got tons of info at no cost. Much better than spenidng your $150 on books. Otherwise, everyone else seems to have good advice.
Smitty
Regarding “expensive” books, try this…
Go to Ebay and put in Kalmbach or the specific name of a book you want. Often folks are selling groups of them for pennies on the dollar. Yes, the books are often “out of date”, but the basic information is somewhat timeless.
Mobilman44