Been awhile since I’ve posted anything here but I need some help. My son is really into trains. I’d like to set up a layout for him to watch. Being only 2 I can’t really make something that he can play with yet.
What I thought of doing was building a shelf around his room and putting a layout on it to run around the entire room. Can anyone tell me the best scale for this? I’d like to use 1x8s for the shelf itself. Would N scale have a tight enough turn radius to make the corners? I doubt HO would…but if you know of a manutacture that makes something that would work, that would be helpful too.
If you want an around the walls layout, I’d use shelf brackets and 1/2"x12" plywood shelves. The tricky part will be when crossing doors or windows. You’ll either have to make those sections removeable, or only run where there are just walls. For that, you’ll need to model N scale and widen the shelves at the ends to at least 20" for a turnaround loop. Of course, N scale is a little small for a toddler to enjoy!
Have you thought about getting him a Lionel starter set for now? The new sets have track & roadbed (which minimizes carpet fuzz), and you can set the train up on the floor. That way, he can play with it when he wants, and put it away when he’s not interested. If he shows an interest in trains when he’s a bit older, you can start working on a “real” layout then.
there was an episode of one of those room redecorating shows on hgtv a while back where they made a gridwork support for a train to run on. it wasn’t a solid shelf so the trains could be seen from underneath. it was simmilar to those commercially made systems that advertize in mr to run g scale on the walls indoors. i think the trains were lionel. it would have to be mounted above the door to allow access to the room. it looked very good. i think n scale or ho would be too small for a 2 year old. lionel should be able to make tight curves in the corners. i checked out hgtv.com and found the show. the host of the show was joan steffend and the name of the show was decorating cents. the episode was #dct 707. the trains were lionel.
I had thought about getting him something that he could play with now and do more detailed things as he grew, however, knowing that he may grow out of trains completely, I figured I’d get something that can be used in the future by myself for a layout or another child.
So, N scale has a 20" turn radius?
Also, being married, I can’t go money crazy with this. Can anyone recommend a brand that’s easy to work with (since I’m just getting started) and well priced?
As a father of daughters, my suspicion is we are justifying an adult urge "for the sake of the toddler. Perfectly normal Dad, but you have the right gender to sell this story with. I of course was just playing with trains, but the girls did enjoy the trips to the club layout, and the senic railroads. My wife also enjoyed the trip to the gourmet restaurant in Saginaw that the owner/chef used as a lower floor cover for a fine layout upstairs. She even took a grudging interest in the trains.
Hope you both enjoy the trains!!!
Will
Well, I won’t BS and say that I have no interest in model railroading, that’s for sure, but the boy is into trains something big right now. Watches Thomas the Tank Engine constantly as well as going crazy every time he hears one outside. (Live within 3 miles of tracks.)
I have a few 20 yr old Tyco engines and cars that my father sent me awhile back along with some track. Is this track usable with anything on the market now? It seems as though every company’s track is different and if you get theirs you can only ever use theirs…
So…along with all the other questions here, who do you recommend using? Do certain company’s track work for all locos/cars? If I were to get a starter set, so I could get this project going, is there any one that anyone here would recommend?
Makes sense. In that case, what do YOU prefer, HO or N?
Well, it can be squeezed to 15"-18" or so. The most common N scale curved sectional track comes in 9-3/4" radius, which equates to 21.5" with 1" clearance past the track.
The best bang for your buck would be Model Power N scale code 80 flextrack, Peco N scale code 80 switches, Life Like diesels, and Model Power cars. MP cars and flextrack might not look the prettiest, but they work just fine. Life Like N scale engines (in the blue jewel cases) can be found for $20 online, and are as good as Atlas or Katos for general use, and the Peco switches, while more expensive than Atlas, don’t require switch machines to operate (they’re built in, eliminating extra cost and time). As you progress in the hobby, you can slowly acquire higher-end stuff.
Wow, what you said right there sounded pretty cool! I assume (Yeah, i know what it does [:D]) that by switches you mean something to make the train go down different tracks.
Sorry guys, should have told everyone I was a straight up Noobie when it comes to this stuff. Only thing I ever had growing up was a Tyco set my dad put under the tree every year, so when it comes to stuff beyond:
“Make sure all the sections of track are together, put on a power pack and don’t go to fast with it.”
I’m totally lost. I keep reading stuff on DCC and whatnot but know I just need to start out small and easy.
Why not get him a Brio wooden train set – that would be something he could play with by himself and you won’t have to worry about something getting broken or small parts being swallowed.
The problem with HO is the radius of the return loops unless you "bridge the door and windows in some fashion for a complete around the room circuit. N scale would be more "flexible in terms of the 12 inch shelf approach.
[2c]
Will
Any experience I have with 2 year olds tells me that they like to grab things and puhem around on the floor, take them into the bathtub, fluhem down the toilet, throw them down the stairs, stick them into VCRs, etc… I’m sure yours is no different.
You mention that you have some tyco stuff… The track is most likely brass and useless imo because it requires constant cleaning… To keep junior occupied, an around the room 8 inch deep shelf (with a liftout across the door), look into something like Bachman ez-track for a simple loop… They make switch tracks (yes, from one track to another) as well. Don’t worry about DCC right now until the real kid (you) begin to start thinking along the lines of your own layout (we all know why you’re really here [8D] )… An 18 inch radius can make a turn on a corner in a fairly tight space… If you decide not to bridge the door and set up loops instead, about 40 inches will be required.
The ez-track is a little expensive but it’s a lock together system, complete with roadbed, and from what I understand, can be easily changed. Given sonnys’ tendancy to want to push stuff around on the floor and grab things, I’d suggest hitting ebay, the internet, or the hobby shop and get some Athearn ‘blue box’, as they’ve com
Just copy and paste the item number… It can be put into the search box and then the item can be brought up… Can’t help you with quality though, HO scale in my house… I do own some of the HO scale FA/FB units and can tell you that I’m less than impressed with them…
My personal rule of thumb based on my childhood memories and what has/hasn’t worked with my own kids. Until about age 7 or so, most kids would rather pu***he trains by hand regardless of scale. I know that was true for my siblings and myself with our Lionel - we had more fun pushing it by hand than operating it remotely in our younger years.
Also, you don’t want to get in a situation where the trains become a “don’t touch, it’s Daddy’s precious stuff” situation - I have a tendency to forget that when my kids are mishandling my postwar Lionel. The equipment has to be able to be treated as a kid’s toy, subject to mishandling (even if well-intentioned), dropping, and other abuse (mostly seeing it go very fast). Otherwise, if a kid can’t play with "Daddy’s precious stuff’ there will be no interest later on.
For these reasons, I would argue against anything smaller than O27. The Brio wood trains are the best suggestion, to be followed by G or O27 in a few years.
Why do I always have to learn from MY mistakes?
my 2 cents
Fred Wright
When I was a lad, I had Duplo trains. Broke all the track in a fit of rage when I was 5, though.
Lego trains would probably be good for 10 or so years, and they have a Super Cheif set as well as a BNSF GP38. I cancelled my subscription to the lego club many years back, but they won’t stop sending me stuff. It’s fun to look at the trains, though.
Trainboy