I’m new at buying trains for my son. I had a Tyco HO sized train as a child and I was wondering what everyone thought was the best size regarding price, expandablity, avaliablity etc…Any and all advice is welcome.
thanks,
Michael
Hi Michael,
take a look at some of the articles posted under the “Kid’s Trains” part of the site. There are several articles on the subject.
HO is probably the most affordable way to model trains. However, they can be fragile and difficult to handle for smaller kids.
I started my kids with the Brio/Thomas wooden train sets and then once they were about 5 or 6 years old I moved them into Lionel O gauge started sets. They are currently 5 and 7. They like to help with the scenery on my layout but are limited as to what they can do. They both ejoy the Lionel at this point. My 7 year old can assemble his own layouts and hookup the transformer and trains by himself. My 5 year old still needs some help assembling track and placing cars on the track.
As with any electrical toy, children should be supervised when they play with them.
Tim Pignatari
OOHHH, your question is one of the best ways to start an argument among model railroaders! A great deal depends on the interests and age of the child or children involved. Personally, I would not give a child under 10 anything HO or smaller unless they have exhibited a great deal of manual dexterity in art or craft fields already. I would not give anything powered by a wall plug to a child under 7. How old is your son?
I dont believe all kids are wrecking crews. O gauge is quite large and you need a lot of space to set up a layout. I agree N scale would be too small for a child,heck their too small for me to handle and Im in late forties! Ho scale can be handled properly if a little instruction is given to your son. Start out with a diesel locomotive since they have less little parts to break off like the steam locos do. HO has the most equipment available than any other scale though N scale is starting to offer more than they had in the past. If you have a whole basement or other giant space you could go with O gauge but items for O are expensive. Also if I was a kid of seven or older,Id hate to get a wooden or lego type train. NO FUN! Nothing like a little electricity and realism to get the imagination going. Check out HO and dont buy a cheap Bachman set. Atlas,Lifelike,Mantua(which bought out Tyco years ago). Other good equipment that is great but pricey is Rivorrasi,Bachman Spectrum(the better line of Bachman)and of course brass trains that could really cost you a lot of clams. Suggest you visit a hobby shop that carries different trains to see whats right for you and your son. I had HO when I was about eight years old and I still have them and they still work(guess what,they`re Tyco). Have fun and have a Merry Christmas! Gerald…horailfan.
I Think H.O. would be the better choich.I also recommend a athearn train set.These sets come with a locomotive that will last your son for years.
Michale,
I would suggest if your son is 9-11 years old, he should be able to handle a basic HO scale set. I recommend one from Walthers (their Trainline series) Athearn or Atlas. They cost a little more than a Bachmann or Model Power set, but you should still be able to find one for about $100-$150 and they will have a much better locomotive and power pack. Those are the two items that are critical. Also, consider a set with the new type of track with the roadbed attached, such as that by Atlas or Bachmann E-Z track. Some of the recommended sets come with that type of track.
It all else fails, you can go to a hobby shop and ask for help assembling a set from individual components. Select a good diesel (Athearn, Walthers, Atlas, LifeLike Proto 2000 or Proto 1000 — Proto 1000 has fewer detail parts to break off). They can help you with some ready-to-run cars that come equipped with good knuckle couplers (or simple kits if you and your son are up to a simple challenge) and a good, inexpensive power pack and track. They can even suggest a good Kalmbach book or two for the beginner modeler.
Good luck.
Terry
I have to say that I agree with almost everything everyone else has mentioned. I thing an HO starter set would be a great start into the hobby. I remember my dad and I used to set up our simple oval and have a blast watching it run when I was much younger. They arent too bad, and whats better, sparking an interest in model railroading with your son now could lead to greater creativity in the future. Good luck, and most important, have fun!
Matt
I have to say that I agree with almost everything everyone else has mentioned. I thing an HO starter set would be a great start into the hobby. I remember my dad and I used to set up our simple oval and have a blast watching it run when I was much younger. They arent too bad, and whats better, sparking an interest in model railroading with your son now could lead to greater creativity in the future. Good luck, and most important, have fun!
Matt
Michael, The size railroad you want to work with
depends on your childs abilities. I was 4 when
my father gave me my first HO car kit I have now
had the same kit for over 40 years and that first
car is on my railroad today. I also had Lionel.
I still have my Lionel too. If children learn to
care for it they will last a lifetime. Good luck
deciding what to get but I think you will have
just as much fun as your son. HO HO HO
Thanks for the info…my child is currently 7 years and his first train was the wooden type you spoke of and he still plays with it. Lionel is in my state…the factory where they make them is only 30 minutes away…
Thanks again for the information…it was very helpful.
He is 7 years of age and is very good with art and has great motor skills. His friend has a Lionel 027 guage train and he had no problem playing, setting up and replacing the train on the track.
Thanks for all the great insight…it will be very helpful…when I decide to buy him a train. He already has the wooden toy and has a lot of fun with it, but your right…the electric trains are a whole different way to view trains. When I saw him over at his friends house and he was playing with his Lionel 027 train…his eyes lite up. I have about 150 sq feet of space I would like to set aside just for the train area…that should be good enough for now. Once again…thanks for all the insight…if you have any other suggestions please let me know.
Thanks,
Michael
Thanks
Thanks for the feedback, Matt!
Thanks…it looks like everyone likes the HO gauge for my child. My next stop will be the hobby store as recommended and check out the Atheam or Atlas products.
Okay, I guess I’ll be the N-scale oddball here.
I actually started on N-scale as a kid, and did quite well with it. I don’t know what motivated my parents to start me out on such a small scale. Maybe because the model railroader gene skipped a generation and came to me from my grandfather - so my parents probably didn’t know any better on scale. And maybe they just got a good deal on a new scale item (it was new back then).
My knee-jerk reaction would be to start a young child out on a larger scale (for obvious saftey reasons). But some kids take to working with smaller things better than others, and for them it’s best to get them used to working with something small from the start (under close supervision of course). You just never know until you try.
My boys are 5 and 2, and I still trying to figure out if they have the “gene” or not. But in absense of a full layout (I’m just getting back into it) they both really like the N-scale train under my Christmas tree this year! I just could have a couple of “helpers” with my future layout.
Bruce, I hope your children grow into the hobby.
I have 3 brothers and I’m the only one that does
any serious railroading. We were all started a
young age. As we grew up they never seemed to be
interested in the hobby. Everytime I thought my
dad might be going to a hobby shop I would ask if
I could go with him. Even if I had school he would
still take me. I’m over 40 now and school rules
weren’t as strict then. Sometimes I would have to
sit in the car for awhile but when we got to the
hobby shop I was in heaven. I learned a lot from
my father and we talk railroads everyday. So I
hope that you are able to give your sons every
reason to love the hobby all of their lives and
help to grow with it. Good luck. Ross
Ross,
Thanks for your words. In the end, I can only expose my boys to the hobby, the rest is going to be up to them. As you have observed in your own family, some kids just seem to have the interest from the start and others don’t.
I was a train nut from the start. My childhood home in suburbia Chicago had a C&NW triple mainline that ran right through the center of town. So I saw trains all the time. My grandfather, who was an avid “O” scaler, unfortunately had no influence on my interests (he died when I was young). My father (his son) never picked up on the hobby. This is why I suspect a gene is involved.
Here in MA, trains are not as much a commonplace. Our numerous bike paths converted from old right of ways are a testament to that. But we do have a Guilford Rail freight line that runs through a far corner of our town. During the warmer nights (when the bedroom windows are open), I can sometimes hear a lonely distant train horn in the dead of night. I know it’s one of those cliches you hear about a lot, but it really happens here!
They all are!
Does your son like his friend’s O27 set? If so, check out Mike’s Train House “O” sets as well as Lionel. Steer clear of “cheap” sets sold at Wal-Mart or discount stores. You’re better off getting him less train of better quality that you can add cars to later. If he is seriously interested and has an eye for accuracy (you’d be surprised how many youngsters do) he would probably enjoy HO more than lager not to scale trains. Hope you and your son enjoy your trains together!