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Jimb · Post by **Jimb** » Sat Dec 20, 2014 1:23 am

Does anybody here know anything about electric model trains?

I'm thinking of building one in a spare room upstairs for and with our grandkids. I've been given an architect's scale model of a planned condo unit as a starting point that's on a table of about 8' x 6 that is really well done. The room is about 15' x 13' or so, so there's lots of room to add on to the condo layout.

My problem is, I don't know anything about the various model train gauges, (HO, O, etc), or which make has the most accessories options etc. I don't want just a toy, but a really good quality setup.

Any help or knowledge would be greatly appreciated.
Jim

RRoller123 · Post by **RRoller123** » Sat Dec 20, 2014 6:12 am

There are a bunch of model train clubs (and enthusiast magazines published) still around, and I bet they would be more than happy to offer advice. My Dad was a great train enthusiast, starting as a young child, did some model making, but also was Secretary of the Boston and Maine Historical Society for many years. Try a local club!

spidernut · Post by **spidernut** » Sat Dec 20, 2014 9:31 am

My brother-in-law is a model train fanatic so I learned a bit from him.

HO is the most prevalent and least expensive way to go. There are lots and lots of options for engines (as he refers to it "power") for HO trains. You basically get what you pay for. Cheap sets like the Bachman trains will run but not run smoothly especially at slow speeds. Most of the fanatics like to make the train move at speeds appropriate to the scale of the set. You can also get tons of accessories, tracks, buildings, electronic switches, lights, trees, etc. Most of the stuff is available on Ebay, Craigslist and at model railroading swap meets. My brother-in-law has picked up boxes of train cars and buildings for next to nothing...and he has literally about 2 tons of stuff in his basement. Also, Hotwheels and Matchbox cars are close enough in scale that you can use them in the layout. If you want to go nuts, you can intertwine an HO slot car set into the layout.

The smaller sizes typically are less common and the trains fall off the track more often since they're so small. Stuff tends to be harder to find and more pricey. The smaller sets are great for limited spaces. Bigger sets are also available but you have to have a ton of room to have them. They are also much more expensive than HO.

My brother-in-laws layout is something like this

RRoller123 · Post by **RRoller123** » Sat Dec 20, 2014 10:14 am

Wow that is very realistic! Fantastic work. I agree that HO is the best gauge overall.

baltobernie · Post by **baltobernie** » Sat Dec 20, 2014 10:15 am

How old are the grandkids?

narfire · Post by **narfire** » Sat Dec 20, 2014 10:23 am

baltobernie wrote:How old are the grandkids?

Maybe a ploy when the local golf courses are unplayable.

(the few times they are in Victoria)
I can see the hobby being a great way to spend time with the youngsters , perhaps instills patience....

Chris

Jimb · Post by **Jimb** » Sat Dec 20, 2014 10:55 am

Thanks for the replies.
Wow that setup looks amazing, and it's definitely the kind of thing I'm hoping to achieve.
The 4 grandkids range in age from 2 to 7 so I think it's a good time to get the older ones involved.
Great tips!
Cheers,
Jim

Zippy · Post by **Zippy** » Sat Dec 20, 2014 12:25 pm

My experience with grand kids is they get bored watching Grandpa play with his trains. They want their own that they can handle with whatever level of fine motor skills they possess. My granddaughter loves her Thomas the Train sets but when we play together she puts them in her playhouse or puts her other cars on the tracks and makes tunnels out of stacks of her play food from her play kitchen. She showed me how her trains can fly. She is almost 3. At Christmas I get out my G scale LGB trains and set them up on the deck outside. I give her the controls so she can make them go, stop, back up and sound the whistle. She loves to make them go fast and wants to run them into the dog when he sits on the track. They are expensive toys but I let her play with them the way she wants as having fun with her is more important to me than the trains. She has not yet mastered putting them on the track so I help her with that. Unsupervised, she would probably pick them up and try to throw them or put them in the bathtub.

As they get older they will either be into trains or not. If they are, then HO would be a good start. I wouldn't spend a lot of money on trains until they develop an interest in making them run on the tracks and show a level of understanding of both the concept of modeling or an appreciation of the value and fragility of these toys. If a child likes to build with Legos they may be inclined to like building a model railroad with you. If all they want to do is play videos games it may be a hard sell.

I used to subscribe to Garden Railways magazine. They were part of a promotion to try to get younger kids into model railroading because they felt the long term survival of the industry would depend on it. I don't know if that program is still around. Kalmbach Publishing probably has the biggest presence in the model railroading world. They publish Garden Railways, Model Railroader, Classic Toys Trains and others. http://www.kalmbach.com/

At 8 I had a Lionel set. I always wanted it to go faster than it was capable of staying on the track. Since it was on a table it was always running off the edge and falling to the floor. It was a total mess of broken parts by the time my mother made me give it away to a family friend when I was 14.

Zippy · Post by **Zippy** » Sat Dec 20, 2014 12:32 pm

Also, be prepared to incorporate dinosaurs, Spiderman, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, My Little Pony, Strawberry Shortcake and Barbie into the layout.

spidernut · Post by **spidernut** » Sat Dec 20, 2014 1:29 pm

You mean like this?

Jimb · Post by **Jimb** » Sat Dec 20, 2014 2:21 pm

Lol! I expect thats exactly what he meant.
I have 2 grandsons; 1 is 7 and the other 2. The 7 year old loves he and I building lego or meccano. He has always had a fascination with mechanical things so I really think he will get a lot out of it. The 2 year old, not so much yet, but you never know. And of course I guess I should not ignore the boys fathers...they'll enjoy it too I'm sure. All in all I think it will be a lot of fun even though I expect to lay out a grand or so just to get started though.
Jim

spidernut · Post by **spidernut** » Sat Dec 20, 2014 8:05 pm

It's fun to drive the trains through big lego towers.....ask my how I know!

spiderdan · Post by **spiderdan** » Sun Dec 21, 2014 5:39 am

All these great memory brain cells being activated...
Tx Jim

Grew up with American Flyer as a kid.
Dad bought it before I was around. Excuse was it was for my older brother, who was 2 at the time. Mom knew it was dads toy. At least he would let us wear the conductors hat while he spent hours playing opps as he would say..."conducting". Losta lights, switch tracks, tunnels, haunting train whistle and the smoke, loved the smoke.
If I had kids I would get a set, maybe I could convince the wife that it provide her cats with hours of entertainment.

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/AMERICAN-FLYER-T ... 566e1d9e1e

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