# 8 yr old interested in trains



## bruin512 (Oct 24, 2021)

My son has always enjoyed trains and is ready to move up from wooden sets. He’s 8 and we’d like to get him a starter set (within reason, he’s 8). Mom and dad have zero knowledge about model trains. Any suggestions? Durability and easier set up are probably good ideas. As is something recognizable such as Polar Express, but certainly isn’t a requirement. I’ve done some research but feel a bit lost. Thanks in advance.


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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

I was three when I received my first Lionel O scale train set. I was seven when I received my first HO Burlington Tyco set.

He's eight. He can handle HO. Or O.


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## vette-kid (May 2, 2020)

My son is 8 and does fine with HO and N. N you can put more into a small space. HO is a little easier to handle. But with rerailers N is easily doable at his age. Mine has been into it for a few years n now and isn't letting up. Start small, but leave yourself room to grow if he is really into it (or if you are!).

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## mesenteria (Oct 29, 2015)

This is a touchy subject. As you would expect, there are the advanced purists who have learned almost all possible lessons in the hobby and who energetically try to wave newcomers away from their worst memories. It's a gesture of good will...in most cases. Then there's the perennial problem of bias, preferences, interests, nostalgia, and other factors that tend to paint a heavy coat over any proffered advice, no matter how well-intentioned. 

It will be the same here:

Used to be that one got what they paid for. It hasn't changed much, unfortunately. The typical $200 train set for Christmas hasn't gotten a whole lot better in terms of being a huge hit Christmas morning. Not after they have revealed their failings as a cheap introduction to the hobby. It HAS gotten somewhat better, but....the train sets are still presenting some problems in reliability after a few hours of running, or worse, right away. A better quality locomotive is now about $200 all by itself, if you take the time to look around for available stock at that price. Then, you need about $60 in track elements, including a couple of 'turnouts', the correct engineering term for what we all know as a 'switch'.

The tracks that come in 9" lengths with the fake grey/black ballast attached below the ties, are very expensive because they're easy to deal with. Most of us move on quickly to 'flex track' that comes in 3' lengths and is wobbly enough to fashion any configuration of track that your trains will run on. Which raises another problem...what is the shortest curve radius your rolling stock will negotiate reliably and not ruin the fun because they derail on curves you fashioned that are unsuitable? It matters! When purchasing rolling stock and locomotives, take note of the importer's claims as to the minimum radius permissible.

We're glad you came buy to inquire. We know you want the best for your son, just not at any price. It all has to be fulfilling, fun, and at reasonable expense. We get that. Pay up on the locomotive, be frugal with the rolling stock behind it, and try to gather up the courage to learn how to deal with flex track. There are videos on youtube that will help, scads of them.

One last thing. You can run the locomotive in DC current or in digital current. Digital Command and Control (DCC in the industry) allows a small computer on board the locomotive to make the locomotive behave more realistically. A basic DCC system that is NOT the Bachmann EZ-Command, which few of us would recommend, will run about $180+. The EZ-Command will run DCC locomotives, but it has no capability to elicit from the onboard decoder (the computer) to make the locomotive do all the things the DCC system of operation offers the user. It's a stripped down system at a stripped down price, so beware.


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## Mixed Freight (Aug 31, 2019)

bruin512 said:


> My son has always enjoyed trains and is ready to move up from wooden sets. He’s 8 and we’d like to get him a starter set (within reason, he’s 8). Mom and dad have zero knowledge about model trains. Any suggestions? Durability and easier set up are probably good ideas. As is something recognizable such as Polar Express, but certainly isn’t a requirement. I’ve done some research but feel a bit lost. Thanks in advance.


I'd recommend going with HO-scale or O-gauge. N-scale trains are pretty finicky and can be trouble prone and more easily broken for young hands. My opinion, and I've been an N-scaler for a long time.

For O-gauge, I personally think that Lionel's Polar Express set, with the die-cast Berkshire steam engine and 3 passenger cars, offers the best bang for the O-gauge buck. You're probably looking at around $340 or more for a brand new set.

For HO-scale, Bachmann probably puts out more sets than anyone. Do some searching for Bachmann HO starter sets and see what all they offer. You will be looking at anywhere between $100 and $200, and more and less, depending on the set. The loco and rolling stock should be a little more robust for young hands to handle.

Whichever, make up your mind and get something purchased/ordered quick. Due to the current economic situation and all the unloaded container ships sitting idle off the west coast, I have a feeling that any remaining stock of train sets will sell out early and leave nothing for the consumers that waited a few days too long.


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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

I agree. Buy early and save the anxiety and heartache of not having it by Christmas.


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## Jscullans (Jul 8, 2019)

I model ho scale now but I do have an o gauge Lionel polar express set. That’s a pretty good set (mine was bought the year polar express came out) Lionel also has the polar express set in ho scale for a reasonable price. I think trainworld.com had them in stock for a while anyway for both scales


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## vette-kid (May 2, 2020)

The problem with O and even HO is the space required. An 8yo will get board with a loop that begins a tail chaser with only 5 cars. If you have room for a good HO layout that will be better, or N scale. Again, my 8yo has no problem handling N scale. 

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## Steve Rothstein (Jan 1, 2021)

I agree with @mesenteria on you get what you pay for. I would point out, however, that there are sets I would call toy quality and sets I think of as hobby quality. If you see it in Walmart or Michael's or someplace like that, it is probably toy quality. This may be a good deal for a starter set as long as you understand it is not going to last as long as a better quality set. This is not to say that with a little care and supervision it will not last a long time, just that it is a lower quality starting point. That might be a good way to gauge your son's interest in trains long term though.

If you can afford better and do not mind paying for better quality, I strongly recommend finding a good local hobby shop if there is one near you. There you can see what is possible in several different gauges at once and make a better decision. I model in N gauge and its biggest selling point - IMO - is how much can be done in a smaller space than larger trains. I also like several of the bigger gauges, but I had limited room for a layout.

The other decision you need to make is if you are going to take the track apart each time or leave it as a permanent layout. Both N and HO gauges will fit on a 4x8 sheet of plywood that can be slid under a bed or stood on end against a wall to get it out of the way. If you need to take it apart, you will probably want to use what is called roadbed track, where the track is built sitting on a plastic roadbed ready to connect and use. I use Kato Uni-track (a roadbed style), even on my permanent layout and recommend it if you go with that style of track. I am also partial to Kato locomotives and cars, but that is all just a personal preference. There are many good quality train companies out there.


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## Hotrainewbie (Feb 14, 2021)

bruin512 said:


> My son has always enjoyed trains and is ready to move up from wooden sets. He’s 8 and we’d like to get him a starter set (within reason, he’s 8). Mom and dad have zero knowledge about model trains. Any suggestions? Durability and easier set up are probably good ideas. As is something recognizable such as Polar Express, but certainly isn’t a requirement. I’ve done some research but feel a bit lost. Thanks in advance.


 This is a Santa Fe train set which is pretty recognizable I would say. The only thing you need to worry about him breaking while using it are the couplers and handrails but other than that a great cheap set for starters like you, me, and pretty much anyone looking for a cheap set. 
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0006KQGJ8/ref=cm_sw_r_awdo_navT_a_DDPSMVK3ANEAS2KXGERP


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## Severn (May 13, 2016)

Well... Our wooden train pieces are heavily used, biffed, bashed and banged ..buried, stomped on, written on... soaked in water, painted, and generally well used. Now they even encounter stormtroopers.

The o scale Lionel Thomas and his buds or even ones based on real trains are pretty sturdy plastic. They might survive a toss across the room ... Maybe. 

The control system is a big paddle. It's very simple. Twist a big dial, fwd or backward. There's a few buttons and sounds. The track bed is plastic. There's metal rails. It snaps together. And you can crate it all up and put it back down several times before the track ends wear a little. If you do this a lot .. I mean more than you might think it may become loose-ish. There are three rails in O.

Ho Thomas is not as robust. There are no sounds. At 8 all our Gordon's, Thomas, James, cars and rolling stock were dismembered in various ways. I salvaged them and put them up. 

Now they have kadee couplers and I'm thinking of putting in a dcc sound decoder in Thomas, maybe even an led. There are two rails in ho. 

A starter set will include plastic track with metal rails. Perhaps you can find one that does have sound. I think one of Thomas versions makes a little sound. The ones based in real engines may make a bell, horn and engine sounds. A better one might offer some lights. I really don't know what is offered specifically in these starter sets today.

But if it is a starter set you buy it's surely going to be either Lionel for O, or Bachmann for HO.

Besides your local hobby store that carries train sets you might consider two big online ones we all use such as trainworld, and modeltrainstuff. But there are many out there besides these two.


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## Hotrainewbie (Feb 14, 2021)

Severn said:


> Well... Our wooden train pieces are heavily used, biffed, bashed and banged ..buried, stomped on, written on... soaked in water, painted, and generally well used. Now they even encounter stormtroopers.
> 
> The o scale Lionel Thomas and his buds or even ones based on real trains are pretty sturdy plastic. They might survive a toss across the room ... Maybe.
> 
> ...


This one is probably what you are looking for. It’s a Santa Fe ready to play or something like that. Large, durable plastic with sounds and a simple dial. It has a bell, horn, and an engineer’s voice. It just needs large batteries.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BF2KJKB/ref=cm_sw_r_awdo_navT_a_CE7TYVEA3E8GNSKD3A81


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## Booly15 (Aug 16, 2017)

The amount of space you have will have a great influence on how much enjoyment is available, I am an O scale guy and was started on them at 4. Never looked back did consider HO for a while due to limited space but decided to build O anyway and will just detail as best I can. Cost matters too sadly Lionel MTH and such now will make you pick between a mortgage payment and an engine with all the bells and whistles.


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## JeffHurl (Apr 22, 2021)

Honestly, I would shy away from Thomas the Train or even Polar Express. Simply because whatever you buy him now, will likely become one of his most treasured childhood treasures. And when he gets a a couple years older, he will quickly grow out of those "baby" themes.

I would suggest a sturdy HO starter set like others have mentioned. At first, I was going to recommend Lionel, but as others have mentioned, HO will allow for a much better growth since you can fit more into a small space. If your son is the patient type, I would consider N gauge... but only if you think he can treat the train well.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Jeff offers a good point. My youngest son (now away at college) got into model trains at the ripe old age of 4 helping me run my HO scale layout. He had no trouble with the small size, and was very gentle with it. We soon got him his own Bachmann Thomas layout... but suddenly, at about the age your son is now, he declared that Thomas was for babies and he wanted "grown up trains" like Dad. He like the Conrail color scheme, so we got him his a few locos, some rolling stock (he could also borrow mine, with permission), and a DCC starter set. A few years after that, he decided he wanted a more sophisticated layout, so we made him an L shaped 8x8 layout. We still have that -- in fact, it's the only game in town, since mine was destroyed in a flood in 2013 (thank you, Hurricane Sandy).

As mesenteria said, train sets are a gamble. Yes, they're cheaper than buying a la carte, but they often contain low quality components. Not being able to get trains to run well is probably the number one reason people give up on the hobby. So it's a gamble.

Here is what I would do. If you're not sure he really has the bug and want to minimize the expenditure, then you might want to risk a train set. But what I would do is look at Kato Unitrack. They have several starter sets that will fit in a 4x8 space, and several expansion track packs to add sidings, inner / outer loops etc. Get one or more of these, a locomotive, and a few cars. This set is a nice little starter layout, sold as a set (this is MSRP, you can find it cheaper) World's Greatest Hobby Track Pack - Unitrack -- For a 4 x 8' Layout

For a power supply, it's a tough call. You can get a good DC controller for less than $100, and that will be fine for one train. If his interests (and his layout) grow to a larger track plan and multiple locomotives, you might want to consider Digital Command and Control (DCC), but I'd hold off on that initially. The drawback to not buying it initially is that the DC power pack is incompatible with it, so if you did convert, you'd be out the cost of the DC power pack (although jt can still be used to power accessories),


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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

"...Not being able to get trains to run well is probably the number one reason people give up on the hobby..."

This, right here. 1000 times. Poor, inferior equipment, and poor track and track laying skills probably put more people out of this hobby than any two other reasons since the hobby has been around. 

You won't find instant gratification in this hobby, or many others for that matter.


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## Slotcsx (Dec 13, 2015)

O Polar express. he's got his Christmas tree train....later let him pick his road and time period....steam//diesel..?


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## BigAl56 (Dec 14, 2011)

You can't go wrong with the Polar express as a starter set. Lots of play value. Order Early as supplies are limited these days.
If he hasn't seen the movie, and if so why not??, get the DVD and give it as part 1 of the gift. Watch the movie and then pull out the set as gift part 2.


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## Slotcsx (Dec 13, 2015)

And you can add the extra cars next year.....I got one for myself..installed err rail sounds commander.. couple lights detailed it a bit and now have excellant runner..maybe polar express for eve and train in the morning...that will be a happy 8 yr. old.


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## GNfan (Jun 3, 2016)

Go over to the O scale forum and ask the regulars for their recent experience wilh Lionel quality.. It was my impression that at one time the O scalers here were so frustrated with Lionel quality they referred to locomotives that should have been Ready-To-Run as "partially completed kits" because of all the minor repairs a Lionel needed before it would actually run.


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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

The Beta Lionel line.


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