# My first build.



## misturg (Feb 24, 2011)

I am getting into this hobby with one of my daughters who loves trains. My plan is to start with a 4’x8’ sheet of plywood for a base with for an, oval within and oval, for our first track. This will be a HO size train and I have the following list of items to get us started:
(1)	Locomotive = $40 
(2)	2 Box cars = $10 each
(3)	1 Passenger car = $20 each
(4)	1 caboose = $20
(5)	Approx 30ft of Code 100 Flex track
(6)	2 switches, 1 left hand and 1 right hand 
(7)	True track terminal joiners
(8)	1 code 100 Straight terminal track
(9)	MCR 1370 power controller
The prices are from Modeltrainstuff.com an she will determine what we get within the above prices.
Does this look like a good starting point? 
Have I missed any essentials?
How would I wire up the switches or could I purchase a controller which would power the train as well as controller the switches?

Suggestions welcomed.

Thanks.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Welcome!

Though flextrack has its great uses, why are you thinking of using flextrack to create a simple oval (or ovals)? Why not just get some 22" curves for the outer, and 18" curves for the inner?

Again ... nothing inherently wrong with flex, but simple curves would work, too.

TJ


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## jzrouterman (Nov 27, 2010)

misturg said:


> I am getting into this hobby with one of my daughters who loves trains. My plan is to start with a 4’x8’ sheet of plywood for a base with for an, oval within and oval, for our first track. This will be a HO size train and I have the following list of items to get us started:
> (1)	Locomotive = $40
> (2)	2 Box cars = $10 each
> (3)	1 Passenger car = $20 each
> ...


Sounds like you have a pretty good start. One thing though,You'll also need to purchase either a track erasor or something else to clean you tracks and engine wheels with in the future. 

Concerning remote switches and how they're wired and what they're wire to, Atlas, Bachmann, Lifelike and Model Power are all pretty easy to wire. They're wired to the AC terminals of your transformer. There is a printed diagram on the back of the switch packaging that shows exactly what to do. You'll have to additionally purchase some "ribbon wire" as well. 

There will be a little box with a sliding button on it that comes with the switch. This is how you will be operating your switches. When pushing the button, slide it to the diection you want and then just push down on it for an instant and then quickly let go of it, as any prolonged pushing of it will very quickly burn up the machine on the switch. 

When laying flextrack, it is on the average that your minimum curve radius is not less than 18 inches if you're planning to do any switching operations with an average sized road engine. With a little switch engine however, and 36 ft cars you could get away with 15 inch radius curves. With some longer engines and longer cars though, your minimum may have to be a radius of 22 inches or even larger. It really just depends on what you're plaaning to run, as your track radius has to large enough that your present engine or any future longer engines can successfully pull and push any of your present cars or any future longer cars without any derailments.

During my track laying process, to be sure that my curve radius was correct for what I would be running, I periodically pushed my longest railcar with my longest engine with the couplers of both the car and the engine being offset from each other around the curve that I just layed. I did this because a lot of times an engine can pull a car without any problems, If there wasn't any problems while doing this, I knew that I could do any future swtching operation anywhere on my layout, regardless of curves, using either this engine or anything smaller sucessfully. 

An easy way to lay flextrack and to get it right the first time with smooth flowing curves and no unwanted "kinks" is to first draw your track radius on the table surface using a giant wooden compass with a piece of chalk (white or colored). This completely takes away any guesswork. Just measure off your desired radius using either a tape measure or a yardstick, set your compass according to it, and go. They sell these compasses at Micheal's or any good art supply store.

JZ


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