# Looking to finally board on the journey of model railroading



## jw20vt (May 3, 2010)

Hello All 

I have been a lurker for some time researching and trying to soak up all the information I can from this great site . I'm about 28 and have for some time always had a interest in this hobby , for years I've always surfed and read up on setup millionaires have and setup , I am lucky to have a train show that is near by annually or tries to that I have attended a few times just with family when I was younger and the most recent being prob. 10years back when I was 18 . 
As much as I regret not ever getting into it early in life , I am glad I waited at the same time . I have much more patience now and respect "things" in general a while lot more like everyone , but I still regret not buying piece by piece over the years and finally putting together something . Anyways , I am really thinking about digging in . I have been surfing around and checking ebay for prices and whats out there . I am wondering if I should start with DCC or like everyone else did and start with DC first to get used to everything. 
The one thing I really enjoy when I am surfing around looking at your guy's setup and the few shows I've been to is that everything is made by you . At least seems most people make everything , and that to me is just what a hobby is . I have great access to hardware/lumber store as a family member and my best friend work there so building supplies isn't a problem but there isn't a lot of shops local who do trains still . most of these hobby shops are paintball and nitro RC. Heck I collect sports memorabilia and cards and those are almost gone so I was wondering if anyone could suggest good places online ..prices that are good , good quality like tracks and stuff . 
I have used Google and seen like 50 but didn't know who people tend to lean to order from . Also was wondering what people's opinion on ebay was with this hobby , seems like there's a lot on there but I know from other couple hobbies I do ebay is known for well...good and junk , not a lot of in between  found some good auctions for track , seemed like the guy was upgrading to flextrack or something so I didn't know if there was like things to look for when purchasing used accessories and loco's. I'm thinking my ideal plan would be:

*1:* Find the space so I can have my setup and tools , easier to have it right there . 
*2:* Build well .. a table in a way , start my base and legs .of course making sure its 110% secure and balance.
*3:*Track , Scenery and Buildings
*4:* Loco's and Cars

And the Ice breaker for me , I've noticed A LOT of parts/restore stuff on ebay and classifieds which I just think is really cool that you guys do. Do hobbyist tend to restore just the shells or are there sites to buy parts to actually make the chassis? 
Also have been trying to find out if there are kits to build your own Loco's and cars? I am really into building like that. Restoring would be a ton of fun , I tend to have a lot of time of my hands decent amount of days of the week.

Sorry for this long intro and some randomness with questions ( + confusion ..madness ....and so on ) but I have been waiting and lurking and I figured now is the time to register and ask some stuff, 
I do have more questions just didn't want to make this 8 pages and rant like  I can ask few at time as they come 
Thanks again for reading , guys have a GREAT place here 

Jeremy


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## Reckers (Oct 11, 2009)

Jeremy,

First, welcome to the forum! We're glad to have you, and don't worry about what you write or how you write it. This is a site for having fun with trains, modeling, and poking fun at each other---it's not an english class. Say it the way it comes out.

You've already done the smartest thing you can do: learn before you jump into it. That's also the hardest thing to do, so congratulations. My first suggestion would be to decide what scale or gauge you want to run; that will allow people to more clearly address your questions. For example, my trains are all 1940's to 1960's vintage in S scale American Flyer: restoration and maintenance are the only options for me, and I enjoy it. On the other hand, people with very small scales often find it makes more sense to replace rather than repair because it's cheaper. The best guidance I can offer you is to settle on a size and then talk to the guys who run it. They'll steer you to what they've found to be the best answers.

Finally---no one here is right, except in reference to his own layout. It's your world, and "right" is defined by what you want to do, there. If you want to mix scales and put cowboys on dinosaurs in your layout, then it's the right thing to do. We're glad to have you join us---jump into the conversations and make some friends.

Best wishes,


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Hi Jeremy,

A big welcome! You've offered a great info (except for the part about being "about 28 " ... see ... we're jumping right in with the fun!

All of your thinking / logic / planning is exactly what you should be doing at this stage. All highly productive as you begin to "jump in". Recker's has offered some very sound advice .. most importantly: there's no "right" answer ... whatever suits your fancy is the right thing for you.

Do begin to think about your available layout space, and intended "complexity" of the track layout. These will certainly impact your best choice of scale (car size) and gauge (track width).

Lots of guys here buy new ... both pre-built and kits. Conversely, lots of guys here enjoy buying old junkers, and then investing a bit of t.l.c. to bring them back to life. Personal preference. No right/wrong way ... whatever interests you.

You mentioned ebay. In my opinion, ebay is a great learning source. There's no other place where you can "window shop" to get a sense of what's available (both old and new), and -- importantly -- get a sense as to the true value of something you might be looking for. I use the look at "completed listings" section on ebay a lot. Real stuff with real prices.

As you ramp up, you'll likely do some shopping on ebay ... though tread cautiously here ... do your research and explore as many details (condition, authenticity) of an item before you bid, and bid with some pre-determined upper limit in mind. It's far too easy to get wrapped up in the moment. However, if you miss out on an item, it's often a good thing ... there's likely a better one for less money somewhere around the corner.

Looking forward to chatting more and seeing your progress!

TJ


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## tankist (Jun 11, 2009)

Hi and welcome. it is indeed a very wide hobby. one needs to be a carpenter, electrician, painter and generally handy - quite a list, i'm sure i left out some. yet there are shortcuts to take if a part is not of interest. 
as far as DCC, don't be in a hurry. it is indeed great but it doesn't sound like you have considerate sum you ready to spend and it is not really a requirement to start with. as you said, start with DC and go from there.

as far as restoration of less then perfect condition equipment - it can be fun. but then at a times one can get entire new loco for the price of spare parts. so while can be done at a times it is not good idea financially.



keep reading, plan out your space, waiting to hear more from you


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

First thing to decide is what scale do you want, according to your space you requirements.


I have bought a ton off e bay. Mostly good transactions. Theres a lot of part lots of there too, sort of like surprise boxes some of them are. A lot of junk lots to eagerly waiting to be transformed to their former beauty. 

By the way welcome to the site.:thumbsup: Now stop lurking and keep on asking.

I always wanted to see how a lurker writes.:laugh:

Watch what reckers tells you, he's an S scale man and is prejudicial to S.
Might tell you that S is the only scale you should pick. Watch him.


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## jw20vt (May 3, 2010)

Thank you all VERY much for the warm welcome and fast replies , wish my reply was as fast but have been finishing up some work . 
The scale of train I was looking at was HO , I have been trying to see what others are using for size of track and such . I'd LIKE to find a spot in my house to have table about 6 or 7 ft long , maybe 3 to 6 ft wide? The 6ft is probably more doable for now , would this sound like a good start?
Also read on this board a idea that i'm glad I found before I started but also same time kind of conflicts with the plan i had mentioned . they said a great idea to setup track second after the table/board is setup so you can run a loco for a couple days to make sure its what you want . I mean it sounds obvious so i felt silly but would it make sense to follow this idea and get a loco and power setup after I get the table/base sound and stable ?
Ebay definitely seemed to be the best window shopping per say , I also saw a few .com sites that seemed like they had decent selection also but I really liked ebay . Like I had mentioned before the restoring and such really interested me for down the road with the hobby , sooo many cool old loco's . if I was to get a body/shell to restore are there kits to build/restore the rest or would I just have to keep my eyes out on ebay for a match ?
Very cool there are kits to build your own , I hadn't seen any yet . There one place everyone uses around here online ? Wanted to look into track and DC setup prices

I am going to measure out some space in a room tomorrow and check prices at the local lumber yard . 

JEremy


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

jw20vt said:


> Thank you all VERY much for the warm welcome and fast replies , wish my reply was as fast but have been finishing up some work .
> The scale of train I was looking at was HO , I have been trying to see what others are using for size of track and such . I'd LIKE to find a spot in my house to have table about 6 or 7 ft long , maybe 3 to 6 ft wide? The 6ft is probably more doable for now , would this sound like a good start?
> Also read on this board a idea that i'm glad I found before I started but also same time kind of conflicts with the plan i had mentioned . they said a great idea to setup track second after the table/board is setup so you can run a loco for a couple days to make sure its what you want . I mean it sounds obvious so i felt silly but would it make sense to follow this idea and get a loco and power setup after I get the table/base sound and stable ?
> Ebay definitely seemed to be the best window shopping per say , I also saw a few .com sites that seemed like they had decent selection also but I really liked ebay . Like I had mentioned before the restoring and such really interested me for down the road with the hobby , sooo many cool old loco's . if I was to get a body/shell to restore are there kits to build/restore the rest or would I just have to keep my eyes out on ebay for a match ?
> ...


Ho is a good choice as there is an abundance of them on e bay.

I say go for the biggest space you can afford. As once you get into it you never seem to have enough room.
You don't have to build it all up right away.

Rome wasn't built in a day.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Jeremy,

Common turn radii in HO are 18" and 22" ... diameters of 36" and 44". These are referenced to the CENTER of the track, between the rails. So, a 3' layout would really be a bit too small. I'd suggest at least 4' if you can.

You can get 15" radius curved track, but many larger locos won't navigate this properly.

TJ


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## Reckers (Oct 11, 2009)

Of course, if you went with S scale, you wouldn't hve those problems. *L* That one was for you, Big Ed!


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Reckers said:


> Of course, if you went with S scale, you wouldn't have those problems. *L* That one was for you, Big Ed!


Why is that? 
Can you make a working curve S scale with only a 3' width of wood?

I fixed the hve to have your welcome.


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## bradimous1 (Mar 3, 2010)

tankist said:


> Hi and welcome. it is indeed a very wide hobby. one needs to be a carpenter, electrician, painter and generally handy - quite a list, i'm sure i left out some. yet there are shortcuts to take if a part is not of interest.


you can even manage to have fun if you are none of these... I am probably the most inept person on earth at building anything, but am having fun doing it and learning a ton from these guys. Keep them posted, and they will guide you.


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## jw20vt (May 3, 2010)

Brad - I see your from MA also , Theres a lot from the northeast it seems on here . thanks for the reply and advice , So far everyone on here has been incredibly nice and full of info I'd be a dummy not to listen and follow  Ive been on my share of hobby boards on the net but seriously this place is so nice .

Tank - I spent about a hour and half going through your build threads INCREDIBLE JOB Was actually one of the threads i read as a lurker also but never saw the other 2 parts in your sig. 

TJ - THANK YOU soo much , great info was trying to find a simple answer and got a few of them , you cleared it up . I am thinking that length is what is going to restrict me more than the width so if I need to go bigger than 3 or 4 even I think its going to be doable . Have more problems finding a spot for a 7 or 8 ft length wise.
Any of you guys have your setups in basements? My basement doesn't flood like a beach but i live back at home and take care of a elder member . my grandfather had the floor in basement finished and made like a channel system so any water that ever did flood would go to the sump hole in the corner . Most I've ever seen is over past few months with the big storms and only got like inch tops. basement isn't finished per say but no dirt floor , moisture might be a little concern but I figure I could take care of that with a couple damp rid's or a dehumidify device.

Was talking with my buddy who works same lumber/hardware store as fam member about prices on some of the wood to build the actual table base. It really doesn't sound like a lot at all , I usually keep a hobby fund so I don't run myself broke with them (even though it has happened ) so right now low cost is great  plus a lil discount courtesy of him and fam member. Is there a certain type of wood i should use for the actual board I would be placing building and my creations on ? I figure track I would use trackbed unless you guys don't recommend , I just see a lot using it so I figured Its worth the extra money .
I am definitely going to start like a project thread if anyone is interested in it. Another hobby is photography so i will be making a journal/photos the whole build . 

I am getting very excited to start this , not to write a novel but I was in a good wreck few years back and between that and just economy been pushed around between physical therapy and some odd jobs . My sleep is verrrry sporadic hours , I tend to stay up late nights because of my back and such and have a lot of free time so that's another reason I didn't want to use the basement I'd rather have it upstairs where I'd prob zone out for hours into this ,like I said so I really want to get started with at least the basic table base and design going.... now just need to pick the spot


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## tankist (Jun 11, 2009)

jw20vt said:


> Was talking with my buddy who works same lumber/hardware store as fam member about prices on some of the wood to build the actual table base. It really doesn't sound like a lot at all ,


first of all, thank you for the kind word. i try hard. this is my first attempt at this and i learn as i go.

before going out to open the wallet in the store check your local craigs list. lots of good material and stuff is given away or goes for dirt cheap. and people will be actually happy when you aliviate them from these items

as far as location if you can stay out of basement and moisture, you will be good. don't try to make the ultimate layout from the get go. start small (shelf or 4x8) but keep possibilities for future expansion open.

good luck, waiting to see your progress


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Re: basement ... anything you can do to limit moisture buildup would be helpful ... dehumidifier, fan for air circulation, etc. Some people cover their train layouts when not in use (to limit dust buildup), but this might actually trap extra moisture in a damp environment.

Lots of material options for 4x8 ... plywood, foam or homasote on a grid frame. My preference is MDF ... it's cheap ($20 for 1/2" thick, $30 for 3/4" thick), very VERY flat and dimensionally stable. Everyone has their own preferences, though. Do you plan on building scenery UP ... hills / mountains / etc.?

TJ


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## Reckers (Oct 11, 2009)

Another damp basement tip....tuna. *L* If you suspect you could get an occasional water flow, put the legs of your table in empty tuna cans. That will keep them dry for the first 1.5" or so!


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## bradimous1 (Mar 3, 2010)

Reckers said:


> Another damp basement tip....tuna. *L* If you suspect you could get an occasional water flow, put the legs of your table in empty tuna cans. That will keep them dry for the first 1.5" or so!


how about coffee cans... couldn't you get up to 4 or 5 inches that way... do they even make coffee cans anymore?


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## Reckers (Oct 11, 2009)

No, but for S scale, it's worth taking out a wall to make space.


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## jw20vt (May 3, 2010)

I'm new and id even agree , the small amount of S scale Ive seen just surfing looks incredible in detail and just would be great if you had a huge setup . 

Anyone else have a hard time deciding which scale was better fit ? HO obviously is a better choice with soo many items out there but I'm wondering if I need to do Z but seems super small .


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

Visit Northeast trains in Peabody and get converted to O scale. Haven't been there in a while. You could wait for the next Shriner's show in Wilmington in the fall they have everthing.


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