# Getting back on track



## txruckus (Jan 29, 2014)

Greetings everyone, been prowling the site for a while but this is my first post. Trying to get back into trains after a long hiatus. My Dad and I built a 4x8 layout 20 years ago, learned a lot and had fun, but college, life, and other hobbies (bicycle racing and historical miniature gaming) saw the trains get packed away and the table dismantled.

Now I have my own place with some extra room and a son of my own that is really getting into trains. Maybe I'm just using him as an excuse to get back into the hobby but I think its something we could both enjoy. I've dragged the boxes of track and trains down from the attic and started cleaning everything up. 

So I'm pouring over layout ideas (leaning tword an L shape), in the process of cleaning out space to prep my garage (painting walls and floor, insulating doors, installing portable A/C...). I have a three car garage and I'm planning on sectioning of one of the bays to use as my train room. The rest of the garage will still be reserved for my woodworking equipment and maybe the wife's car. I am thinking of sectioning off the "train room" with a ceiling mounted track with a curtain like you might find in a hospital to keep the dust factor down to a minimum. Has anyone tried this?

What are some good sites to find deals on track and rolling stock? 
I’m getting more and more interested in going DCC, any suggestions on reliable, inexpensive product to get me started?
Not sure what my older track is made of or what Code it might be. How could I figure this out?

I have a lot of questions so I will be leaning on the help and support of this great site for inspiration and guidance!


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

Welcome to the Forum

You didn't say what scale your old trains might be. 

Most likely they'll be HO or 3 rail 0 gauge. Since you ask
about track code you possibly have HO. Probably it is
code 100 and it could be with
either brass or Nickle Silver rails, the N/S is preferred.
Code 83 rails are slightly shorter and more 'to scale' than 100.

Do you really think the 'hospital' curtain on a track will
control dust? Especially, since you'll have a woodworking
setup nearby. Dust and moisture are dire threats to model
railroads. Any hope of building a drywall enclosure in
your garage?

You can find great deals on used train gear right here on the
Forum. Other places to look includes Amazon, Ebay and Craigslist (toys and games And also Collectibles -- put HO trains (or whatever gauge) in the search field).


You're going to get a lot of our guys advising you go
with Digitrax or NCE DCC starter sets. They are rated the best
products, but a tad more costly. If you are not planning a large complicated
layout with sound locomotives you can find fantastic
low prices for Bachmann EZ DCC controllers. 

Many older locos can be converted to DCC with the 
addition of a decoder. Some are not worth it.

As your plans continue throw us any questions that you
may have.

Don


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## txruckus (Jan 29, 2014)

Don

I will be using HO as I already have quite a bit of old stock. Thanks for the input on my other post as well. When I boxed everything up years ago I had never heard of DCC or alternative track materials so I am playing catch up now.


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## timlange3 (Jan 16, 2013)

Hi Txruckus,

Take a look at http://hogrr.blogspot.com/ for some design ideas.


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## txruckus (Jan 29, 2014)

Also, a full blown wall of separation is out of the question at the moment as this would restrict my attic access above the garage. Most of my heavy saw dust making tools are attached to a shop vac or wheeled outside when I use them. After I get my space prep'ed I will pay close attention to how quickly it dirties up before I start my bench work.


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