# Just Beginning



## wedwards (May 3, 2011)

Hello! My name is Wesley. I am a college student in Indiana and have recently gained a passion for trains. This has led to start thinking about starting a model train set. From my limited research I believe that I would like to do O-Scale. This is solely based on "I like the size." I don't really have a budget but don't want to go broke  

I really don't know where to start. I went to a store today and was a little overwhelmed by how much their was, and their was nobody helping me so I didn't really get a chance to ask any questions their. I was searching google and stumbled on this site and figured I would start here.

So I ask you all, where should I start? Am I being over ambitious attempting an O-Scale set to start off with? Is their anything extremely important that I should know about this hobby up front? 


Thank you for all the help!!!!!


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## novice (Feb 2, 2011)

Welcome to the endless pocket hobby - err great hobby 

Really, it's a lot of fun and can be done on a budget if you are careful and educate yourself. You also picked a great spot to start and ask questions - there are some really good people here with lots of knowledge - unfortunately I'm not one of them 

However, in my shopping I have found that O scale tends to be more expensive than say HO - there are other gauges I believe that are even more expensive than O.

Either way, ebay will soon be your friend - once you know what to look for, what you want can sometimes be picked up fairly reasonably.

Best of luck in your new hobby.

*Side Note:*

Pet Peeve:


> I didn't really get a chance to ask any questions *their*


College should have taught you it's "there" not "their"

Ok, off my soap box


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## wedwards (May 3, 2011)

novice said:


> *Side Note:*
> 
> Pet Peeve:
> 
> ...


HAHA sorry, that has always confused me, since the day I started to spell.


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## novice (Feb 2, 2011)

wedwards said:


> HAHA sorry, that has always confused me, since the day I started to spell.


No apology necessary - just a pet peeve of mine - specially from college students 

It's easy to remember: If you are referring to people it's "their" anything else is "there".

Ok, grammar lesson is over.


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## novice (Feb 2, 2011)

Back to trains...

If you live in the dorm, O might be a bit large for the area you have depending on how much and how many trains/track you set up.

HO, would be a bit smaller and a little less expensive.

N would be really small - but I think N items tend to be a bit more expensive than HO - I could be wrong and will let others with more experience guide you "there" <- see what I did LMAO


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## tankist (Jun 11, 2009)

Hi and welcome. If you know next to nothing chances are you will be better served by HO. After all, good half of entire rail modeling world is HO. Aside of size there are other advantages like cost. But if larger is your thing don't let me stop you,we have quite a community of 3-rail fans here.


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## gc53dfgc (Apr 13, 2010)

I happen to be one of those fans but a nice O-scale layout takes a heck of a lot of space so unless you have your own house then you will most likely be limited to a small to medium oval. As others have stated besides size O scale is one of the more expensive ones with even the worst of shape engines running a useual minumum of 50.00 and those ussually don't run. The good ones with noe sound cost ussually 100-150 and these run and finally the engines with all the bells and whistles cost 300+. Then their (oh geez hope I picked the right one) is the rolling stock that cost anywhere from 20-150 dollars depending on what it does and its rarety. This is the main reason I am mainly HO instead of O but I still have a nice collection of O as well but they only see use during the winter months ussually. Most important thing is they are not toys and needed to be handled nicely and doing the proper maintnence on them will make them last (in theory) forever. That and money, time, and space.


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## wedwards (May 3, 2011)

I am literally just starting with this. I know absolutely nothing, but I hope to know a lot. At this point I have not really started thinking about cost and am not to worried about it at this point. This is because I was saving up some money to buy myself a car but then my grandparents decided they wanted to get me one for my birthday and now I have a large amount of money saved up that I can use. I just want to know what I will need if I am going to make a nice set. I have a house for next year, nothing big, but it does have a good basement that is 40'x20', so I have a decent amount of space. 

When I say "nice set" I don't mean the nicest, most expensive set that money can buy. I just want a set that I will like and one that will look awesome. So, what will I need to decide on to do this, what should be the first thing I buy, where should I buy, etc.? Remember, and I am not joking when I say this, I know nothing? What kinds of things other that the obvious (train and track) do I need to get?


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## haphall (Feb 1, 2011)

Welcome Wesley. There are a great bunch of folks here, many are into O and many into N and HO. I agree that HO is maybe a good choice because of initial startup costs, availability and space requirements, but all the scales have their advantages and disadvantages. Get to know your Local Hobby Shop folks, even if they're a few miles away. They will be your friends. A local MR club might be worth looking into as well.
But, whatever your scale, there are good folks here to help.
@novice-at least he put his punctuation inside the quotation marks.

Gasp! 40 x 20 did you say? We'll get Dawg on it right away!


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## novice (Feb 2, 2011)

One suggestion I have is this:

You can pick up a nice little start up HO set for less than $60.00 - I have 2 I bought.

Set them up on a small table (they mostly come with enough track to do a small oval), run them and see how you like the size etc. It will at least get you started. If you like it, you can expand it as needed.

In the mean time, watch ebay and craigslist and see if you can pickup an inexpensive O set (plan on about $125.00 or more - in fact I think someone is selling a set on this forum for about that price now!).

When you get the O set up, set it up, run it and see which you like best - there is no rule that says you can't have a layout that has multiple scale trains - I'm working on one now - someday - one day LOL.

Just my 2 cents.



gc53dfgc said:


> Then their (oh geez hope I picked the right one) is the rolling stock that cost anywhere from 20-150 dollars depending on what it does and its rarety.


Nope got it wrong LOL.


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## gc53dfgc (Apr 13, 2010)

oh whatever. I'll wait till college to crack down on my GRAMMAR 


Glad I don't want to be anything that trully relies on writing like being a book writer or anything.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

gc53dfgc said:


> oh whatever. I'll wait till college to crack down on my spelling


Spellin' fine, it's 'ur grammar.


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## Gansett (Apr 8, 2011)

Hi and welcome,
I haven't been here a full month yet but have met, through PM's and post's, some great people that are always willing to help.
Things have really changed since I bought my son one of those HO sets 25 years ago. I'm learning everyday.
Read this forum as much as possible. You'll find a lot of your questions have already been asked and answered already. Buy or check out from a library model RR'ing magazines.
Most importantly have fun. It's going to be your rr, you can do anything you want,,,unless you're married.:laugh:
Jack


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

novice said:


> One suggestion I have is this:
> 
> You can pick up a nice little start up HO set for less than $60.00 - I have 2 I bought.
> 
> ...




I guess you never really priced all the O..There prices can be tripled compared to HO prices all depends on what you get.


40' x 20'?!

You like O? I would go with O. Plenty of room their to build a nice O layout.

40'x 20' would built a hell of a HO layout. Some will say there more realistic then O.

As for N scale that would make even a bigger RR.
If you have good eyes and can see them to work on there engines.


A 40'x 20' expect to shell out some bucks no matter what size you decide.


That is some of them their facts on there prices.

Did I get you crossed eyed yet Novice?:laugh:


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## gc53dfgc (Apr 13, 2010)

heck with that much space you could have a decent G scale set-up as well.


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## cabledawg (Nov 30, 2010)

Novice is the





























J/K


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## novice (Feb 2, 2011)

LOL - ok, ok I surrender...

It's a pet peeve, can't help it.

Kinda like Big Ed and Round House - "if it ain't round it ain't a round house"

I play this game online, kinda a dungeons game - one class is a Rogue but every one keeps spelling it Rouge - Rouge is Red or make up - Rogue is a thief. Get it straight 

Besides, doesn't every forum need a grammar police? 

At least the atrocious spelling doesn't bother me, it's only Their, There and They're that drive me crazy.

I'm officially retiring from the grammar police department. My new career will be in the "Don't feed the Troll" organization - Watch out trolls!


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## wedwards (May 3, 2011)

Thanks for all the help!!

So what do I do now? How do I get started? Do I just go buy a bunch of track and trains?


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## pookybear (Feb 3, 2011)

Wedwards,

Welcome to the forums. O is a fine guage to be modeling. And it sounds
like you have plenty of room to spread out. So go with what you like.

As for the grouping in O itself there is tinplate, Think early christmas
toys. Some of these can be very pricey, but others are more common and
can be had for not too much money. Also this period, prewar, has the
most makers of trains. So you are not limited to just a few makes.

Then there is what could be call the postwar group. These are better
detailed and scaled trains, but still really just toys. This group would give
you the most bang for the buck for finding deals. There are some big 
hitters in the group as well that can cost big bucks so keep your eye out
you may find a deal. Also the accessories of the era are most interesting.

Somewhere in the 50's to the 60's Brass came about in a big way. These are
lets just say expensive, but are super detailed and beyond correct models.
Nice if you have money but can cost a fortune.

And then there is modern stuff. From plain jane sets to sets with advanced
controls and sounds. There is a train and price range for everyone. 

I would start by reading posts in the O guage section. And also start 
watching some stuff on Ebay. Do not bid right away, ask questions and 
just watch for a bit so you can get a feel if O guage is something you 
want and can afford. After a short bit, you will know what the market 
will stand and what is or is not a good deal.

Pookybear


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## novice (Feb 2, 2011)

I would look at some train galleries of things others have done - get some ideas - and yes go buy a starter set up.

Here's a few links where I got some real inexpensive sets from:

http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/Bachmann-HO-00690-Pegasus-Set-with-E-Z-Track-p/bac-00690.htm

http://www.hobbylinc.com/htm/bac/bac00621.htm

http://www.tandkhobby.com/product-p/30-4197-0.htm

http://www.tandkhobby.com/product-p/00647.htm


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## cabledawg (Nov 30, 2010)

My advice is that you start looking at what other folks have before you go buying track and trains with no goal in mind. See what others have done with their layouts and get ideas of what you'd like to see on yours. Start thinking of how you want the train to move around the layout. Do you want a simple oval with a siding? Or do you want some loops and overpasses, complete with industry spurs and freight yards? You have a lot of space, use it wisely.

Since you expressed an interest in O scale, look around on here in the O scale section. We have a large following and some really good layouts done in that scale. Check out the gallery to see some locos and rolling stock. Sure you could find a good deal on an old tyme steamer set, but have your heart set on something more modern. You see one in the gallery that looks cool and you get a few model numbers and start looking around. You might just find what you are looking for, but it could take awhile. What I'm trying to get at is this, you want a train layout, but dont rush out and buy the first thing you see on the local hobby store shelf just because it's here now.

Welcome to the forum and a new obsession :thumbsup:

Once you lay track, you'll never go back


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Wesley,

I'm a big fan of the older Lionel O. You can pick up a postwar (1945 - 1965 or so) loco, tender, cars, transformer, track, etc. via ebay. It doesn't have to be a full set, but can be piecemeal. Often, this used stuff is fairly cheap, and can be found in pretty good shape.

Personally, I like the simplicity of the old-school electronics. Once you have a chance to fiddle just a bit, the mechanics of the loco motor make clear sense, and it's easy to service. Modern O trains are packed with all sorts of super-high-tech goodies (sound, wireless digital control, etc.) ... all fun, but all a bit complicated.

For someone just venturing into O, I'd suggest acquiring a simple old-school set to get your feet wet, and then go from there.

My two cents, anyway ...

TJ


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## Zeus-cat (Feb 5, 2011)

Another thing to keep in mind is that the actual trains are just part of the investment. Do you want to put this on the floor or will you be building tables and framework to set the layout on? Are you running the trains in circles or do you plan on doing a lot of switching operations? 

Switching operations involve picking up cars and dropping off other cars as the trains move about the layout. Most people find this to be more entertaining than just running the train around the track. I kind of do a combination of both. 

Do you want realistic looking track or easy to setup and change trck? The more realistic stuff usually requires you to secure it to the tabletop whereas the snap it together type track just snaps together and then you run trains. 

Are you going to build scenery and towns?

Do you want to go digital or use the old style DC stuff. If you see DCC on locomotives and turnouts they are digital. Some are compatible with DC, but most are not and vice versa. 

I suggest you do some research on what you want to do and how much you want to spend before you buy anything. The costs will add up a lot more quickly than you realize so plan ahead and good luck.


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## tankist (Jun 11, 2009)

wedwards said:


> Thanks for all the help!!
> 
> So what do I do now? How do I get started? Do I just go buy a bunch of track and trains?


no the very first thing you do is actually lock your wallet away. chances are you will regret on at least somethings.

instead look around, look at pictures, youtube, visit your local MRR club. so you have an idea what is it that you want. then build a surface get rail, used athearn BB engine from ebay , couple cars, powerpack and play with it to see if it is your think. by that time you should start narrowing down your wants, era, line, specific location etc. 
and of course feel free to disregard.



to add bit about O, I feel it is more of a nostalgia scale. no offence guys, but the tinplate stuff and such looks toyish. which is not a problem really, to everyone its own and i see how one can enjoy his childhood toys.
problem is with the better stuff. when we get into normal 2 rail track with actual ties and nice detailed real looking locomotives, O gauge becomes oh so painfully expensive it is not funny. (wish i could afford it)


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## novice (Feb 2, 2011)

Told you there were great people here - and all knowledgeable - follow their advice and you'll soon have a great set up.

I always seem to do things backwards and learn from my mistakes - fortunately, I had an old O set and some track. I also had an HO set that I never got up and running.

With this forums help, I had both up and running in short time and started buying more trains and adding to my layout which I've no doubt you will as well.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I'm personally a technology nut, so I'd go with either Lionel TMCC/Legacy or MTH DCS and have digital control of the layout. A 20x40 layout would be a thing to behold with a dozen trains running around all at once!


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