# 15yr break but is it time to get active?



## mosinRR (Oct 29, 2010)

I got an HO train set 15 years ago but never got any further along in the hobby besides just the set.

I recently bought a house and been thinking of trains the past couple months. I was able to find that set and I found that it still works last night.

I did some looking around and I like Bachmann's nickel-silver E-Z track. Its pretty cheap and looks nice. A basic Bachmann set at Tower Hobbies seems like a good starting point.

However, I'm conflicted on the hobby itself. I find myself wondering if I'm going to have enough 'fun' to justify the cost. I mean, I think its more interactive then my fish tanks but I'm just missing that one thing that I need to pull me in.

Please let me know where you find the most fun in the hobby. Is it building kits or maybe building towns? Is it designing new track layouts? I tell myself that I would just enjoy watching the train(s) go around the track like I did last night but is that enough?


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## sstlaure (Oct 12, 2010)

Operations, switching and modelling. Do you have a whole room you can dedicate to this?

Give yourself a layout with some interest and some reason for the cars to move/enter/exit the layout. Sidings to serve industries, etc help to give you a reason to run the trains, not just run them around a loop.

When I started my layout, I knew I didn't just want a loop of track as myself (and my kids) would get bored with it very quickly.

Just my $0.02


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## aionta (Apr 9, 2010)

I too have restarted recently - a 35 year gap, and I have somewhat limited resources at the moment so I am building a small 4ft by 4 ft layout. When I finish that I can build another or a larger layout that the first one can connect to.

I like building the mountains, terrain, buildings etc.

Aaron


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## tankist (Jun 11, 2009)

kits are pretty basic. personnaly i think that easy track is more suited for playing on carpet. if you have room for layout, flextrack will be both cheaper and easier to work with. IMO a better way to start is to get some cheap pre-owned rolling stock and track and see where that road takes you


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

I enjoy the building / fixing part, perhaps more than the running and "watch them go" part. I built a simple 4x8 HO layout about a year ago ... very much a learning curve for me in terms of scenery, track placement, buildings, etc. Once that got going, I switched over to old-school Lionel O, and have really enjoyed buying old clunkers and restoring them.

But, everyone's interests are different. I think the nice thing about this hobby is that you can tailor your layout depth (size, complexity, era, etc.) to suit your particular focus and interest.

Good luck!

TJ


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## shaygetz (Sep 23, 2007)

I deliberately choose to spend very little money on the hobby, choosing instead to tinker and restore unwanted or hard to repair items. This had taken a header off of a layout to a cement floor, when it was offered to a good home for the price of postage, where it ended up on my operating table...










For less than $7 postage and about 4 hours tinkering, I now have a fine running machine that I've always wanted since I was a kid. My whole stable has been built up that way, with no rhyme or reason as regards to prototype or era, just simply looking for the models I've always wanted and waiting for the price to be right.

Years ago I had to buy everything offered. Then money was tight and I had to learn to do without, build it myself or to bargain hunt. Even though finances have improved since those lean days, I couldn't imagine the hobby being any more enjoyable than in the way I've learned to do it as a po' boy.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Shay,

I like your thinking! I, too, enjoy buying "clunkers" on the cheap, and seeing what I can do to breathe some life back into them. I think it's that "resurrect the dead" aspect that I find appealing in the hobby.

TJ


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## mr_x_ite_ment (Jun 22, 2009)

Hey mosin...all these guys have made great points as to why they do what they do. I am a little bit of everyone combined. I like tinkering with ones that don't work as well as they should. It can be fun to troubleshoot a certain problem til it is corrected. I suspect everyone has his own reason for getting into the hobby. I knew that I would get bored with a small layout quickly (not that they can't be fun though). So I set my sights right away on having something with lots of space. I really didn't have the space at the time, so I simply just forced myself to "find" the space for a big layout somehow. A bigger layout will let you "do" more things with the trains, and not get bored as easily. There is never a dull moment when you are running three trains simultaneously! You have to be on your toes, or there WILL be a mishap! There is my $0.02!

Chad


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## tooter (Feb 26, 2010)

mosinRR said:


> Please let me know where you find the most fun in the hobby. Is it building kits or maybe building towns? Is it designing new track layouts? I tell myself that I would just enjoy watching the train(s) go around the track like I did last night but is that enough?


Hi mosin, 

I'm just a beginner who has been involved for less than a year. Building kits is *lots* of fun... and I don't even have a layout yet.

Greg


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## TapRoot (Oct 3, 2010)

I just came off a 6-8 year break myself.

My biggest interest is having to do something with the trains, and next to a city with industrial track a rail yard did it for me, gives me a reason to move and switch cars around, and having at least one relevant destination makes it fun. 

as for the money, I know I only use them once every half dozen years for maybe a year so just as long as I know ill use it again later it's worth it to me.


funny you guys should mention tinkering, 6/8 of my steams either dont run at all or only produce light and smoke but no momentum... 2 of my diesels have iffy electrical issues and as for my bin of miscellaneous building pieces ill be busy for years not to mention adding magnetic uncouple rs to all rolling stock I have no interest in fixing them right now but I wont buy anything new until I at least try

But the thought of constructive, creative, and positive downtime entertainment is priceless


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## imatt88 (Jan 31, 2010)

Yup,

I'm the same as TJ and Shay. Money is tight, and I bargain shop or buy junkers to restore.

I have four small setups in my basement right now. Two HO, (one to play, one to test run trains), one N, and my O.

Hopefully, soon, I will have an S scale setup as well.

I like taking old junk and rebuilding it and then running it. It helps take my mind off of life:laugh:

Cheers, Ian


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## ScaleModelAddiction (Sep 2, 2010)

For me my favorite parts are switching and track planning. Figuring out how to make an 18"R half circle when you only have room for a 15"R half circle is fun and led to my yard being the main point of my layout.


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## imatt88 (Jan 31, 2010)

mosin,

I started out by buying other peoples junk just to get up and running..








There are at least 3 or 4 brands of trains in this pile of rebuilds, all F Series locos. Some will runners, some will end up as dummys

I love a challenge, and if I need help, I come here and ask questions:thumbsup:

Good luck and post pics

Cheers, Ian


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## imatt88 (Jan 31, 2010)

Here is a few pics of what I'm doing right now. Not for everyone, but works for me
N scale









HO/O









My other play HO setup can bee seen in the Layout froum.

Enjoy


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## mosinRR (Oct 29, 2010)

Thanks for all the replies, I appreciate all the info.

On the question about space, There is a very large 'game room' that has a unused pool table that was left by the previous owners of the house. Nobody plays pool so that would be my 'stand'. The pool table is 8'x4 1/2' and there is easily 4' of space on all sides so its a large area. I was thinking to just buy some thin boards to make it all level. Was thinking I could change up the size of the area by having boards go off the pool table with the help of legs to expand and change the shape of the space.

I looked at craigslist for my area and nearby cities and there is nobody selling any type of train stuff.

I like history and military history so I was thinking I could do like a army train depot during WWII or such but I don't know how easy that would be.

I've included some pictures of my old set.


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## mr_x_ite_ment (Jun 22, 2009)

Mosin...if the pool table will not be used, it would certainly be a great base for a model railroad. You could put a 4' X 8' sheet of your choice on top of it. To keep it from sliding around, you could put some stoppers on all sides. You could put some cables up to a pulley where you could lift it up and lock it so you could still use the pool table if you wanted. It would certainly be easy enough to add on to it as you grew with the layout too! Best of luck! 

Chad


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Mosin,

If the pool table is not being used, it could certainly serve as an easy and very sturdy base for a 4x8 (or even 5x10 with some overhang) layout. Protect the pool surface felt, first, then lay down some 2"x4" blocking (or similar) -- wide face down -- every 20" or so across the surface, to bridge the height from the inset pool surface to the height of the top of the bumpers. Then, lay some 1/2" MDF (my preference) directly on top of that. The void between the underside of the MDF and the top of the pool felt will give you a "chase" if needed to run wires. You could even run wires to/from the layout via a pool pocket, if needed.

WWII is a great theme. Lots of HO stuff available there. Look on the Walthers website, for starters. Or better, order a full HO catalog from them for about $15 ... well worth it, purely from a learning exercise standpoint ... great fun flipping through the catalog pages.

Good luck!

TJ


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## TapRoot (Oct 3, 2010)

I myself got most of my re interest in wanting to do a military theme with a russian war train (enemy at the gates style)

http://www.internettrains.com/merch...Y&Store_Code=IT&Category_Code=HSCMILLRSMRKCAR

great stuff there to check out.

Personally I started my layout on a ping pong table and then built off of that, If I could go back in time I would have removed the table and built all wood from scratch...cosmetically its goofy, construction wise I have limits...say you want to add some electrical stuff in the area of the table later...tj's idea is great, but still seems like it might get a little frustrating if you had lots of work to do under it..


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## sstlaure (Oct 12, 2010)

If you have a room that a pool table fits in the middle with 4 feet on each side - I'd be doing a shelf layout of somekind - maybe 24" deep with a couple places deeper to loop the trains back. 12' x 16' with a 4x8 hole in the middle gives you much more operating in the same space as a 4x8 with 4' on each side.


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## tooter (Feb 26, 2010)

imatt88 said:


> Here is a few pics of what I'm doing right now. Not for everyone, but works for me
> N scale
> 
> 
> ...


Hey Matt, 

You're *way* ahead of me.
I don't even have a table yet... 










Greg


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Did you finish blasting the rock in the basement?


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## mosinRR (Oct 29, 2010)

No way the woman would allow me to put up a shelf and I don't think I'd want to do something that involved.

Sad to say, after I thought about the pros, cons, and my other hobbies, this one will have to remain in the box for now. Thanks for the help.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

mosinRR said:


> No way the woman would allow me to put up a shelf and I don't think I'd want to do something that involved.
> 
> Sad to say, after I thought about the pros, cons, and my other hobbies, this one will have to remain in the box for now. Thanks for the help.



Easy come, easy go.

Eight ball, side pocket!:laugh:


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## Smokestack Lightning (Oct 31, 2010)

tankist said:


> kits are pretty basic. personnaly i think that easy track is more suited for playing on carpet. if you have room for layout, flextrack will be both cheaper and easier to work with. IMO a better way to start is to get some cheap pre-owned rolling stock and track and see where that road takes you


You can get transition pieces if you have EZ track and you want to go with flex.


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## parom (Nov 2, 2010)

mosinRR said:


> I got an HO train set 15 years ago but never got any further along in the hobby besides just the set.
> 
> I recently bought a house and been thinking of trains the past couple months. I was able to find that set and I found that it still works last night.
> 
> ...


I am in almost the same state of mind like you. I can't remember exactly but it was probably 10-15 years since I last had my train run around the room. I started maybe 25-30 years ago when my parents bought me a basic set - engine + 2 cars. Then I suddenly saw these Bachmann sets at Costco - Iron King and Cargo King going for about $50 so I couldn't restrain myself and bought one and ran it over the weekend. Now I have no idea where and how to expand. Bachmann seems to be one of the cheaper manufacturers as far as rolling stock and engines go but everyone's track (Atlas, Bachmann, etc.) seems so darn expensive! A switch would cost anywhere between 15 and 30, what is going on? I don't remember track being so expensive in the old days. I am still researching vendors and manufacturers but does anyone have experience with PIKO, it's a German company. I found their track sets to be reasonably priced, you can get a nice layout set with multiple swtiches for less than $100, e.g. if you do a search on PIKO 55320 or 55330 you'll see what I mean. An E-Z track version of that would probably be into the hundreds of $.


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## tooter (Feb 26, 2010)

big ed said:


> Did you finish blasting the rock in the basement?


Nope... not yet.  

Work has kept me *really* busy lately... 

...but that's *not* a complaint! 

Greg


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## TapRoot (Oct 3, 2010)

parom said:


> I am in almost the same state of mind like you. I can't remember exactly but it was probably 10-15 years since I last had my train run around the room. I started maybe 25-30 years ago when my parents bought me a basic set - engine + 2 cars. Then I suddenly saw these Bachmann sets at Costco - Iron King and Cargo King going for about $50 so I couldn't restrain myself and bought one and ran it over the weekend. Now I have no idea where and how to expand. Bachmann seems to be one of the cheaper manufacturers as far as rolling stock and engines go but everyone's track (Atlas, Bachmann, etc.) seems so darn expensive! A switch would cost anywhere between 15 and 30, what is going on? I don't remember track being so expensive in the old days. I am still researching vendors and manufacturers but does anyone have experience with PIKO, it's a German company. I found their track sets to be reasonably priced, you can get a nice layout set with multiple swtiches for less than $100, e.g. if you do a search on PIKO 55320 or 55330 you'll see what I mean. An E-Z track version of that would probably be into the hundreds of $.



you need got find old brass atlas turnouts for cheap prices..some old shops might have stock, they go for around $5, if you can find them but that is it once its all gone (so im told). I ended up buying most of my local shops inventory out this month. haha


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