# Educate me.



## sentinal77 (Jan 2, 2011)

I currently have some postwar and new Lionel O gauge. I currently have no room to model an O layout, but I would like to start making a layout just to see what it's like. 
From my research this is what I found:
HO
1/2 the size of O
Requires 1/2 the size
Cheaper
O
Bigger and needs more room for a good layout
More expensive but more detailed
Holds value more consistently

IF I were going to go into HO, where is a good place to start? I don't mind buying used etc etc this is really to start playing with the actual modeling and building a layout.

What brands have good value and do different brands track go together? I know Lionel is really big in O and their pre and post war can be very valuable, is there any equivalent thing in HO?

Anything else I may or may not need to know?

Thanks!
Christian


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Much of this comes down to personal preferences when it comes to choosing a model rr scale and gauge. HO is likely the most common, with a very wide range of quality available ... near junk to super high end. O typically points to Lionel, though Ives, Marx, American Flyer and some others were in the O game long ago. MTH produces some high-end O trains today.

I'm a big fan of buying used / 2nd-hand stuff. Many good deals to be found, if you invest some time into learning about quality and details.

One point of your above I'll correct. Old-school Lionel O was never intended to be "real-world" detailed. Typically, locos and cars were NOT true scale-down version of their life-sized counterparts. Rather, body foreshortening and some reproportioning was done to yield a model size that could fit and navigate on track curves such as O27 and O36. That said, Lionel and MTH both offer new lines that are true-scale trains. These typically require large-radius layouts.

The same "liberties" of proportion and scaling ring true with traditional Lionel scenery, buildings, accessories, etc.

On the whole, HO offers more lifelike scaling and proportioning.

Not to confuse things, but there S scale, which is generally midway between O and HO. Then there's also the little guys ... N, Z, etc.

Read up, poke around, and don't rush ... lots of options, but lots of possibilities.

Have fun,

TJ


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## jbsmith966 (Jun 19, 2010)

An HO layout can easily take up as much space as O scale.
But you can do More with HO in the same amount of space.
Curved track is measured a bit differently.
For example O-36 in O scale is 18R in HO,,22R in HO would be O-44 in O scale
and so on.

Another thing in favour of HO is that HO has so much more to choose from.
You name it,,you can find it HO.

Brands of track, do they go together. That depends.
Track with plastic roadbed like Atlas Truetrack,Bachmann EZ Track, Life Like Poerloc,,NO.
Old school track that would go on top of cork roadbed or woodland scenics road bed,,YES if it is all the same code,,different codes can be mixed in later when
you get more experiance but don't worry about that for now.
Codes? Code 100,Code 83, Code 70,,that is the height of the track. 
Click here for more info
http://ho-scaletrains.net/id25.html

another good site is this
http://www.greatesthobby.com/wgh/MS_2249.html

Nickel silver track is the best way to go at this time.


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## sentinal77 (Jan 2, 2011)

Explain DC vs DCC to me please.

Thanks!


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## burlington77 (Sep 28, 2009)

I'm a non DCC user, but here's the basic idea---regular HO trains run on DC (direct current) and therefore you can run one train on one track. To run more than one, the track has to be split with insulated rail joiners into sections, or "blocks" that you can turn on /off or transfer to a different power pack. This leads to a maze of wiring and switches which some hate, some of us enjoy. 

With DCC, Digital Command Control, each locomotive has a digital decoder installed in it. Many new locos have this, some older ones can be upgraded. The track gets a constant power supply, with no "blocks", and the decoder does all the work of separating the trains. This allows multiple trains on one track, and eliminates the extra wiring. 

DC has been the standard for years, and is cheap. DCC will require an investment in the system and locos. I don't have better specifics, because I don't use it, but someone else will.

As for HO vs. O--I run a couple small O layouts (about 4x8) and a large HO layout. I started in the 80s with HO, so I accumulated quite a bit of that. I actually kind of prefer O scale, but there is definitely a price difference especially in older items. 

I'm a BIG fan of fixing older equipment. I've had great luck at garage sales over the last couple summers. I"ve purchased entire collections for 20 bucks up. HO equipment holds very little collector value overall, which is ideal for a new operator. 

As for starting point, choosing track is your first step. New plastic roadbed track, like EZ track, is easy and quick to use, but the cost adds up fast. Standard track is pretty cheap, and next to nothing if you get it used. 

I usually give this advice: get a basic Athearn HO locomotive, any brand of rolling stock, some basic track, and a basic transformer. The Athearn will last forever, and you can upgrade everything else as you go along. I really like Athearn's starter sets, like the Warbonnet, but they do come with EZ track. I save the EZ track for Christmas displays and playtime, and use regular track on the layout.


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

DC control the track, power up power down.
DCC Control the Train, Power, Sound, Lights, Uncoupling, Switches, accessory's and almost any other option you can think of!
DCC Decoders puts a computer into things you want to operate.
I'm biased because I run DCC and love it!
Sean


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## treeofliphe (Jan 6, 2011)

Im new to HO too but from what I gather DCC is like TMCC for O scale.

The neat thing about DCC is it allows you to to create certain track layouts more easily. Like out and backs. Thats a single length of track with a switch that goes out and loops back onto itself. 

This presents a challenge with 2 rail DC because the positive rail will loop back around to the negative rail. In a 3 rail system you never had to worry about that. The computers in the DCC trains automatically know what to do when this situation occurs.

I think i explained that correctly. Im sure there will be plenty of people to correct me where Im wrong.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

I'm not a DCC guy, but with 2-rail DCC, I think you still need to be careful about creating a reverse loop where the left/right rails criss-cross back onto their opposites. I think it can be done, but needs a special gizmo.

Anton / Tankist ... if you check in here, perhaps you can comment ... I know you've described this before ... I just don't remember the details.

Thanks!

TJ


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## mr_x_ite_ment (Jun 22, 2009)

DCC gives one a lot of freedom. When trains operate independently of each other, such as they do in DCC, you can have two trains going forward while one is going backward. They can all be going at different speeds...one can crawl, one can tool along moderately, and one can be humming along pretty good. It keeps you on your toes though!

Chad


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

Yes TJ your right you need a gizmo,:laugh: Auto Reversing Controller or reverser is what it's called. it allows you to loop the rails back or to swap rails "polarity" automatically.
This can also be done via a booster but that kind of pricey unless it one big loop!
Sean


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Thanks, Sean ... I knew it needed _something_!


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

I think sentinal77 has run away screaming. 
This DCC stuff can give you a headache. 
I have a list of all the parts and terms and I have to reread it all the time. hwell:
Gotta love the model trains!  
Sean


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## sentinal77 (Jan 2, 2011)

Maybe I'll just stick to O.. hahhaha


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