# what brand should a newbie use??



## tom311 (Jan 1, 2015)

was looking at the track packs and my choices are ,Bachmann, atlas, kato,,, then I see mth has an oval with sound, and transformer and hand held .every one of these kits are 140 - 195.i understand I would have to buy switches and more track with the mth but the sound set up would be nicer.i do not know which manufacturers are good and which may not be.looking for help in deciding how to go.track pack and buy whatever to have sound?? or buy mth and then buy more track.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

You didn't mention a scale, but any of those manufacturers will be fine. Kato is probably the best of the lot.Also, make sure you avoid steel rails. These work great on the real thing, but model ones are crap.

I'm not sure what you mean when you say MTH comes with sound. Most model RR sounds are generated by a microchip and speaker in the locomotive. If it's just external sound, there are lots of ways to do that, and I wouldn't let it influence your decision.


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## tom311 (Jan 1, 2015)

ho scale. the track pack from mth (only oval) is available with sound and the dcc controller and a handheld controller.just thought by time I bought a Bachmann or kato and then a loco with the sound option and the controller maybe this would be the way to go.i now have seen Bachmann has a dcc controller for around 55.00 so with their track pack ,which is what I want as far as size (4x8) I would be 140. for pack and then 55.00 for controller and whatever a loco would be.price probably boils down to about the same as the Bachmann and controller would be the price of the mth as an oval. so time buy more track and switches I could buy loco for Bachmann.geeze!


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## little fat buddy (Jan 14, 2011)

the mth set has there propietary dcs contorl systme it will only operate there mth proto sound equppied locmtoives just some info on that and i would go with either atlas or kato i have owned bahcmans track andthere turnouts or swtiches whichever you call them suck and are very very unreliable.


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## tom311 (Jan 1, 2015)

thanks little fat buddy. this is kind of info I need to hear. I see you say switches or turnouts which ever you call them. I have noticed on model railroading they call a switch a turnout. I was railroader in 70s and some 80s and I put in a lot of switches.especially after rail gangs straight railed thru putting in continuous rail.oh ,and I cleaned a lot of them in winter!


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

Yes, turnouts are switches. We use the term turnout here to avoid
confusion when we are also discussing electric switches that control
them. 

Don


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## tom311 (Jan 1, 2015)

oh, now it makes sense. we called them control points. like cp 78 was a switch controlled from? Columbus? philly? why only a very few are controlled from somewhere else, when all the others are by the crew.


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## little fat buddy (Jan 14, 2011)

okay cool to know i though turnout was the right word but was just trying to make it so the op could understand it cause i hear turnouts called many things.


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