newbie

[Anonymous]

im a newbie in lionel does anyone have any suggestions for getting started on a 200 dollar budget and little time?????????

[Anonymous]

Hello - Welcome to the forum! As well as O guage Railroading.

For your first loco, on that lilted of a budget, you might want to get a Ready Made Toys, "Beep" locomotive, a Nice detailed loco, for around 50 bucks, some K-Line Keepsakes cars, some track and a modest sized transformer.

Wecome!
Chris.

[spankybird]

HI

Welcome to the CTT forum.



If there are any local trains show around you, you might pick up some used, smaller engines that will be in your budget.


Here is a link that is worth looking at

http://www.thortrains.net

Good luck


tom

[Anonymous]

hey thanks guys i forgot about the beep engine i saw the review and it almost looked to good to be true does anyone have one and could you tell me how it runs?????? thanks again............

[dougdagrump]

[#welcome][#welcome][#welcome]
If you aren't in a real big hurry to get started K-Line has their Fall Special coming up in Oct. They have some nice looking entry level GP-7's for $50 coming out at that time.

[willpick]

Adirondack, the one Beep I have is from the first run, the only problem I had was that it had a hard time pulling cars around O27 track. This was due to not enough coupler swing, which has been corrected by RMT. I really like the one i have, I will be getting more if/when they make my favorite road names.
As for track, go with the K-line stuff. it's well made, and not too expensive per piece[unlike the higher end track(Atlas,etc)] Cheap(15-25$) rolling stock is available from K-Line, MTH,etc. A 75 or 80 W transformer can be had for around 50$ if you shop carefully. And welcome to our little obsession![:)][#welcome]

[Anonymous]

Adirondack,

You may want to check around the web, there are always sales going on. Here is a Lionel starter set with the new fastrack, a nice Rs3 Diesel, and a few cars. Its not fancy, but for the price, its a pretty good deal for a starter set. I have purchased from this place before, they were good to me.

http://www.trainfinder.com/traindealers/store.asp?section=trainDetails&id=11866&accountNo=TF2132

RedCaboose

[3railguy]

You might consider a Lionel starter set at around $200 discount. You get everything you need to be up and running in notime. The polar express is a great deal. It will come with a diecast berkshire, three coaches, a powerful 80 watt transformer, and a loop of fastrack.. Another good choice is the Southern diesel freight. You get a diesel with dual motors, 80 watt transformer, and fastrack. The lower priced sets with 40 watt transformers and single motor diesels are underpowered and a disapointment when you expand. Starter sets are the best deal when getting started. Fastrack is great track and you get about $40 worth in a starter set. The CW-80 transformer that comes with these sets is a great transformer and sells for around $60 individually. You will spend more piecing a set together but then you get what you want. Lionel announced an 0-6-0 docksider for $100 MSRP which is around $75 discount.

You can also find great deals on vintage postwar Lionel. A 1666 Prarie can be had for $50 to $75 in nice condition and is of much better quality than any of the low end engines made today. 027 track is cheap and easy to find. 027 rolling stock goes for around $20 a car. A 90 watt 1033 transformer is a great choice and can be had for around $50 or $60. You need some mechanical and electrical inclination if you buy vintage trains because they usually require some tuning to get them running properly.

You should really bite the bullet and spend $2,000 on a big articulated steamer, some scale freight cars, a ZW transformer, a cab 1 and command base, and some 072 track. You won't be sorry. Believe me.

[Anonymous]

I own about 7 Beeps, all run great, I cannot say enghough abuot them! Great product! Great service, and best, grea prices............as many roads as yu can swallow as well.

[Dr.Fu-Manchu]

The [}:)] Doctor is in !!! Greetings Newbie ! If you dont mind buying used trains, I can fix
you up with a good used starter set (no track). Which has a steamer with smoke, Whistle tender and three to four freight cars and a caboose. also a fairly new transformer for less than $100.00 . Which will leave you money for track. Please e-mail me or respond via this site. I am always willing to help newcomers.
Till My Next Missive, I Remain The Humble, Yet Strangly [}:)] Doctor !!!

[Dave Farquhar]

I was at Hobby Lobby the other day and noticed they had marked down all of the K-Line starter sets they had. The $200 sets had been marked down to $140. I didn't see how good the transformer was though. But that would come in under your budget and leave money left over to buy more rolling stock and/or track, or to buy lumber to build a table for the train.

Buying used is always an option too. That's what I've almost always opted to do. I've got a Lionel dealer close to me who puts together used bundles around Christmastime at that price point.

The makers make it difficult to build much for $200 (they'd much rather sell to people looking to spend $2,000) but it IS possible.

[cnw1995]

I started in the hobby with a Lionel trainset that featured the Bally Hoo Circus Train - at our local Hobby Lobby and Hobby Town USA - there are several comparable sets for less than $200. It was great a all complete. Then gradually over the years, I've added track and a few cars.

[Anonymous]

hey thanks i think im gonna get a beep and a used starter set. used trains before and have had no problems