Need Advise, got 200 bucks

[Anonymous]

We have a $200 buck budget.

This will be our first train.

What should we get? Was thinking Lionel, don't know about anybody else, just know that LL sux. We want to go O-27 scale.

Please help.

Anybody know a good place to buy trains at discount prices?

Also anybody have some info on the BEEPs , also where can I buy track, What is the best track? links please.

Thanks for your time

[chemung]

Look at Lionel Pennsy Flyer set.Small but OK steam enging,cars,new Fast track oval and power pack.About $179.00.Look at Lionel web site for more details.If I was just starting out,I would get one of these sets.Gook Luck.Welcome aboard the fourm and O scale.

Dave W.
Omaha,Nebr.

[Anonymous]

Thanks,

What's a good place to buy it though? I read somewhere it was $121 but they didn't have a link to where they bought it.

[Anonymous]

www.charlesro.com has that set for 114.95! Look in special sale items. Lionel steamers are good and good fun to watch. All of my steamers are Lionel 027. Use the extra money on more track and another freight car or two.

[Anonymous]

Hey guys,
Pirata If you have two children, limited room and want durability, I would stick with O/O27, and just go slower. You wont de-rail if you go slower and you won't need bigger turns and you get metal construction. If you can't keep the kids from going too fast you could add a governer to you transformer. Crazy glue something onto the transformer stop them from turning the knob too far. Ho is really nice but kids and small parts or plastic don't mis especially if you have a really little one.

Try ebay either a starter set or even an old scout set. You'll have money left over too.

[Anonymous]

A lot of good ideas,

I really appreciate it.

I was wondering if there was a transformer that didn't have a nob, that had more like a level, or something.

The nobs look like if they were going to break. also do you have to cut power to the track when you go back to neutraL?

Just that I had a bad experience with that Life-like train.

My other alternative right now is buy some track, get a BEEP, a good transformer, and 1 car for now.

[ben10ben]

I have never seen a modern transformer with a broken knob or lever. There are a few older transformers that suffered from that, but that was mostly a case of poor placement of them.

All Lionel engines, excluding possibly the few that come in sets costing less that $100 or so, have something called an E-unit. The E-unit changes the direction of the motor from forward to neutral to reverse every time the power is cut and turned back on. Almost any transformer you buy will have a button on it that will cut the power for a second or so, which is enough to have the e-unit sequence to the next position. You can also achieve the same thing if you want to bring the power all the way to zero, and then bring it back up. All other manufacturers' engines will act in the same way.

[Anonymous]

The Lionel 80 watt transformer that comes with most sets uses a lever, not a knob.

[cnw1995]

I got into the hobby exactly this way - bought a Lionel 027 train set - a circus train - and it's been great. The transformer on our slighter older set has a dial and it is very robust - we've had our 2 year old use it.

[Anonymous]

Pirata,

Look at the MTH starter sets also. I do not know that they get down to the $200.00 or below range, but they offer excellant product with very good sound and smoke (if a steam locomotive).

Good value for the price.

[spankybird]

I have to agree with you RAK, for just a few bucks more, you can get a really nice MTH starter set, where the engine is fully command ready. That way, if you grow in the hobby, you have your first command engine, if not, then you still have a great engine that runs in convention mode. If it is a steam engine, it is second to none in smoke output.

[3railguy]

I agree with what others are saying. Buy a $125 Lionel set and use the change for extra track and stuff. You might also consider Lionels Great Northern Glacier Route set wih it's colorful RS-3 diesel. The $125 sets have engines and transformers that are a bit underpowered if you wi***o expand. Buttttttttttttttt..........Lionel's Southern Diesel Freight set is a good deal at around $200 discount. You get a dual motor diesel and 80 watt transformer. I doubt the diesel is command ready but you can install aftermarket command gear later for around $80. These sets include Lionel's new fastrack which I think is better if you got kids. It's easier to assemble than MTH realtrax and has better electrical bonding. MTH realtrax has electrical tabs that easily bend out of whack causing dead spots if you assemble and dissasemble the track a few times.

The old stuff is much better than the new stuff when it comes to servicing. It is also more robust. But, you need to be inclined with it because it often needs tweaking after you buy it. It is common to seem train stores sell old Lionel engines that have been completely serviced. You pay more but it's the way to go if you aren't inclined. Once you play with it, you become inclined so you have to start somewhere.

[Anonymous]

buy it discount? but buy it discount where?

What is the best place to buy discount trains?
on the web, or anybody know in florida?
I don't like the colors on the northern glacier. Is the LOCO there better than the pennsy flyer one?

is the souther loco better than a BEEP?

My other choice right now is getting a BEEP and buying an oval fastrack for about $30, and a transformer.

[cnw1995]

All your choices are decent options. If you don't like the Northern colors, look around the store or even search lionel.com for their sets to see what's inside. There are certainly better engines than the Penn Flyer one but they're usually more expensive. The Penn Flyer is perfectly decent. Is the Southern engine better - again, it's a matter of personal taste. There are many, many online stores - as well as mailorder stores and local hobby stores - the advertisers in the latest copy of Classic Toy Trains are a good place to start. Search your favorite search tool as well. There is also a link that would allow you to find a Florida store in trains.com. And also a link to retailers on lionel.com Frankly, I sometimes buy local to save on shipping and get it immediately.

[3railguy]

Parita, I along with others, was just tossing some ideas at you from personal taste and exxperience. Charles Ro is a good discount mail order dealer. He advertises in CTT and offers great service and prompt shipping. Like cnw says, you need to shop around and decide what you think is best.

[Anonymous]

How about a Polar Express set? For about $200 you get Fastrack, three action figures, a unique steam engine, and three passenger coaches. The set should be released about the same time the movie is. This would allow your children to be able to relate to the equipment a little bit better rather than if you purchased a set with long gone fallen flag railroads.

[Anonymous]

Check ALL the ads in CTT and look and compare. Then call the stores and see how they can help you. By doing this I bought a Lionel Union Pacific Express set # 31924 for $89.99 complete with an RS3 diesel, 2 cars,a caboose, transformer, 8 curves and 4 straight tracks. Great deal. I built a 4'x8' layout for my friend's son.
Go to train shows for extra cars, track etc. \Get the wood free from construction site scrap piles Just ask and they'll let you have it.
The store was Nassau Hobby Center, Freeport, NY. 516-378-9594

[Dr.Fu-Manchu]

The [}:)] Doctor is in !!! If you dont mind Used Trains, I can set you up with a farly good starter set for about $150.00 (not counting shipping ) I have a mid 90's Lionel steamer
with smoke, a whistle tender, four freight cars, a 90's vintage transformer, Track & two
switches(manual). The track is 027 and I will make sure you have enough to do a main loop and a second loop with the two switches. If this works for you, Email me and we
can go from there. Till My Next Missive, I Remain The Humble Yet, [}:)] Doctor !!!

[daan]

Whatever you decide, try to save some money from your 200 bucks to get extra track! An oval with a beep is nice, but starts to get dull after just an hour or so. If you have extra track, switches and a decent length of ride, the "play value" is sooo much higher. It doesn't matter if you have a small beep or a huge steamer then, it won't get dull even after hours playtime. To me, the Dr-Fu thing mentionned above has much more playvalue then an oval with a beep...

[eZAK]

Pirata,

Start here;
http://www.trains.com/Content/Dynamic/Articles/000/000/004/921toaxb.asp

The current issue of CTT has 11 retailers listed in Florida.

Then go here;
www.hobbyretailer.com OR
http://showcase.netins.net/web/music_man/trainlinks.html

Here are some internet retailers to check out.
http://www.train-station.com/
http://www.trainexpress.com/
http://www.trainworld1.com/index.html

Beeps;
http://store.yahoo.com/readymadetoys/

Your choice of starting small is a good one!
Other than Lionel, you might want to check out http://www.k-linetrains.com/
for staying with-in your budget.

As far as track goes keep in mind that Lionel's 'Fast Track' will need a change over piece in order to connect it to other track.
For just an oval I would try to buy some used O-27 cheap, or if your plan on buying a starter set later on buy the same track that is in the set.

Check your local shop, Check the net retailers, Go to shows,
AND subcribe to CTT. [:D]

[Anonymous]

I will be getting a LIONEL southern starter set.
2 switches and an extra Oval.

Whatever cars I don't like I will try to sell on EBAY.

I am still working on finding a good deal to buy all of this.

Lionel switches look a little expensive, but I guess I have to get them if I want to work with fastrack.

I would go O27 but I want something that would be easy to work with. I don't want to have problems.

Already had problems with a helicopter (my first hobby buy)
then a t-max gas 4x4 (which I will sell on ebay)
So now I am getting into trains and hopping they will not be a headache.

[lionelsoni]

O27 is as easy to work with as anything is. Did someone say otherwise?

[ben10ben]

O27 is a whole lot less expensive, and really, in my opinion, easier to work with than Fastrack. The electrical continuity is excellent, it stays together pretty well without being fastened down, and, in my mind, the biggest advantage is that when you are building a layout, you can cut track pieces to any size you need with a hacksaw or dremel tool, rather than having to rely on fixed track section lengths. If you really want to get adventuresome, it's easy with O27 to bend your own curve sizes, or build your own switches. Just ask Dave Vergun.