Info for newbie on starter set selection

[pgtr]

Howdy. Yes, the bug has at last bitten or is very close I should say.

I've been tire kicking at a couple of starter sets including:

Lionel Santa Fe Fast Freight
MTH Penn RailKing starter set with PS

I've seen the Lionel set first hand at a local shop. Next week or so I'll be looking at some MTH offerings...

Any particular input or opinions on these or other comparable starter sets I should look at?

I'm just looking for something I can set up on a 4X8 area around Xmas and maybe other times of the year. Maybe it will grow into more of a year round full time hobby. Not interested in super accurate scale - just quality and 'playability' and growth opportunity is all.

thanks

[daan]

The fast freight set is a really nice set, with a good engine and sound. MTH also offers nice sets and also offer good quality in their engines. Protosound comes in a few different options. First is protosound 1, having a 8.4 volts rechargable battery and it depends fully on that regarding operation and relyability. Normally it shouldn't give problems, but when the battery fails, you can scramble the chip and need a reset kit. Protosound 1 (also named only protosound) is an old version of the digital recorded protosound 2 version, which has been with a 5 volt board and a 3 volt board (newest version). the sounds are also great and those boards don't scramble when the battery is flat.
All of the modern railsound and protosound stuff is very delicate on the trackpower. They need pure AC and anything else (even 50Hz instead of 60Hz) can give problems.
I had problems with a protosound 1 engine on 50Hz and had to install a 5 watt light parallel to the track to solve the problems. (Lights flatten out signals, like a damper on a spring), but the transformers in the sets won't give you those problems.

My idea is that all those electronics are great, but when you start as a complete newbie (not in the negative way meant) I would go for as simple as possible, to get grips of the technics used. Postwar is simple to repair and tinker with, modern electronics CAN give you a lots of problems and you're not the first one leaving the hobby because the new trainset doesn't work. Though you will be able to get free repair under warranty, it's not the way you want to start. Keep away from tiny truck mounted motors without momentum flywheels as these loco's tend to derail.

[pbjwilson]

pgtr,
I have the MTH Pennsylvania set from 7 years ago. It has the proto 1 sounds. Still my best running steam engine and it smokes like the devil. In my opinion the MTH run smoother and slower than the Lionel. I have heard great things about the Lionel set as well. Lionel has more operating cars in their line-up, MTH more scale sized cars.

Pik the set you like best. Good luck and keep us informed.

[jimhaleyscomet]

When I started new in the hobby I started with a basic set (Lionel Penn Flyer with whistle),no electronics, and a CW-80 transformer. Later I added the Lionel train sounds car ($100) for added sounds. Simplicity has its virtues and a basic K-line set or Lionel set should be fine. K-line is a better value (sometimes available 50% off at Hobby Lobby) but it has smaller cars (although more of them than Lionel). For the utmost in simplicity and low cost the Thomas set can be had for a just over $100 mailorder. You can use it to get your feet wet without spending a ton of money. Make sure any Lionel set you get has the light on the terminal track or it might not reverse properly. All new Lionel sets have the CW-80 transformer which can be problematic with new control systems OR if there is no light on the track. Otherwise it is the nicest transformer in a startet set.

If you want realistic sounds the best low cost starter set is MTH with PS2. These can be had for about $260 mail order. The sounds are great and are fun to operate right out of the box. To obtain maximum control over these engines you will need DCS from MTH for about $250 plus a pure sine wave transformer. IMHO MTH has the best priced starter sets with realistic sounds and the choice of operating conventional or DCS.

Jim H

[dwiemer]

Welcome to the forum and the hobby! I do not have either, but have heard very good reports on the Lionel SF fast freight set. It is my opinion that either set would be good ones for the purposes you mention. You can get some good deals on these and other sets now that the holidays are over. I would suggest that you get a subscription to either Classic Toy Trains, or Oguage Rail Roader so that you get a good idea for what is available out there. Please visit and partake of this forum often, as this group is great at answering questions and if you watch the topics and go to the coffee thread, you will find a lot of deals that the guys come across. We share information and enjoy the World's Greatest Hobby here. Good luck,
Dennis

[Anonymous]

First of all, there is no cure for the "bug" you have. Everyone on this site has the same disease, and no known cure has ever been found, or attempted to be found! [:D] Welcome!

I just bought my first "starter set" even though I've been in the hobby for 30 years. I got an MTH set. Never had any upfront experience with them, but I was so impressed by the PS2 sound, and the over-all quality, that I went that direction. I must also say that the only good outlet in Reno for trains is an MTH mega station. That MAY have had something to do with my decision.
Starting out, your local hobby shop will be the best resource... along with this forum.

There all many choices... just enjoy the process, and do what you think is best. Let's face it... any train is a good one![;)] Let us know what you buy.
Greg

[pgtr]

Thanks everyone for the fast responses! I initially looked just at a Lionel starter set (nearest shop mostly carries Lionel) and narrowed it down to the Santa Fe set but have since started learning about others especially MTH. I haven't seen/heard MTH in person yet but from what I've seen online, it looks VERY competitive and excellent bang/buck with PS 2.0. Thanks for verifying that either starter set has plenty to offer.

One quick question came up - don't the older transformers like postwar Lionel (1033, LW KW etc), put out a 'clean' sine wave if operating correctly? Making them ideal candidates for modern command control systems like TMCC and DCS?