hello i new to this

[Anonymous]

i just joined today hello to everyone i am hoping to start my own garden railway round my pond any help or hints would be helpful where can i by a starter kit from is it expensive to start off also whats the best scale to go for thankyou for your help

ps..... this is a brilliant site my thanks to the people who help run it keep it up

[Bucksco]

I would suggest an LGB starter set and an expander track set. Go to http://www.lgboa.com/ and search for starter sets under "Products".
Good Luck!

[powlee]

[#welcome] from one of the British contingent.

All the best

Ian P

[vsmith]

[#welcome] to the forum Andrew

A bit more info please to help us fine tune an answer..

Do you like Standard Gauge trains or Narrow Gauge trains?

American or European?

How big is the area you would like to put track into?

Do you want to use track power like traditional HO or O, or radio control and battery set up?

Any additional info will help give you an answer better suited to your needs.

[Curmudgeon]

even without the name of the country listed, the "brilliant" gave you away....

[Anonymous]

Listen mate don't take any notice of what anyone else tells you except me, right.

Get yourself an LGB starter set for less than US$100, from ebay. people usually syart with some version a Stainz as their first engine. but be sure that a starter set by itself is a waste of time, buy up track also cheap and also from ebay.

Be careful and not do what i did and bought a lot of stuff that was no good, also i bought too many R1 curves and not enough straights and I regret that as well, as i don't and can't use R1 curves anymore.

Pay a bit extra and get decent stuff; as no matter how good a bargain is its no good if its no good, quality beats quantity anytime


Rgds Ian

[Bucksco]

Personally I would buy a new set so that I would have a warranty on my equipment.

[kstrong]

To clarify Ian's post:

R1 = 2' radius.
R2 = 2.5' radius.
R3 = 3.75' radius.
R5 = 7.5' radius.

These are the curve designations given to LGB's brand of track. For reliable operation by 90% of the trains in our scale, I'd go with nothing less than R3. Many will tell you that a working minimum is a 5' radius. This isn't absolute, but it's a good standard. R3 is certainly workable in tight spaces.

Aristocraft, the other leading manufacturer of sectional track, lists their track in terms of either radius or diameter (sometimes interchangably.) They make track in 2' radius, 5' radius, and 10' radius sections. USA Trains also makes sectional track, though they are a distant third in the marketplace.

The track that comes with the starter sets from almost all manufacturers is 2' radius. If you go that route, you'll want to buy additional track with a wider radius. LGB, Aristocraft, and USA Trains track will all interconnect without difficulty, so don't worry about that. Bachmann's track is crap. Even they admit it. It's not designed for outdoor use at all, so if you get a Bachmann starter set, just throw the track out and get some real stuff from the other manufacturers.

LGB, Aristocraft, Bachmann, and USA Trains all make workable starter sets, though I'd have to agree that LGB is probably your most bulletproof option there. Depends on where your interests lie, though. Aristocraft and USA Trains make starter sets featuring modern standard gauge equipment. The train in Ian's signature line is typical of an LGB starter set. As much as I like Bachmann's stuff, if you're just starting out, I'd steer clear of their starter sets. Buy one when it's on sale and you have an existing railroad already.

You may find it cheaper to buy a locomotive, track, and power supply individually, rather than going with a starter set. If you're a fan of narrow gauge trains, again I'd start with an LGB locomotive and cars. If you're more of a standard gauge person, then a small Aristocraft or USA Trains diesel and a few cars will suit your needs quite well. My advice in that regard is to look through the ads in Garden Railways, GardenRail, or whatever magazine you can find most easily at your hobby shop, find a locomotive that suits your particular interests, and ask back here about it's performance. You may get 30 different opinions from 25 people, but it's better than going in blind.

Good luck in your quest. We're here to help. (And to buy your stuff real cheap if you decide to take up underwater basketweaving instead. [:P] )

Later,

K

[Anonymous]

thanks for your repliys makes good reading i was hpoing to go for life steam one day but for now will do as you surgest and get a starter set yes i am from england notts ... so hello to all from my end of the world

all the best andy.

[Anonymous]

Ahh,this sounds promising.
Whereabouts in England are you?
Notts-Nottingham?

[Tom The Brat]

Hint--

Don't listen to a thing I say[:-,]

[bman36]

Welcome to the forum! Great bunch here. Enjoy. Later eh...Brian.

[John Busby]

Hi andrew jaffa
I to would sugest a starter set and would echo iIans thoughts forget the R1 curves go for the largest you can fit in the space.
regards John

[cabbage]

Andrew,

Greeting from Derbyshire!!! Have a nice time getting your railway going!

regards

ralph

[Anonymous]

And hello from another Brit over on the west coast. Have fun with your new hobby Andrew. LGB starter set, it does exactly what it says on the box and they are priced right to get people into LGB. It comes with a transformer, indoor use only and R1 curves but they are just right for the loco and it gets you going straight from the box. Just re-emphasise on the electrics bit, transformers stay indoors, the low voltage wires can run outdoors but if it's 240v it stays indoors on an earthed circuit.
Cheers,
Kim
[tup]

[ghelman]

Welcome to the forum Andrew.
Great bunch here. I am somewhat new myself. The tips and ideas along with a bit of jest is good and at least for me gives me a break from the hum drums of less fun things, like work. Hum drum? Is that spelled right? Umh?
[:)]

[Anonymous]

HELLO yes i am from nottinghamshire england and thanks for all your tips i will keep you posted thank you andy.