Just Starting

[Anonymous]

I was sitting in a doctors office wating room and found the June 2006 issue of Model Railroader. I later found out I had found a new hobby. Now, I'm new to the whole model train shabang so if someone could give me some ideas on where to start or some ideas on good trains to I could really use it.

[Anonymous]

I assume you mean outdoors rather than inside?

[tangerine-jack]

Looks to me like you did indeed find the right place for ideas and information!  Browse the trains.com forums and see what you like.  Take a trip to you local library and borrow a few books on model railroading.  Maybe purchase a small starter set and get something running to fuel your enthusiasm.

So many choices, so little time............................................

[ttrigg]

Big Mack;
You have come tot he right place, I would first suggest that you "go 'up' on forum" to the General Discussions Forum and read the first two threads "Beginners: start here" and "Research links to useful sites."  Go to each posting and read the entire forum.  You will find discussions about how to do most everything.  Many ideas about how to do something better, how best to many things.  You will also get many different ideas on how the construct the different buildings you will be needing.

[two tone]

Hi Mack,  As you are just starting out may I surjest a few things I have learned from people on the web sites. If you are going to be a G Gauge size.  1.  Use LGB track and points all curves radius 3 or bigger if you have room and get a good controller. I use the Train enginer it gives me a 100 channels( not that I use that many).  2 If you use the train engr you can have your points cotrolled as well it saves you running around your lay out changing them manualy LGB do sell a point motor I have never so far had one fail

[Anonymous]

I'm accutly going to set up in my basement so I think that the O guage would work. ( I think thats the biggest in door scale)

[Anonymous]

Try On30 - Bachmann do a wide range , its cost effective , big enough to scratchbuild , some great equipment and enables a realistic effect in a small area

[markperr]

You can use G scale indoors but if you don't have a lot of room, you will be forced to use smaller curves, usually in the four to five foot diameter range, thus limiting the types of locomotives and rolling stock you could use.

Someone once told me that the average human wingspan (arms stretched out to your sides) is equivalent to your height.  So if you're six feet tall, you can approximate what a six foot diameter curve would look like by spinning where you think you might need curves.

You can also take an 8' 2x4 and do the same to see if it would clear obstructions.  An eight foot diameter curve will accomodate just about anything in G scale, locomotive wise.

 

Mark