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New to Garden Rail, Just bought USA's SD70MAC

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Eric, Welcome to GRR. The number 1 rule is: HAVE FUN! [:)] [:)] Do what makes you happy. Everything else is peripheral. That being said, Ian and Paul both make good points. The conventional wisdom is to begin with a starter set to have something to play with and learn from while you are accumulating all the things that are needed to have a layout. But I'm with you - I bypassed the starter set and went straight for a USA GP38-2. The upfront costs are higher but I'm be happier in the long run. Do what makes you happy. The SD70 is definitely a beauty. Like Paul, I'm happy to trade off a few details for a loco that I llke. I'd love to have one but right now all my track is in the garage and the best I can do is 6.5 foot curves. Maybe next year when the yard is finished and I can move outdoors... You've been watching the forums long enough to decide whether you like steam or diesel so you're a step ahead of the normal newbie. I would recommend that if you haven't already, use the search function on this and other forums liberally to pick up basic information about scales, power options, construction, etc. One tip - unlike roses, a G scale is not a G scale. With the SD70 you have started off at 1:29; the major manufacturers in that scale seem to be Aristo Craft and USA Trains. Different manufacturers build different scales from 1:20 to 1:32 and IMHO they can look kinda goofy putting them together. But again, do what makes YOU happy. This is a great time of year in Tucson, getting nice and warm. (For readers from outside the Southwest, "hot" in Arizona doesn't start until the temperature hits 110 degrees F. Imagine living in a JennAire oven.) I spent some of my formative years there and it still holds a fond place in my heart, as you can tell from my screen name. Be sure to do a forum search on the effects of Arizona sun and brass track on plastic wheels. Soon. [8D] [8D][8D] One other suggestion is to find other GRRers in the Tucson area. Check with the hobby shop for references or just post a question on the forum. You'll get a lot of tips and ideas from sharing this with fellow railroad fanatics. And it makes it more fun. There are also a large group of enthusiasts in the Phoenix, Tempe, Mesa, area. Again, welcome to the world of Large Scale. Have Fun. Dan
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