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[quote user="SRS 4501"] Thanks for the tips to each of you.  Two Tone, mind telling what type of equipment you have from Backmann?  I want to do a passenger set first and while I like the prices of their starter sets I think I will buy track from someone else.  I'm looking at their "Mountaineer" E.T. & W.N.C. line.  Will purchase one additional car, a combind I think, and will ease into the hobby with that. I have a special interest in this line as my Grandfather was a conductor with the railroad there operating from Hickory to Ashville.  Later I want to add a Southern Passenger Train to the layout as my father was a freight and passenger agent for SRS for 30 years.  I remember seeing my very first Diesel Locomotive at the station in Valdosta GA one day with my dad.  I was probably only about 7 or 8 at the time.  Thanks again to everyone and I will keep the forum posted on my progress. [/quote] Howdy! If you have your heart set on the Bachmann Big Haulers (notice the spelling) by all means get a "Spectrum" series set and then purchase some QUALITY track (LGB, Aristo) to run it on outdoors.  The Bachmann track, sorry to say--is the worst in the market.  I recommend LGB turnout tracks for switches.  Depending on your real estate--get the largest diameter curve track you can $$ afford that will fit (i.e, LGB 16000 or 18000).  Your investment NOW will pay off LATER!  Realize that in garden railways, skimping on quality of roadbed, track, and power is going to frustrate you down the line.  If you can't afford the bigger curves now, that is okay, you can always later sell the small curves for a good price on Ebay or somewhere. Hopefully, your hobby shop has the goods in stock to help you get underway.  A popular and good power unit to start out with is a MRC Control Master 20 (4.5 amp/20 volts).  Ask your dealer if he stocks Aristo (Train Engineer) or LGB power and take a look and measure bang per buck (since you are on a budget). You really are NOT suppose to keep these hobby power supplies outdoors and with kids around its much better to keep the power supply inside and run the throttle control outdoors.  The MRC 20 allows you to do this for a fair price. Regards,   Tom M.
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