QUOTE: Originally posted by 4884bigboy Life Like train sets (not the Proto series) are kind of cheap. If I were you, I'd get a Bachmann Spectrum set or an Athearn set. Good locomotives and rolling stock. Come with a bunch of track, too (If you like EZ track). Another question, what scale do you want?
QUOTE: Originally posted by Roadtrp The folks here give great advice, but sometimes I don't know if they remember what it was like when they first started. I selected my first "N" scale equipment a little over a month ago, so I DO remember what it is like. If you are like me, you don't want to invest a real large amount your first time out. There is nothing wrong with a set, if the set contains decent equipment. You will generally get a substantial discount on a set over buying the same equipment ala carte. Bachmann Spectrum has a good reputation for moderately priced equipment, and I would not hesitate to buy one of their sets. I could not find a set that I liked (I wanted a passenger train... most sets are freight), so I built my own set. I used a Life-Like locomotive, since standard Life-Like seemed to have a better reputation than standard Bachmann (although Bachmann Spectrum is better). I bought Bachmann passenger cars because they had stuff that I liked, and there is not a great deal of passenger stuff available in N scale. I purchased a Bachmann Spectrum power supply (a step up from entry-level units), and Bachmann EZ track. My total cost at an Internet site which carries a considerable discount over list prices was about $150. I could have purchased a Bachmann Spectrum set that would have had an equivalent amount of equipment and somewhat better quality for about $118. As I said, I sacrificed the economics of a set to be able to get the passenger train that I wanted. I have been very happy with my equipment. The Life-Like locomotive I purchased seems to have good traction, is quiet, and pulls evenly even at very low speeds. I've been satisfied with the Bachmann passenger cars. Are they the highest quality most realistic cars out there? No way. But for my first cars, I think they are fine. When the folks here say that Kato or Atlas or Athern equipment is better they are absolutely right. But it also costs considerably more... more than I wanted to spend the first time out. I think Bachmann Spectrum would be a good buy for your first equipment if the price works for you. [:)] P.S. I didn't purchase my equipment blindly. I made my choices after spending hours and hours researching at this Internet site and many others. I selected what I thought was adequate quality at a price I wanted to spend. I believe I got what I wanted.