A Beginner

[Anonymous]

HELP! I am looking to purchase a train set for my 7 yr old son and i have no clue what to buy. Is there a specific brand i should stick with?

Thanks,
John

[ericsp]

I am partial to Athearn. They are a pretty good deal. The Walthers train set might not be bad, though I should note that I have never bought Walthers Trainline. I started model railroading about 7 and got Athearn kits about that age. I think the rolling stock in the train sets is ready to run though.

[willy6]

That depends on alot of things. First, how much do you want to spend? Second, what scale?(HO,N,Z,O-27,etc.).Third, is the person getting the gift going to expand in the future? Fourth, how realistic or prototypical of a set do you want? A few things to think about. Good luck and best wishes.

[Anonymous]

[#welcome] to the forum!!!

QUOTE: Originally posted by ericsp

I am partial to Athearn. They are a pretty good deal. The Walthers train set might not be bad, though I should note that I have never bought Walthers Trainline. I started model railroading about 7 and got Athearn kits about that age. I think the rolling stock in the train sets is ready to run though.

[#ditto] Well said. Athearn's aren't the best in detail or in smoothess of running, but are nearly indestructible. They last forever and are a huge step up from a Bachmann or a LifeLike set. HO scale is the only way to go for a 7 year old, it is easy to work with, but not so big it takes up a whole room for a small layout.

Good Luck,
Greg

[bogp40]

John,
Welcome to the forum. As asked above, what scale and how much are you willing to spend. Find a local hobby shop that specializes in trains, they should be able to help you out and answer any questions.In HO, stay away from the cheap Bachman and Lifelike sets, both have higher end products so don't dismiss the names. Athearn and Walthers offer a very decent quality set that is readilly expandable. Many of us still have and use the very same equipment that comes with them. I don't believe they come with power packs, MRC offers very reasonably priced ones. If looking for N scale, may be to small for a 7 year old, rerailling can be frustrating for them. The other option is a Lionel starter set, they work great even though being toylike, and expansion will need a lot of space. If you and your son plan to continue in the hobby, possibly starting a small to modest layout, HO would be my preference.
Bob K.

[PennsyHoosier]

Price and scale hang together. However, if you're looking at HO, I agree with the others--consider Athearn. Very tough.

[Anonymous]

[:D]Welcome to the world of modelrailroading, I presonally like Kato their loco's are great,Athern is good too, but I would suggest Kato, go to your local hobby shop and talk to them. I have a UP sd40 mac I bought it 2 years ago it has not been cleaned and it still runs like new!! [:)]

[Anonymous]

I agree with the inexpensive Athearn recommendation. They are like that little forever battery bunny, they go on and on and on.

[IRONROOSTER]

Buy him a Lionel with smoke and sounds. Get a set with a diecast engine like the NYC Central Flyer. He'll love it. O27 trains can be set up as permanent layouts on the same 4x8 sheet of plywood that HO layouts start with. You can add an operating accessory each year. Unless YOU want to get into the hobby don't go the HO route; he's too young to do it alll himself and he'll just get frustrated.
Enjoy
Paul

[Anonymous]

John, like you, I am a new beginner with railroading and this forum certainly places you on the right track. There is a wealth of information just for the asking. If I were you I would visit 1st Place Hobbies, Internet Model Trains, Hobbylinks Model Railroading, Hobby Station, Trainworld, Wholesale Trains, Discount Trains, Walthers Railroad and Atlas HO Railroad. Check out Ebay and Yahoo auctions for good deals on select items. Go back through this forum and look for threads that refer to different web sites with invaluable information about beginning your railroad. Personally, I live in an extremely rural area (closest hobby shop is 100 miles away) and it is difficult for me to just pack up and go to town but I have already contacted several wonderful people through this forum who were willing to give great help. Good luck and Happy Railroading.

[Anonymous]

When I was a beginner (about your son's age), there was NOTHING in the world that could compare to a Lionel O-gauge train. They're BIG (to a child), hard to break, make noise, and have more "play" opportunity (hence "toy" train vs. "model" train) in the way of accessories, smoke, and sound.

Sure, I eventually went to HO, and will probably stick with that when I'm able to build my "dream" layout, but your 7 year old is a bit far from that point irght now. (And I still pick up a nice O piece now and again)

As stated above, a set that can run on O-27 track will hardly take up more space than HO anyway. Just be sure you get a set with a reasonably nice Die-cast engine. If you're willing to spend the money, modern O gauge has all digital sound and much better smoke; I'm sure they would enthrall your son. If not, the bigger size and noise of O gauge is still probably more attrative to a child than what you get with HO.

[MidlandPacific]

I just bought a Mike's Train House O scale set for a good friend's son: a great big Southern-prototype passenger train that had everything to keep him amused: smoke, sounds, lighting in the coaches, the works - for under three hundred dollars at a Greenberg show. Best possible gift, I think, for the chold who loves trains, for all of the abovementioned reasons. O scale is better for children for all of the reasons Senna mentions, particularly durability: I loved trains and took good care of toys as a child, but my 1970s HO scale Tyco Bicentennial starter set just didn't last very long. I still have pieces of it that I can't bear to part with, but I also have my dad's O scale Marx set - and it's intact.

best regards,

Rob
http://midlandpacific.typepad.com/

[Texas Zepher]

QUOTE: Originally posted by jfee

HELP! I am looking to purchase a train set for my 7 yr old son and i have no clue what to buy. Is there a specific brand i should stick with?

As the other people have mentioned this is a huge question, starting with which size you would like. I started playing with HO trains when I was about 5, but it depends on the demeaner of the child. My children have enjoyed both very small N-scale and very large G-scale from a similar age.

If you are interested in a large size, I've been recommending the LGB sets. I can't recommend the internethobbies having never dealt with them but they are where I found the pictures of these sets.
http://www.internethobbies.com/internethobbies/lgb-72324.html
http://www.internethobbies.com/internethobbies/lgb-72423.html
These trains are very rugged and they aren't to scale so they can go around much sharper curves that way.

I started my son with one locomotive an a circle of track when he was 3 years old. Because the equipment is fairly expensive we added one piece to the set every Christmas. He now (20 years later) has an amazing set that he can take and pass on to his children.

[Texas Zepher]

QUOTE: Originally posted by jfee

HELP! I am looking to purchase a train set for my 7 yr old son and i have no clue what to buy. Is there a specific brand i should stick with?

So you're keeping us in suspense. What have you decided if anything?

[Anonymous]

[:D]I was just wondering how are things going for your first layout plans with your son, he must be excited. Just remember you have friends here at the forum don't be ashamed to ask ANY [?] you might have about the world of modelrailroading, I have came back to the hobby 2&1/2 years ago,after a 7 yr hiatus, and I'm learning things all over again, plus learning NEW tricks to the trade, so please feel free to dive into the forum, let me know if there are any questions that maybe I can help you with, well take care and "Happy modelrailroading!![8D]