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Elonna, The scale of trains and children can vary. But generally smaller kids like small toys. What you are describing to me isn't an unusual situation, not enough room to do what you would like. Most people chose a scale and then try and figure out how to get that scale into the room. But if you and your son are just starting out, there is a better way. First figure out how much room you have. A 4 by 8 foot layout in HO is about as small as you are going to get, in actual fact my son had a 4 by 6 1/2 foot HO layout, but I gotta tell you, it was a really limited track plan. So lets say you have room for a three by six foot layout, then look at what scale will best suit that area- and the answer is - N scale. Now if your son's wooden trains are Brio, or a likeness thereof, then you will discover that Brio is close to N scale. You will have others tell you that N scale is too delicate for a kid - this is ridiculous. And a son like yours (who sounds like my son at his age - he's now 16) will respect the trains and engines. In fact his little hands are great for things like re-railing the train. Next, your son's passion for trains is also an educational doorway. My son learnt how to read out of a history book on BC Rail by Alan Garden. He knew how to spell "Consolidation" before most kids could spell "Spot." Through rail way history and information, your son will learn politics, geography, commerce, transportation, all the stuff my son learnt. In fact, due to railroad history and politics, he takes a much larger interest in government and politics than most kids his age. Why politics? Well, you will soon learn that political and economic interests form and remove rail ways. Take the Great Northern for instances; it was a guy who developed a hate on for Canadian politicians and so decided to start his own railway in competition with CP. Take your son rail fanning and make sure to throw in a stop at Wendy's or the Golden Arches. You will discover you will like rail fanning more than you think. Rail fanning is kind of like Birding, hunting, and nature photography - most of the fun is being in the great outdoors and seeing some incredible landscapes. Take the train with your young lad. I would get on the Via with my son in Vancouver and travel to the edge of greater Vancouver with him. It was about an hour and a half train ride (some one picks you up at the destination end). We hated getting off the train, we loved it. You will also find that rail fanning and train riding will give you a relationship with your son that most will envy. For some inexplicable reason, train kids seem to turn out great. The train kid's interests are so embracing they don't need to act out like a lot of their friends will. The secret to great parenting is to "play" with your kids. You don't have to take a "communications" workshop when you do this, they will talk to you incessantly. Model rail roading isn't a hobby; its a way of life - and a good one.
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