I have a friend who is primarly 3-rail O gauge. He wants to purchase a high quality HO starter set for his son. He understands that many starter sets are not very good and is willing to pay for quality. Any recommendations?
Billwiz I have a friend who is primarly 3-rail O gauge. He wants to purchase a high quality HO starter set for his son. He understands that many starter sets are not very good and is willing to pay for quality. Any recommendations?
There are better starter sets available more recently than in the past although I don't think Athearn still makes theirs.
MR magazine had traditionally suggested piecing together one as follows:. Get an Atlas engine, Atlas Trainman engines are more economical and are still good quality. Freight cars from Atlas or Athearn Roundhouse are lower cost. Then get Atlas sectional track to make an oval. Or KATO unit track is good too and has a base. For power MRC still make good quality power packs.
The above combo costs a bit more than train sets but will be worth it.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
Riogrande, that is what I was thinking. Get a Kato track package, a decent Athearn/Atlas/Walthers loco and string of cars. A bit more work, but good quality.
I know Kato has an N scale starter, but I do not think they have HO starter.
Bill,
I totally agree. I think it's wiser to piecemeal a "set" together with individual components. The user/recipient will be happier in the long run because better quality locomotives will be less frustrating to operate.
Atlas is a great choice. Older Stewart locomotives also make very good & economical locomotives and are renown for 2nd-to-none drivetrains. RTR rolling stock is plentiful and you can economize as necessary to bring down the costs.
Era is another important factor that will determine one's choices on the above two.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
One more vote for assembling one's own set from components.
Aaron
Hello All,
I agree with buying items separately to create your own "set".
This reminds me of those "101 piece mechanics tool sets".
You get Mabey 30 pieces that you really need and 71 pieces that just take up space in your toolbox that you'll probably never use.
The exception to this would be if you are looking for a particular themed locomotive/car combination. The, now discontinued, Bachmann Royal Gorge Route set comes to mind.
Atlas makes Layout Packages in code 83 & 100.
These might seem expensive at first blush but considering they include everything from the track to the remote turnout controls, wire, connectors et al in one fell swoop. For the beginning modeler, this saves time and searching multiple sources for all the components.
On the Atlas website, under each track plan/package they also include a list of the components needed to create each specific pike.
This is helpful if you decide to replicate the core of any given plan with the eventual expansion to the full plan or your own.
Hope this helps.
"Uhh...I didn’t know it was 'impossible' I just made it work...sorry"
If one starts from scratch, a train set is a good deal. Walthers and Bachmann offer nice sets - way better than the ones we had as kids.
Simon
snjroyIf one starts from scratch, a train set is a good deal. Walthers and Bachmann offer nice sets - way better than the ones we had as kids.
I was looking at the Walthers sets, they might be an option. While Bachmann has made great strides in their locomotives, I think their train sets are still lower quality.
Thanks everyone for your replies.
Bill
I agree with the suggestion to make a starter set, rather than buy one. My first HO trains, in 1956, were a mix from several different manufacturers: Atlas flex track (brass rail on fibre ties, and kits for the Atlas turnouts), Globe (later Athearn) diesels, and a variety of freight cars: two plastic Varney hoppers, one open, one covered, a metal boxcar and a plastic tank car, also from Varney, an all-metal flatcar from Athearn, a low-sided all-metal gondola from MDC, an all-metal depressed-centre flatcar, by Authenticast, and a Silver Streak caboose.
There were Kadee K-type (non-magnamatic) couplers on all cars and locos.The powerpack was from Scintilla, and is still in use on my workshop's test track, while the rolling stock is still in use on my current layout. I did sell the Globe diesels many years ago.
Nowadays, an Atlas diesel or a Bachmann steamer (the Consolidation would be my choice for Bachmann), and some former Athearn cars, now under the Roundhouse name, and maybe a few Accurail cars, the rolling stock suited to the choice in motive power.
If you're planning to help in the set-up of a layout, you can go with sectional track or flex, depending on your skills and interest. A decent power pack, and, if you wish, a couple of structures, should provide a good start for the budding railroader.
Wayne
I think KATO is about the highest quality at the best price and with the best track. So easy to use! Thats what I use, and I have to tell you after using Lionel Fastrack and MTH RealTrax on my O gauge layout, it is a relief to use KATO unitrack or any of their products.
Looking in this year's Christmas Walthers flyer, they offer HO trainsets starting at $129.98 for an F3 diesel painted for Santa Fe and 2 cars plus a caboose. At the high end $339.98 gets a 4-8-4, 8 cars plus a caboose. And there are 15 different HO train sets within the high and low priced train sets. Walther's sells good stuff, I would expect any of the Walther's train sets to run, stay on the track, and look pretty good.
David Starr www.newsnorthwoods.blogspot.com
Even though I've already gone through this phase, I've always wanted to "build" my own HO Scale Starter Set.