New to hobby

[Anonymous]

I've just started into the hobby of model railroading. I haven't even bought anything yet save for a few magazines. I'm not really interested in doing a historically or geographically accurate layout. I mainly want a hobby I can share with my new son.

I just have a few questions before I start to buy anything. I'm interested in HO scale. Can I buy different manufacturer's track? If not what would you recommend? Also do all locos and cars, regardless of manufacturer, work on any track or do I need to buy just one companies stuff and stick with that?

Thanks for any help.

[relucas]

I myself would stick to one track manf. ,so i'd know any thing they have will work properly. [atlas,bachman ect.....] . For engines and cars , any manf. in HO will work on HO track . MRR. just ran a piece on track not to long ago. Also check out the nmra.org site which has some good advice [and pictures for an idea]. Well good luck ,and enjoy it with your son. I did , till he found out girls were more fun to hang with then old DAD...

[rambo1]

Welcome to model trains. You can start with atlas track that is flexible and cheap to use. Athearn locomotives and rollingstock are good quality and run on any track. Do not purchase the really cheap sets. They are only junk. A good hobby store will be able to help you out. Enjoy. rambo1............

[preceng]

Welcome to the show. I started a few years ago to have something to share with my 8 year old daughter. Dolls didn't cut it. We've been able to learn lots of stuff, including basic electronics, logistics, etc. She likes helping model and paint. We chose Bachman EZ Track and have been very happy with it's performance. I have had no derailing problems with the track, it is very sturdy. At first, it did limit my layout choices, but since then I have become proficient at cutting and joining special sections of the track. I have not found any manufacterers loco's or rolling stock that does not work well with the track. Any problems I have had have turned out to be with the trains, but were easil fixed.

Have fun

[Anonymous]

Welcome! I have some HO EZ Track I could sell you, cheap even :) , since I changed to N scale. Have some HO stuff, nothing expensive, that I'd like to get rid of (a collector said I MIGHT get $50 for all of it...hmmph..I'll take $100.. enough for a new locomotive, almost :-) ). But Lake Mary is a bit far from Ft. Lauderdale for the exchange.

I was startled a moment, as I know a M. Olson here in south Florida. But checking your profile showed me that you're not he (and his son, not "new", should be nearing an age for model railroading). So "new", meaning newborn? An excuse to the wife for YOU to model RR? ;-)


Glen

[Anonymous]

If convienient stop off at a local hobby shop and look thru Walthers HO catalog of 1,000 pages plus.
Must be a thousand accessories plus. Just in locos, there are 15 + different manufacturers.
It can be over whelming

[Anonymous]

I second the Walthers 2004 HO catalog. I am also new to the hobby, and since I got this catalog, I am constantly looking up stuff, and learning as I go. It's got everything! It is a great resource of what is available in HO. But if you have a good local hobby shop, ask them questions. I have a LHS about 40 miles away that sell nothing but MRR stuff, and the owner knows everything. It is worth the drive everytime.

Have fun
Cindy

[Anonymous]

Is this "Walthers HO catalog" something you can order from or is it a reference book? Either way it sounds good to me. Just curious. And yes, it's a bit of an excuse for me to start now and get the newborn into it as he grows. I figured it's a good way for him to slowly learn things. Electronics, electricity, model building, etc. Hell, even patience and learning from mistakes fits in there. I figure by starting now he'll have a good collection by the time he's old enough to enjoy it.

[Anonymous]

Actually, it is a reference book. But it does list retail prices for everything. This book is about 2 inches thick. You can also go to Walthers.com to look up products, list of Hobby stores by state and a product locator.

Cindy

[Anonymous]

I would suggest checking out the Model Railroad sections on Ebay. It can prove to be a great resource, especially if you live in a rural area or if you do not have convenient access to a hobby shop. A lot of the hobby shops have limited evening hours, so it is not always easy to make it into one after work. Some items aren't suited well for purchase on Ebay, but as an example, I have bought a couple of "beater" locomotives at a reasonable price. My son is almost three, and I run these locomotives for him - we can run them as long as we want, and if we eventually wear the loco's out, it's no big deal. This way I can save and preserve my more pristine locomotives. Same goes for rolling stock. I also agree about the Walther's catalog - its a great resource for letting you check out what is available and what is possible. I have passed a few evenings just looking through it.

I have been building my first layout (N gauge) for about a year and a half now. I started in the hobby when our son began showing interest in Thomas the Tank Engine, plus it is something I have always wanted to do. He loves it - and I look forward to it being a hobby that will grow with us together. I know I am starting to sound like a commercial here, but I bought one of the Kambach "Build Your First Layout" books as a guide, and it has been a great help. I suggest looking for one that will introduce you to every aspect of the hobby on one layout. Good luck - I have found every step along the way to be very rewarding!

Scott

[Anonymous]

Here's a few more free ideas.

www.nmra.com and click on their beginner's page.
www.greatesthobby.com
www.walthers.com