i am just getting started i need some help! any 2 cents are appreciated!!

[wisandsouthernkid]

ok if anyone knows me they have seen me in the TRAINS portion of the forum and now i am getting into the models now i am look ing to get started but i dont know if the stuff i have is any good?

can someone help me find what to look for and what brands to get?

Well. first of all i have a few train sets at home in HO scale and i have a few BACHMANN(i dont know if those are good or not quality wise) and a TYCO engine also that i picked up from a flea market(also dont know about quality) .

 How good is a bachmann and does it have a good reputation like american flyer(fallen flag of model railroad)

 i also want some ideas of tings to get for the trains themselves?

 

please give me help?

[PostwarMan07]

Good to hear you're gaining interest in model railroading. From the sound of it you want to go with 2 rail (Z N HO S/american flyer gauges) rather than three rail O gauge (lionel, mth, etc). If you are interested in American Flyer or O gauge this is the place to find out info on those trains. If its HO or the other smaller scales Id look at the model railroader forum for info. They would know a lot more on the topic than we would. Either way good luck and hope this helps!

[wisandsouthernkid]

ok thanks much

POST WAR MAN

[loathar]

Old Bachmanns-Bad. Newer Bachmanns-Pretty good for the money. Especially their Spectrum line. Tyco's-Good for a laugh. Some folks collect Tycos for a nostalgia thing. They run like garbage.

[wisandsouthernkid]

what do you consider old?

 

[super cheif n]

ok here's what i know about bachmann. at least the newer ones have a lifetime warrenty and the spectrum's are good. thats all i know. also have fun

[gandydancer19]

what do you consider old?

Old is probably pre-DCC days. 

If you want to run the ones you now have, you should test them really good.  They need to be really smooth with no jerkey running, start and stop smoothly, and draw 1 amp or less when stalled on the track.  Then if you are satisfied with their looks, go for it.

If you are considering getting a DCC system to run your trains with, you would be better with new locomotives that have decoders in them, unless you are electrically inclined and can do small wiring.  Then you may be able to install some decoders yourself.

[wisandsouthernkid]

sorry i am an idiot when it comes to  MR what is dcc?

 and decoders?

 

[jeffrey-wimberly]

If your Bachmann locos were made in the 80's to mid 90's and are the standard line offerings (trainset types almost always are) then you probably won't be happy with them. If they were made in the late 90's onward then there's a good chance they can be cleaned up and used. In the early 80's Bachmann took a severe nosedive in quality (into no quality in many cases) and became something to be avoided. They're now trying to live that image down. I have a total of five operational Bachmann locos myself, one of which was made in 1977. It's now mostly current. I installed new wheel trucks and a high quality motor and drive. My advice on the Tyco is this. Put it on a repair track outside the engine house and leave it there. I sometimes modify the body shells and fit them onto old Athearn frames.

[jeffrey-wimberly]

sorry i am an idiot when it comes to  MR what is dcc?

 and decoders?

 

DCC = Digital Command Control. A decoder is a computerized interface that's installed in the loco so it can be controlled by a DCC command station. The easiest to use of these command systems is made by Bachmann but it's also the most limited in that it allows you to control only the most basic functions, direction, speed and lighting. There are much better systems made by Digitrax, NCE, MRC, etc. I'm sure others here will be more than happy to tell you all about them.

[lvanhen]

By saying you have Bachmann & Tyco, I'm guessing your in HO.  Two things we need to know before giving you advice you can't use.  FIRST:  How much space is available to you for a layout?  SECOND:  How much green do you have to put down - and I don't mean grass!!   If you are on a limited budget, you'll have to go with what you've got and start adding.  If your budget is not so limited, new locos with DCC would be the place to start.  Check out posts on this forum by Spacemouse, Joe Fugate, Dave Vollmer, and a few other regulars who have tutorials & good basic starting knowledge on a layout.  Go to the LHS (local hobby shop) and see if there is a model rr club in your area.  Where do you live?  If someone on the forum lives near you they may be willing to show you their layout & give you some pointers.  Well, that a place to start - GOOD LUCK &

[NS AS-416]

Welcome!

I have to agree with the others on the quality of the Bachmann and Tyco locos. If you are on a limited budget I would suggest slowly replacing your locos with some from either Athearn's Ready to Roll series or Walther's Trainline series. You could also get one of Bachmann's new Spectrum locomotives if you want to compare it to the ones you already have. I am sure others will suggest other brands, and they will be worth looking into as well. After upgrading your fleet you can display your old Bachmann and Tyco locos on a bookcase or shelf if you want to keep them, otherwise you can do what I did with mine and use them as trade towards better locos at a swap meet or train show.

If you are looking for information on building a layout I would highly recommend Atlas' "Beginner's Guide to HO Model Railroading". It does a good job of covering all of the basics of layout construction.

Matt

[Packers#1]

I'm seriously tired from football, so here's my 2 cents and a welcome to the hobby:

Bachmann is mostly crap, except for their spectrum line

Atlas is the best manufacturer

Atlas, BLI, Kato, Athearn, PCM (?) are all good/I've heard good things about them

trackplanning is Tough, but fun.

If you ain't have fun/don't like what you're doing, quit that and start doing what you want. After all, it's mainly YOUR layout, so if you like it, keep it.

[loathar]

what do you consider old?

 

Probably 1980's or older. The old style used to have what we call a pancake motor or power truck. Only one of the trucks was powered. The other was just for power pickup and the wheels rolled free on it.
If it has a one motor in the middle above the fuel tank with a drive shaft coming out each side, it's the newer, better drive.

sorry i am an idiot when it comes to  MR what is dcc?

 and decoders?

Ahhhh Grasshopper. You have much to learn...

[Been Nothing Since Frisco (BNSF)]

I bought a bachmann sd40-2 with out DCC and it works great after breaking it in but my best runners are my IHC steamer and my rivarossia 2-8-8-2. and I also have a bach. spec. hhp-8 and it runs great, I love it.

[trainfan1221]

Welcome to the MR side of things.  Just remember if you buy cheap stuff that doesn't run well you might get disappointed so be prepared to spend a little more, but it will definitely be worth it.

[wisandsouthernkid]

ok thanks alot for anyone who gave me advice but i just had these sets laying around and i thought that i should put them to use somehow i dont mean to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on the stuff i just want a toy to play around with that looks presentable.

[Don Gibson]

...

 How good is a bachmann and does it have a good reputation like american flyer(fallen flag of model railroad)

O.K. You asked: American flyer was better. You went to a fea market, and brought home fleas.

Both Bachmann & Tyco made equipment for the 'Kid' market - cheaply made. NEW Bachmann (Spectrum) is better, - so they rate poor to OK. My guess is any Garage sale is old & unwanted junk!

To date, Kato & Atlas are the premium lines with LL Proto 2000 & Athearn close behind. Buy just one of these, and you'll see the difference.

[trainfan1221]

Okay, if you are just looking to put some track together and run a few things then you should still be mindful that you need to go beyond train set philosophy if you want to get anything out of it.  There are ways to make even a simple layout better by making sure the equipment is in good operating condition and the tracks are connected well so there is a continuous circuit and few derailments.   It's okay for many people to throw an oval around the Christmas tree, but it will derail most likely.  If you enjoy what you do with it you might want to look more into getting a little more into it one day, but a layout that runs terrible and derails will be discouraging. 

[don7]

I would not overlook Stewart or Intermountain engines. These are probably two of the finest running locomotives available today.

[WSOR 3801]

Try to find the Atlas Trainman train sets.  Good stuff all they way. 

Go up to Horicon and find Butch's Train Shop, right on 33 across from the Ice Cream Station.  He usually has a decent supply of WSOR stuff.