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As my name was mentioned in one of the answers to the OP´s question, I feel kind of obliged to join in as well. Things have changed a lot since your childhood days. A lot more stuff is now available in kits or RTR than ever before. Quality also has improved, although you can run into issues with any brand. N scales has matured and is certainly now equal to HO scale, not in terms of detail, but quality and performance. Additionally, Blackstone has joined the ranks of suppliers with a lot of nice HOn3 narrow gauge locos and cars. Even Z scale, though still somewhat of a stepchild, is catching on. You state to have room for a 4 by 6 ft. layout, which is not a lot, but still a feasible size for a layout in either of the scales mentioned above. MR´s project layout of this year shows you, what can be done in HO scale. Of course, You can put  a lot more "trains" onto this real estate in N scale and even more in Z scale. Or you could use the "gain" in space to build a more generous looking layout with broader curves and more room for scenery - IMHO the better choice. I´d like to offer a simple answer to your DC/DCC question. With DC, you control the power on the track, requiring an extra control of the routing of the power if you want to operate more than one loco on your layout. DCC controls each loco and lets you run a number of locos on the same track, without the need for a separate routing of the power. DCC puts you into the driver´s seat, while DC turns you into a dispatcher, routing the power. Track - the choice of track finally depends on your choice of scale . Using flex track requires some experience and skills, putting together sectional track is much easier and quicker. A good brand for sectional track with a fairly large selection of different radii and switches is Kato´s Unitrack, available both in HO scale and N scale. It has a molded on roadbed, which looks a little artificial, but can be vastly improved with just a little extra effort. Again, it´s a question of personal liking. Others have mentioned you should do a lot of reading before going on a shopping spree and I can only second that. Get a couple of primer books to build up a level of knowledge allowing you to identify your wants and needs properly, come up with a plan as a guideline for the coming activities. A good plan will prevent you from making costly mistakes. That´s all from me now - keep us informed which route you will be heading down!
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