First of all,
How old is your son? I agree, HO scale sounds good for him. I would strongly reccomend having a tabletop layout though, take a 4X8 sheet of plywood, put it on a pair of saw-horses, and then put the track on top. You could buy a plan book, and build a plan from there, or maybe build one of these 2 layouts:
http://www.trains.com/mrr/default.aspx?c=a&id=1440
http://www.trains.com/mrr/default.aspx?c=a&id=1493
Good luck!
Hello -- I'm brand new to model trains, but my son has taken an interest in them. He has outgrown his wooden Thomas set, and I wanted to buy him a set for Christmas. So, I am humbly asking for any advice.
We live in the middle of no where in Georgia, and there is not a hobby store within a few hundred miles, so I'm relying on the net to purchase something.
From what I've researched, I think we want HO scale. My son is non-athletic and fairly careful with his possessions, and we don't have unlimited space (atleast indoors) for a bigger scale. He likes intricate, detailed things. There are no younger children or pets to worry about. Does this sound reasonable?
I also think we would need the nickel-silver track instead of the steel, as it is fairly humid out here and I don't want to deal with corrossion problems. The track that comes mounted on a roadbed might be easier for him to connect. We will help him, of course, but I don't want him to become too frustrated.
He prefers older steam-type trains to modern deisel. I also think he would prefer enough track so that he could layout something other than an oval. (Perhaps a figure 8 or double loop or similar).
I'm looking to spend no more than a few hundred dollars initially, and I'm leaning towards buying a boxed set, perhaps with a track expansion pack if necessary, rather than trying to buy piece meal. We are geographically so far from any dealers that it would be nice to not have to worry about missing or incompatible components right off of the start.
So, does anyone have any recommendations as to which set(s), which manufacturer, and/or which internet dealer? Any advice would be MUCH appreciated. Thanks.