The grandkids will be coming to visit in a couple of months, and will be here for a couple of weeks. (This is a good thing, a very good thing.) I would like to have a small, temporary layout for them to use, with adult supervision, while they are here. I am curious what others have done. The grandkids are 5 and 3.
Richard
RideOnRoad The grandkids will be coming to visit in a couple of months, and will be here for a couple of weeks. (This is a good thing, a very good thing.) I would like to have a small, temporary layout for them to use, with adult supervision, while they are here. I am curious what others have done. The grandkids are 5 and 3.
Buy a LIONEL set and a 4x8.
Sheldon
I would get a wooden Thomas set, and lots of extras. This will let them build the layout. You could buy additional building kits and assemble them if you wanted to personalize it a bit.
Lionels are also a good idea, but they are a bit pricey. At that age, they really are too young to handle HO or N scale equipment without damaging it. It won't be long, though.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
My grandson, who just turned six a couple of weeks ago, has had his own UT4 controller for a couple of years. He runs Thomas the Tank Engine and Hogwart's Express all over my two car garage size layout.
Dave
Lackawanna Route of the Phoebe Snow
MisterB: I bought them a wooden set for their house. I would like to have something better at Grandpa's house. Kind of like candy.
Sheldon & MisterB: I will look into a Lionel set. I had not planned on entering the ranks of O; a bit of a leap from my current focus on N. I see that Lionel has a Thomas starter set with a kid-friendly "remote control."
Dave: That is one good looking wizard.
Phoebe Vet posted:
How does DCC work? It's magic!
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
All electricity is magic - have you ever actually seen electricity? No, you have only seen its results.
RideOnRoad MisterB: I bought them a wooden set for their house. I would like to have something better at Grandpa's house. Kind of like candy. Dave: That is one good looking wizard.
Thank you. I chose that picture because it shows him at age 3, when he already was running HO Thomas. He, too, has better toys at Papa's house than at home. He has wooden Thomas at home and DCC HO Thomas and Hogwart's here. He has X-Box at home and X-Box Kinect on a 3D TV in his room here. For some reason he really likes to spend weekends here... My point was that you shouldn't underestimate the youngsters abilities.
He is older now. Here he is reading his Nook with his grandmother:
Whelp, MB Klein had the Bachmann Thomas HO starter on sale for $70. (That's 1/2 off retail and 1/3 off their regular price.) So I bought one. I was not quite ready to make the jump to O and the price was too good to turn down. It comes with a 36" circle so I threw in 4 pieces of straight track. This is going to be my first experience with Bachmann's EZ Track, having only used Kato Unitrack on my N layout. I hope the grandkids like it and the wife forgives me.
You may want to consult the childrens parents, or the other set of grandparents as to what may be appropriate for the children, the parents may have some insight into not "spoiling " their children, remember they have to live with them when they leave your place.
just some sage advice.
Richard,
Good for You,rather than the O-Scale....Have fun with the Grandkids,,,,the wife will forgive you..
Cheers,
Frank
tatans You may want to consult the childrens parents, or the other set of grandparents as to what may be appropriate for the children, the parents may have some insight into not "spoiling " their children, remember they have to live with them when they leave your place. just some sage advice.
In my case,,the children's parents,are my children,,,,,8 grandkids,6 boys,2 girls and I was alway's under the impression of year's gone by,,,,It was the grandparents job to spoil them..LOL..
The heck with the parents. Spoil those grandkids rotten. That is your duty in life.
Rich
Alton Junction
zstripeIn my case, the children's parents,are my children . . . I was always under the impression of year's gone by,,,,It was the grandparents job to spoil them.
Agreed. Plus, this is my train, not the grandkids. It is something for them to experience when they come (1000+ miles) to visit. Not spoiling, just enhancing their visit.
I have my cheap locomotives and rolling stock from Ebay for the grandkids to run on my regular layout. If they run them off the track or handle them roughly I'm really not out much if they break. They are instructed that Papa's trains are only handled by Papa but they can do what they want with the trains I give them.
RideonRoad from a fellow N scaler why not get some Bachmann ones, they are durable and easy to set up and use. there's also lifelikes as well if you want to get some of those.
SP&S modeler, 1960's give or take a decade or two for some equipment.
http://www.youtube.com/user/SGTDUPREY?feature=guide
Gary DuPrey
N scale model railroader
bolter9My son is almost 4 and has learned how to be careful running and switching any trains on my layout. I did build access roads around some of the edges, so he can drive scale cars around without putting any of the scenery details at risk.
My grandson also likes to run the automobiles around the roads.