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Son interested in model railroading--need some advice/help
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My son (8 yrs old) has shown some real interest in model railroading and I would like to get him something for Christmas. Unfortunately, I have absolutely no knowledge or experience with/about model railroading. <br /> <br />We have gotten books from the library, picked up what magazines we could, researched the internet, but there is SO much info out there, I fear I am starting to hit "information overload" and honestly don't know where to start. <br /> <br />We are a military family, currently in Germany, so space/portabilty are my first concerns--not too mention cost and time...but not at the sacrifice of quality (I believe you get what you pay for and starting off 'too cheap' is the surest way to ruin a prospective hobby, or any other endeavor for that matter). <br /> <br />Due to the above, I have been leaning towards N scale in something no larger than 2 1/2-3 feet X 4-6 feet in size. To give you an idea in the style of locomotive he seems interested in, he likes both the Athearn Genesis F series Union Pacific and the Overland Canadian Dash 8-40CM locomotives. We are originally from Michigan with ties to North Dakota (my son was born there), and would like a train 'set' that would have operated in either/both locations. <br /> <br />Given my limited knowledge and time (I don't have the time to spend hours a day for months on end to accomplish most of the setups I've seen, but I still want to get him something nice and reliable--something he can have fun with and can be used later if he sticks with it), I have been leaning towards one of the Woodland Scenic or perhaps one of the Noch (I am in Germany and there's a dealer close by) kits. Are there any others I should consider? Opinions on any? Or would I be better off getting a piece of plywood, painting it green and brown, get a bunch of track and make some sort of layout to fit? <br /> <br />Any and all help and/or advise on track, controllers, layout kits, train manufacturers, is N scale the way to go for an 8-year-old?--anything-- would be most appreciated.
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