thinking about model RR as a hobby

[Anonymous]

first let me say hello, i am new to this form. i am thinking about getting into model RRing as my new hobby. its been something i have been wanting to do for year but never had the space or extra money to put out for it. well things have changed and i hope to get started soon.
i have a second floor enclosed porch i can use which is 17x7 or i can go into the basement. the only problem with the basement is water, it gets wet down there so i will probably use the porch. being a beginer i think the space will be large enough.
anyway i have a million questions lol so i am sure i will make a pain out of myself.
let me start with a few basic question.
what guage would be best HO, N or O. i was thinking HO, i did notice 2 types of HO so i'm not sure what the differance is. N my be more pratical for my space but seems too small to start with...
should i buy my matts from hobby shops or on line dealers. links to dealers would be great if you guys have them.
how big do i go with the space i have? do i use it all up lol and just go for it or will i be overwealmed.
thats enough brain picking for one post, one way or another i will figur it out lol but thanks for having me
Tom

[tangerine-jack]

Why wait? Why not build a small 2x4 ft module, in HO scale, just to get your feet wet and learn a few track laying techniques and develop some scenery skills? Later on you can incorportate the module into a larger system, or start over.

Do you have any yard space? If so, why not try G scale outdoor. You can get started with one of the wonderful Bachmann Big Hauler sets for under $120 in most places. Don't use the B'mann track outside, it's crap, but get some Aristocraft track that is designed for outdoor use. Trust me on this!

[GMTRacing]

Tom,
[#welcome]The best bet is to get some reading material and study up a bit. there are a lot of how to get started soft cover books with advice and starter layouts that can be expanded as you go. Lots of information is here and the getting started section at the front door here has lots of links. Spend some time on this forum and if possible look up some clubs or attend a train show where they have active displays before you rush out and start building. I do this for relaxation and got back into it last year after a couple of decades off. There are lots of people here that are willing to help and answer questions. Good luck. J.R.

[IRONROOSTER]

I agree, don.t use the wet basement unless you can solve the water problem. In your space you can use any of the 6 popular scales - Z, N, HO, S, O, or G. The best one depends on what you want to do. Smaller scales like Z and N allow you to run longer trains and have more of a scenic setting. Larger scales, O and G are easier for most folks to work with and the trains have a real presence and heft. Middle scales HO and S give you some of both. HO has the advantage of having low cost lines, if money is an issue. HO also has the widest selection, but there's enough in the other five scales to support you.

I personally started with HO, moved to O, and then to S. For me it is the best compromise of being large enough to work with and small enough to have a decent layout.

If you can, go to some train shows that have layouts on display. Looking at the different scales should help you decide.

I'm not sure what you meant by 2 types of HO unless you mean HOn3. HOn3 is narrrow gauge - the scale is the same as HO but the tracks are closer together. All scales except Z have narrow gauge. G is a special case, it has several scales running on the same track, most of which are narrow gauge.

Enjoy
Paul

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by tangerine-jack

Why wait? Why not build a small 2x4 ft module, in HO scale, just to get your feet wet and learn a few track laying techniques and develop some scenery skills? Later on you can incorportate the module into a larger system, or start over.

Do you have any yard space? If so, why not try G scale outdoor. You can get started with one of the wonderful Bachmann Big Hauler sets for under $120 in most places. Don't use the B'mann track outside, it's crap, but get some Aristocraft track that is designed for outdoor use. Trust me on this!

wow what a great idea, might be cold for the winter but i would love to be outside. i have about 8 months out of the year i would work. i will look into it, thanks!

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by IRONROOSTER



I'm not sure what you meant by 2 types of HO unless you mean HOn3. HOn3 is narrrow gauge - the scale is the same as HO but the tracks are closer together. All scales except Z have narrow gauge. G is a special case, it has several scales running on the same track, most of which are narrow gauge.

Enjoy
Paul

http://www.atlasrr.com/
shows HO Code 100/Code 83 Layout Gallery and HO True-Track Layout Gallery. not sure what the differance is.

[fiatfan]

Hi, Mrgoozy

First off, [#welcome] to the hobby and the forum.

About the porch, you didn't indicate what area of the country but from the comment about working outside 8 months of the year, it sounds like using the porch shouldn't cause too many problems.

About the choice of scale you may want to take into consideration your age. Some of us have been know to switch from N to HO because of the difficultiies in working with those invisible details. [:o)]

One of the books you may want to consider is John Armstorng's Track Planning for Realistic Operation. This will give you some idea as to what you can put in the space you have available.

Here is a link to some some good inforamtion that you may want to file away for future reference.

http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=36405

Again, [#welcome]

Tom

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by fiatfan

Hi, Mrgoozy

First off, [#welcome] to the hobby and the forum.

About the porch, you didn't indicate what area of the country but from the comment about working outside 8 months of the year, it sounds like using the porch shouldn't cause too many problems.

About the choice of scale you may want to take into consideration your age. Some of us have been know to switch from N to HO because of the difficultiies in working with those invisible details. [:o)]

One of the books you may want to consider is John Armstorng's Track Planning for Realistic Operation. This will give you some idea as to what you can put in the space you have available.

Here is a link to some some good inforamtion that you may want to file away for future reference.

http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=36405

Again, [#welcome]

Tom

funny i have a book buy him i got 20 some odd years ago. i guess i should have said i did some of this back then but not really long enough to say i have exsperiance.
the book is custom line king size plan book, its in HO scale and has 6 detailed plains one of which i did get running 20 years ago lol. i think it was the water level western and i had a ton of fun making it.
i still have all the stuff from back then too but i imagin its pritty useless seeing as its been carted around and ploped in damp moldy basements for 20 years lol.

[tangerine-jack]

Outdoor G scale is 12 months out of the year. There are guys that have real working snow plows, live steam, battery/RC controll, and many other methods of operation to work the trains year round. Even if you get 14ft of snow and can't find the railroad, there is still lots to do in constructing buildings and rolling stock. Just an option you might want to check out. Click on over to the garden railways forum and browse around a little.
http://www.trains.com/community/forum/default.asp?CAT_ID=7

[tomikawaTT]

Welcome aboard - or should that be welcome back?

In deciding how and what to model, it's always easiest to start with the familiar. Take a look at your neighborhood full-scale railroad. If that doesn't stir any passion, Google the railroad/location of your choice.

As for scale, there seems to be a general concensus that advancing age seems to favor going to larger scale - but this rule is set in unhardened Jell-o. Check all of them at your Local Hobby Shop or at a train show, then make your choice based on what you prefer. (There are a world of arguments for every possible combination of scale and gauge, all of the positive ones of which are valid. I will leave that can of worms unopened.)

By all means start with something small, but make sure it can accommodate a moving train. Static displays can't hold a candle to having a train come into town, do its business and depart - even if the 'town' is built of used cereal boxes and construction paper.

Try all kinds of things. There are easily n+1 ways to make a realistic scene, n being the number of modelers who have built realistic scenes.

Above all, have fun. That's what this is all about.

Chuck

[Anonymous]

i want to thank you guys for the suggestions and help. i just dug out the stuff i had from 20 years ago. i threw together a ovel to see if this stuff worked and bingo she still chuggin away lol.
amazing how much stuff i still have. i would say i have a couple of shoe boxes of 18" and 22" corner track along with 10 or so switches, a bunch of streight track an a asortment of smaller sections of corners and streight track. various intersections and otherstuff i have no idea what is for.
i use to have a board with 15 or so swithches on it, now i have to find that lol.
once again thank you!

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by tangerine-jack

Outdoor G scale is 12 months out of the year. There are guys that have real working snow plows, live steam, battery/RC controll, and many other methods of operation to work the trains year round. Even if you get 14ft of snow and can't find the railroad, there is still lots to do in constructing buildings and rolling stock. Just an option you might want to check out. Click on over to the garden railways forum and browse around a little.
http://www.trains.com/community/forum/default.asp?CAT_ID=7

i was over there before looking around. i have to say this is going to be a tough choice. a am a landscaper and the though of outdoor modeling is very appealing. i also love the construction and everything that goes into making the trains run on an indoor plan. i find the wiring and such, interesting.
i don't know much about how to get the senic stuff to happen seeing as i am not very artistic but i am sure that will work out somehow lol.

[jkroft]

If you can afford it, LGB ( G scale) is top quality. It originally was all European style but now has a wide US selection. I have two engines that are both over 20 years old and have never even hinted at a problem. Lately I've been into N scale and I'm very happy with the results and is probably not much more pain to deal with than HO. Selection is second only to HO.

[waltersrails]

sounds great u picked a great hobby.

http://ztrainman.tripod.com/

[on30francisco]

You should build some small diaoramas in the scales that you think you'd be interested in. Doing this, you'd get your feet wet into the many exciting phases of modeling that this hobby has to offer and can then choose which scale or scales you like working with. Despite the amount of space you have available, it is very important to choose a scale, gauge, prototype, etc that gives YOU the most satisfaction. If you choose a scale based solely on your available space and find it frustrating to work with, your hobby will turn into a frustrating chore. Besides HO, don't overlook S and O scales. You do not need a large amount of space to model in these. It's also very feasable, depending on your goals, to model a very detailed indoor layout in Large Scale in a small to modest space. If you find you like more than one scale, why not model in both.

[tangerine-jack]

QUOTE: Originally posted by mrgoozy

QUOTE: Originally posted by tangerine-jack

Outdoor G scale is 12 months out of the year. There are guys that have real working snow plows, live steam, battery/RC controll, and many other methods of operation to work the trains year round. Even if you get 14ft of snow and can't find the railroad, there is still lots to do in constructing buildings and rolling stock. Just an option you might want to check out. Click on over to the garden railways forum and browse around a little.
http://www.trains.com/community/forum/default.asp?CAT_ID=7

i was over there before looking around. i have to say this is going to be a tough choice. a am a landscaper and the though of outdoor modeling is very appealing. i also love the construction and everything that goes into making the trains run on an indoor plan. i find the wiring and such, interesting.
i don't know much about how to get the senic stuff to happen seeing as i am not very artistic but i am sure that will work out somehow lol.

Good call, being a landscaper helps with the G scale scenery[;)]. You could do both an indoor and outdoor railroad as many of us do. You are in no way limited to only one scale, or only one railroad. I keep a small HO railroad in my home office for yucky weather days and to hone my modeling skills (or lack thereof). My primary railroad is the Garden pike and that is where I get my hobby fulfilment. It is the fastest growing segment of the hobby, and prices are coming down. LGB is fine quality equipment, but pricey. There are other rugged brands out there that provide tough and dependable G scale equipment at affordable prices.

In the end, all that matters is what you want to do, when you want to do it, and in what scale you want to model in. Everything else is bunk.

[rolleiman]

Mrgoozy, Here's a little writeup that may help kick you in the right direction (in addition to the fine advice given already).. Good luck and welcome.

http://www.rolleiman.com/trains/clinic2p1.html

[TomDiehl]

QUOTE: Originally posted by mrgoozy

QUOTE: Originally posted by IRONROOSTER



I'm not sure what you meant by 2 types of HO unless you mean HOn3. HOn3 is narrrow gauge - the scale is the same as HO but the tracks are closer together. All scales except Z have narrow gauge. G is a special case, it has several scales running on the same track, most of which are narrow gauge.

Enjoy
Paul

http://www.atlasrr.com/
shows HO Code 100/Code 83 Layout Gallery and HO True-Track Layout Gallery. not sure what the differance is.

All HO scale, but different types of track. First, the "code" of the track is the rail height. Real railroads use several different sizes of rail, usually measured in pounds per yard, which is of course, different heights. Modellers have simulated this by doing the same thing. The code of the rail is how many thousandths of an inch tall the rail is. Code 100 is .100 inch tall, code 83 is .083 inch tall, etc. Most snap track you already have is probably code 100 rail. Recently, several manufacturers have brought back a track with ballast detail added, similar to the old American Flyer track with the rubber snap on "ballast" called TrueTrack, Ready Track, and several other brand names.

[james saunders]

go for it

[beegle55]

Go for HO. It will work just find. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Welcome to the hobby!! Ho is the way to go,as theres more product's available.and the scale is easy to work with.If you want detail.N scale is a little harder,anyway whatever scale you choose i suggest reading alot of magazines and attend as many train shows in your area as possible.Train shows are great inspiration,You could pick up some great deals and find back issues of magazines cheap.Which will help you decide on the type of layout that suits Your taste and Your available space.
Good Luck!!

[IRONROOSTER]

QUOTE: Originally posted by TomDiehl

QUOTE: Originally posted by mrgoozy

QUOTE: Originally posted by IRONROOSTER



I'm not sure what you meant by 2 types of HO unless you mean HOn3. HOn3 is narrrow gauge - the scale is the same as HO but the tracks are closer together. All scales except Z have narrow gauge. G is a special case, it has several scales running on the same track, most of which are narrow gauge.

Enjoy
Paul

http://www.atlasrr.com/
shows HO Code 100/Code 83 Layout Gallery and HO True-Track Layout Gallery. not sure what the differance is.

All HO scale, but different types of track. First, the "code" of the track is the rail height. Real railroads use several different sizes of rail, usually measured in pounds per yard, which is of course, different heights. Modellers have simulated this by doing the same thing. The code of the rail is how many thousandths of an inch tall the rail is. Code 100 is .100 inch tall, code 83 is .083 inch tall, etc. Most snap track you already have is probably code 100 rail. Recently, several manufacturers have brought back a track with ballast detail added, similar to the old American Flyer track with the rubber snap on "ballast" called TrueTrack, Ready Track, and several other brand names.

You can also buy transition rail joiners and transition sections of track so that you can switch from code 100 to 83. Railroads frequently use smaller track for sidings and spurs. We can do the same.
Enjoy
Paul