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[Anonymous]

Hello! I have recently aquired the model railroad bug again after about 25 years. As a kid growing up in the late 70's early 80's I always had several layouts running one way or another. Then I discovered girls, gave the trains to my nephews & never looked back. I was at a yard sale a few weeks back & bought an old Burlington Northern locomotive just like one I had as a kid. I thought I might mount a piece of track on some wood & put it out for display. Well that idea lasted about a day & I thought that maybe I would get my son who is 8 years old interested in railroading. I have since bought a few more locomotives, newer Athearns & a Walthers, off ebay intending to build a layout. In doing so I have come to realise that I don't know exacly where to start. Any advice I can get on how to get started would be greatly appreciated.

[Anonymous]

Welcome to the hobby and to the forum.

Sounds like you might have some Ho scale, the Model Railroader forum is rich with fellas in that scale. How muchy are you looking to spend and how much space do you have to use?

Regards,
Chris

[Anonymous]

Chris,

Thanks for responding to my post! HO is the scale I'am going to go. Space won't be a problem for me & if I bugdet here & there I should be able to afford to spend a bit. Don't want to get too crazy but I want to have a set up I can build on & last for a long time. Hopefully my son will take to the hobby but if not I will get into it enough for both of us.

[underworld]

Welcome back to the fold. [}:)] This place is a great source of information.

underworld

[:D][:D][:D][:D][:D]

[Anonymous]

vrooman, you must be my long lost brother. Actually you are part of a large group that got back into the fold in a similar fashion. Mine started when my Mom cleaned out the attic and gave me my old Rock Island Marx setup. My 8 year old stepson seemed interested and away we went. Started with a 4x8 and now includes 2 upstairs bedrooms. He has discovered girls and cars so his interest has waned a bit, but not completely, but mine is back full bore. My wife has discovered that if I spend a couple of hours in the train room that it keeps my blood pressure down, and I'm not near as "testy". Yeah, she's going thru menopause and I'M the one that's "testy". Anyway, as far as advice, find yourself a good train shop nearby, go thru your "probationary" period with the older veterans that hang out there, (trust me, they can spot a newbie the minute you ask your first question) then let the model railroad gods do their magic. Trust me, there is a lot of cheap stuff out there on ebay and on the internet shops but nothing can replace the expertise of a veteran shop owner (who has a layout of his own) and the advice of the "old farts" who hang out there. Some of them are grouches and will look down at you as something they have to put up with on their visit to the shop, but the vast majority of us will be glad to answer any questions ( no matter how stupid they may seem) as long as we can be talking trains. You have to understand, sure you can maybe save a few bucks on ebay or on the internet but the shop owner has to pay expenses too. You can't buy the knowledge of veterans on ebay. Also, avoid the temptations to buy a bunch of stuff because it's cheap. Buy one or two good high end locos ($100 range) rather than fight with some cheap worn out ones of ebay. It's hard to keep a 8 year olds attention when "the train" won't run. Go to some shows and buy some cheap rolling stock. Dealers usually have flats of used rolling stock you can pickup reasonably. Get some trains running and have fun. Remember, it's your layout and you can run it and make it look however you want. Don't be fooled by the massive layouts you see in the mags. Some of them have been worked on for many years. Have fun, it will all fall into place. ROCK ISLAND LIVES FOREVER ( at least in my upstairs)

[IRONROOSTER]

I would suggest that you get a copy of John Armstrong's book "Track Planning for Realistic Operation". This is the single best book going in the hobby - it's great for beginners and old timers. It will explain how real railroads work and how to condense it down to the model. He also includes several track plans suitable for beginners. Pick one out and build it. This will give you a chance to get reacquainted with the hobby.

Sounds like you have enough locomotives to get started, add a few cars if you don't have any - Athearn and Model Die Casting are a couple of good brands to start with. Convert the horn hook couplers over to Kadees - they're a little more expensive than others, but worth it in the long run. Replace the plastic wheels with metal ones.

After you get the track laid and working add some buildings and scenery. By that time you will be knowledgeable about the hobby.

BTW [#welcome] back.
Enjoy
Paul

[DPD1]

I would just look through tons of old magazines, both model and prototype... Just look at what other people have done, and how they did it. Take the ideas you like, and leave the ones you don't. The how-to books can help with technical stuff. Then once you decide to start, do a lot of drawing. They have track planing templates that help. But my biggest recommendation would be to not make the mistake of jamming too much track into a layout. A lot of people make that mistake, and they regret it. Leave plenty of room for scenery. It's hard having to resist cramming every type of thing you want into the layout, but few people have room for all that. Sometimes you have to sacrifice.

Dave
-DPD Productions - Featuring the NEW TrainTenna LP Gain RR Scanner Antenna-
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