Hi there;
So first off, I'm new to the boards. Now that that's out of the way, I've got a two and a half year old son who is completely obsessed with trains. For a while now, I've been thinking about picking up the hobby, and his newest obsession has given me the opportunity to start a good project that we can hopefully both enjoy.
I've done a little looking around, and I think I will be working in HO scale. I've been reading a handful of online guides and whatnot, and have a good idea of what I'm looking at as far as size, monetary investment, etc. I still have a good number of questions that getting an enthusiast's opinion on can be a hard thing to do.
1. Flextrack vs normal. The flexible tracks I have seen online and at my friendly neighborhood hobby shop seem like a no-brainer. They sound like they take alot of the hassle out of designing a layout that works well and enable you to focus more on the scenery, etc. Is this true? Are there any downsides to the flexible track that outweigh this...well, this 'flexibility'?
2. I've also read alot about the SubTerrain foam risers and other materials and they also sound like a awesome line of products that can take some of the grind out of things.
3. Online Resources. Aside from eBay (which I don't really use), what online resources do you folks recommend for purchasing materials? The hobby store in town has a pretty basic selection of stuff, and while I'm more or less completely green in the model train department, having a good idea of where to go when I outgrow the basics would be a good thing.
Well, I know I'll think of more things to ask as soon as I hit submit on this, but thanks in advance and I'll see you around the boards!
I agree with sptrains. However, if you're looking at real-life prototypes and not Thomas, I'd recommend Kato Unitrack over Bachmann EZ Track (I hope sptrains sells it, I believe in supporting sponsors). In HO I'd go with a Unitrack WGH Set and pick up a locomotive and cars that look like ones your son sees going by on tracks in your area... Amtrak maybe. If he's really into Thomas, I think you can buy the HO Thomas separately. I know you can in N scale, but they're made by Tomix, not Bachmann.My son was 2 when I got him his first HO set. Here's what I did, and why I did it.
1 - I purchased a Thomas the Tank engine Bachman EZ Track System. This gives you a nice little oval of track, the track all snaps together for ease of use and doesn't require a platform, it works great on carpet, hardwood or even a table top.
2 - Then I purchased the figure 8 expander This turns the oval into a nice over under figure 8. Now we're getting somewhere.
With this basic system, he's able to put the trains on the track, get them running and begin designing the layout like he wants. For more complex systems you can just start adding switches, moving crossing gates, and all kinds of additional track.
I'm a firm believer in sectional track for starting off. Flex track is great for gentle curves and limitless design, but needs to be cut properly to link together, and requires a level of skill to make sure curves are a consistent radius, don't kink and other operational issues.
The thomas engine and cars are all rugged, with only 2 wheels on most cars, they're very easy to put back on the track, and with the moving eyes are very very cool.
Once your son's around 5 or 6 then it's time to move up to the next level and build scenery and stuff, but at this point you want something that will get you both running trains quickly.
