Hello from Texas


TXTrains89

TXTrains89

Member
Good afternoon everyone! Happy to have found this forum, started enjoying trains at a young age, lost touch but kept trains. Now my son is getting into trains so I intend to get back into them.

I have HO Scale and intend to keep it for now as it will be more giving for my son.

My biggest need if anyone has any advice is track, preferably the one with gray under it, as I haven’t built a track yet and also looking for an old school style DC controller as my trains are from mid 90’s-2000’s.

Here’s my collection right now some do need some work so that’s something else for me to get.

The Jupiter was actually my first HO Scale train that was purchased.

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Welcome!

If you are looking for HO track with the built in support, I would recommend Bachmann EZ Track or Kato Unitrack. It gets expensive, but if you have a local hobby store, you can sometimes find it used for cheap. I occasionally go scour my local stores for it!

Hope you and your son have lots of fun with your fleet of trains! Any locos yet?
 
Apparently it didn’t upload them. Here are the current ones I have. Jupiter was my very first one.

I do have a couple hobby stores about an hr away, so will check them out.

Thanks for that info! Definitely will be looking at them and looking for deals.

What about controller the one I had was a MRC 2, and I was going to go back with that or similar until could spend the extra to get a wireless set up.

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Welcome aboard from a fellow Texan. Where in our great state are you from? I'm about 65 miles north of the DFW area.
Just about any MRC product will work for DC. I cannot answer about the track since I use all flex track with Atlas switches. Since you're starting with your son, I would stay with the simple DC despite many here who are going to recommend DCC. That's for later, or never. I am still DC after 40 years. Power connections to the track every 6-12 feet is what I recommend.
 
santafewillie said:
Welcome aboard from a fellow Texan. Where in our great state are you from? I'm about 65 miles north of the DFW area.
Just about any MRC product will work for DC. I cannot answer about the track since I use all flex track with Atlas switches. Since you're starting with your son, I would stay with the simple DC despite many here who are going to recommend DCC. That's for later, or never. I am still DC after 40 years. Power connections to the track every 6-12 feet is what I recommend.
Click to expand...
I’m from the Gulf Coast side of Texas around the Texas City area.

Yes I like the idea of sticking with just regular DC, due to the price of the DCC.
 
@TXTrains89

I am caught between the two camps DC V's DCC.

My instincts tell me to go DCC off the bat IF that is where you think you may end up at some point. On the other hand, the only difference (basically) between DC and DCC is the system used, an NCE DCC Starter System compared to an MRC DC System - all the track stays the same :)

So, lets see how things pan out - DC is more forgiving and easier to work with than DCC and generally doesn't need as much wiring to make it run nicely. The engines are cheaper to buy and can still be gotten from most good hobby shops. You can use the same controller (MRC 1370 for example) to power your track as well as your accessories, lights etc. In short, it is an easier, cheaper less complicated way to go - especially if you are just starting out in the hobby. The DC Power pack/controller will NOT go to waste if you do go DCC at some point as it can be used to power your accessories still, even in DCC mode :)

DCC - well, more complicated, more expensive, more wiring; however, also has more options and is becoming the everyday norm so many more things (I think) are available for it. The biggest PLUS for DCC though is the ability to run more than ONE Train without having to do any electrical modifications to your layout. Basically, if all you are going to run is one train at a time, then stick with DC.

As for the wiring of the trackwork. I am 100% DCC using Peco Flex Track. While many will say my wiring of the track work is over kill I don't/wont rely on rail joiners for electrical connectivity (DCC is/can be that sensitive) so I use Drop Feeders for each and every length of Flex Track. That is a lot of drop feeders and wiring for 200' of track work; BUT, I know I wont have any electrical issues in so far as the track power is concerned.

Currently I have a "small DC" layout:

O5dZCr3.jpg


This thing has a main wiring bus (I think you can see) and only 3 drop feeders from the track work to the main bus and it all runs/ran without an issue. The track work had not been cleaned for months either. Had that been DCC - it just would not have ran - period!

So in short - for simplicity, running one train at a time, better reliability, less wiring/electrical work, less maintenance and less cost - DC.

For the opposite - DCC remembering that one of these days, DC will become a thing of the past. Bear in mind, that might not happen for another 50 years or so :)
 
wombat457 said:
@TXTrains89

I am caught between the two camps DC V's DCC.

My instincts tell me to go DCC off the bat IF that is where you think you may end up at some point. On the other hand, the only difference (basically) between DC and DCC is the system used, an NCE DCC Starter System compared to an MRC DC System - all the track stays the same :)

So, lets see how things pan out - DC is more forgiving and easier to work with than DCC and generally doesn't need as much wiring to make it run nicely. The engines are cheaper to buy and can still be gotten from most good hobby shops. You can use the same controller (MRC 1370 for example) to power your track as well as your accessories, lights etc. In short, it is an easier, cheaper less complicated way to go - especially if you are just starting out in the hobby. The DC Power pack/controller will NOT go to waste if you do go DCC at some point as it can be used to power your accessories still, even in DCC mode :)

DCC - well, more complicated, more expensive, more wiring; however, also has more options and is becoming the everyday norm so many more things (I think) are available for it. The biggest PLUS for DCC though is the ability to run more than ONE Train without having to do any electrical modifications to your layout. Basically, if all you are going to run is one train at a time, then stick with DC.

As for the wiring of the trackwork. I am 100% DCC using Peco Flex Track. While many will say my wiring of the track work is over kill I don't/wont rely on rail joiners for electrical connectivity (DCC is/can be that sensitive) so I use Drop Feeders for each and every length of Flex Track. That is a lot of drop feeders and wiring for 200' of track work; BUT, I know I wont have any electrical issues in so far as the track power is concerned.

Currently I have a "small DC" layout:

O5dZCr3.jpg


This thing has a main wiring bus (I think you can see) and only 3 drop feeders from the track work to the main bus and it all runs/ran without an issue. The track work had not been cleaned for months either. Had that been DCC - it just would not have ran - period!

So in short - for simplicity, running one train at a time, better reliability, less wiring/electrical work, less maintenance and less cost - DC.

For the opposite - DCC remembering that one of these days, DC will become a thing of the past. Bear in mind, that might not happen for another 50 years or so :)
Click to expand...
Nice layout I might add!

Thank you for the explanation! Yes I definitely want to make it as simple and enjoyable for my son, I would hate to see him get discouraged and lose interest cause of it being too complicated.

Right now he is kinda stuck to one train so that would work out perfect.
 
Thankyou but the "layout" is /was just something to keep me amused if you like, and interested till I get this train room cleaned out so I can get to my benchwork to start my new layout.

Keeping your son interested is most likely the main concern and you are right - keepi9ng things simple, things that he can do himself and manage himself will add to his staying interested. To be 100% honest, if I didn't want to run two or three trains at a time I would have a purely DC layout.

Yes people will say you can run more than one train at a time in DC; however, they wont tell you how complex it is to wire up "blocks" for that to happen or how many issues they have maintaining them etc etc etc.

Anyway, please post some pics of what you end up with - even if it is just a small oval - we all started some where and are all keen to see the hobby survive, so make sure you post some pics of your son and yourself having fun with everything :)

The only other thing I might add is to perhaps consider using flex track. It is not quite as easy or as quick to put in place but will give you so many more options and far less restrictions. If you do go that route, then I would suggest Peco Track and Turnouts/Switches.
 
Welcome to the forum from across the pond.

Everyone has made excellent points and suggestions as to track type and power supply, so it's up to you to decide which works for you and your son.

I would make two suggestions depending on the actual layout design you build, I would add turnouts at either end which would allow you to "add on" or expand your layout without having to pull up the existing track work.

And secondly, you mentioned that you may want to go DCC at some point later on, in which case adding extra feeders now to accommodate DCC might be useful, (unless you intend to do a total rebuild at that point), extra feeders won't impact negatively on a DC system, but will save a ton of work later on if you do decide to change to DCC.
 
Welcome on board.
All good advice given above.
Just to add.

Keep the track plan simple and easy to operate with one operator; that can have two operators as well. You will find most times it will be either you or your son 'in charge'.

Scenery. Only have on the layout what must be there and not what you think should be there.

If for any reason your son decides to 'do other things' do not stop him. He will come back in his own time.

Most important for both of you. Have fun. Keep it fun. It is a hobby. Treat it as such and it repays tenfold (and more).

It is not a race. Enjoy the journey.

David
 
wombat457 said:
Thankyou but the "layout" is /was just something to keep me amused if you like, and interested till I get this train room cleaned out so I can get to my benchwork to start my new layout.

Keeping your son interested is most likely the main concern and you are right - keepi9ng things simple, things that he can do himself and manage himself will add to his staying interested. To be 100% honest, if I didn't want to run two or three trains at a time I would have a purely DC layout.

Yes people will say you can run more than one train at a time in DC; however, they wont tell you how complex it is to wire up "blocks" for that to happen or how many issues they have maintaining them etc etc etc.

Anyway, please post some pics of what you end up with - even if it is just a small oval - we all started some where and are all keen to see the hobby survive, so make sure you post some pics of your son and yourself having fun with everything :)

The only other thing I might add is to perhaps consider using flex track. It is not quite as easy or as quick to put in place but will give you so many more options and far less restrictions. If you do go that route, then I would suggest Peco Track and Turnouts/Switches.
Click to expand...
He actually has a very small train table inside house, that he uses for his wooden trains right now which I was thinking of using to make a small track as you suggest.
 
Smudge617 said:
Welcome to the forum from across the pond.

Everyone has made excellent points and suggestions as to track type and power supply, so it's up to you to decide which works for you and your son.

I would make two suggestions depending on the actual layout design you build, I would add turnouts at either end which would allow you to "add on" or expand your layout without having to pull up the existing track work.

And secondly, you mentioned that you may want to go DCC at some point later on, in which case adding extra feeders now to accommodate DCC might be useful, (unless you intend to do a total rebuild at that point), extra feeders won't impact negatively on a DC system, but will save a ton of work later on if you do decide to change to DCC.
Click to expand...
Yes my initial intention is to build small for him and then make a bigger layout in garage when I get some room cleaned out.

Okay great knowledge. Definitely be something I’ll look into/probably do.
 
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