Hello from Texas


Once you have something running - I can almost guarantee you that you and your son will want to/need to make it bigger :)

Okay so now for a reality check - everything said thus far is pretty much spot on; however, bigger is NOT always better, in fact n this hobby it can be a down right soul destroyer when it comes to managing it. maintaining it, and so forth. Build something that is manageable for both you and your son to control - don't build something for 20 people to run if there will only ever be 2 or 3 people running it :)

Anyway, I stand by what I said when I said you will want something bigger and more interesting to "play with" once you have something up and running - just have fun with whatever you do 👍
 
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NorthBrit said:
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
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Thank you for your words!

He will definitely be in charge, as he is already the boss in his own eyes. Haha

Definitely agree, I’m prime example. I loved trains when I was younger, I think I enjoy them more now.

Agreed, I’m looking forward to getting it built and us to be able to spend time working on them together and making a nice layout.
 
Welcome nameless Texan! 'm sure that your head is about ready to explode!
Tremendous bunch of guys here that will build you a clock if you ask them for the time LOL :D
FYI, I'm about 1,400 miles West of Dallas! 😁 - but I have kin near the coast!
We like pictures of anything too: wifes, girlfriends, kids, pets, and even 1:1 trains!
Enjoy the forum - what age is your "little" engineer? Opps, I see that you answered already.
 
TXTrains89 said:
Yeah, I see that already. Right now when we go to a local club he usually will stay at one area to see the trains come so I think I could make a small/medium one to last for a while until he determines it needs to be bigger.
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Ah! The time comes to want a bigger layout.
I agree with Tony (Wombat) bigger is not neccessarily better. As mentioned, maintenance of a large layout can be (and often is) a soul destroyer.

I am not saying 'not to extend', if you do keep the trackwork simple. The same track plan to a small layout that you enjoy with extended running lines works well.

Whatever you do, have a layout a solo operator can run comfortably (small, medium or large layout). As I agree with Willie (santafewillie), paying attention to one train running is enough. imo.

David
 
NorthBrit said:
Whatever you do, have a layout a solo operator can run comfortably (small, medium or large layout).
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1000% in agreeance - and I know you will enjoy the layout more :)

Just quickly, I started out with an 8' X 4' HO sectional layout, and it was fun, my first so I was excited just to have a train running. Then I joined this place - what a mistake that was! I saw all of the possibilities and potential for a layout and what could be done - darn I thought to myself - what am I doing with this little 8' X 4' thing when I could have - heck a 9' X 5" ?????? So I added an additional 8' to the 8' X 4' and built my second layout.

I then stumbled across this thing called N Scale ... hmmm, smaller stuff - thinking thinking thinking - got it!! Smaller stuff in the same area means a lot more stuff and prospects - heck yeah!!!!!!! So I ripped up my (then third layout I think) added an extra 6' X 4" to the end of the bench work and put in my first N Scale!

Thankfully, I have run out of room in my Train Room so no more expansions, but I think you get my point. It is all too easy to get carried away and end up with a mess and a whole lot of frustration. As many have already said - keep it manageable and it will remain enjoyable :)
 
Welcome to the Forum!

First and foremost, have fun, enjoy whatever you enjoy most and dont let anyone put you off. This is a great forum, very friendly and its filled with people of all skill levels and abilities, so if you have any questions, no matter how silly they may seem, ask away.

One piece of advice I'd like to offer is keep things simple until you fully understand them. There are so many ways of doing things from laying track to painting backscenes that its so easy to get caught up in the minute detail, losing track of the reason we model - to have fun and escape from the real world.
 
Thank you for all the kind words and advice, without a doubt I don’t want to over complicate it. My intention is to make a medium size set up but keeping it simple not go to complex with it.

I work in construction, so my son likes excavators, dump trucks, firefighters, and police. So I’m going to include some of those when I build the layout, and probably try to do a small scene or something close to it, sodor from Thomas the Tank Engine, who my son absolutely loves.

Which that’s another purchase going to make is getting a couple HO scale Thomas the thank engines trains.
 
TXTrains89 said:
I work in construction, so my son likes excavators, dump trucks, firefighters, and police. So I’m going to include some of those when I build the layout, and probably try to do a small scene or something close to it, sodor from Thomas the Tank Engine, who my son absolutely loves.
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Construction equipment makes great flat carloads too. He may like something like that as well!
 
Welcome to the forums TXTrains89! Good to see a fellow Texan here (I'm in the Ft. Worth area). I'm a beginner model railroader and I'm using Bachmann's EZ Track with the gray roadbed (Nickel silver) for my layout after getting a starter set with black roadbed track. Definitely check out a local train/hobby store for track, but I've also found online via a dedicated train store (Modeltrainstuff, Trainworld, Yankee Dabbler, etc) may have a better deal. Shipping isn't as bad if you need to get a bunch like I did when I started out. Unless there's no other way to get it, Amazon probably will be more expensive.
 
Hey everyone sorry haven’t been to active lately been busy with work, finally got some time off and went to a local train club, and filled out an application so hopefully able to join it and help my son grow his love for trains and be able to build up my collection some as well.
 
TXTrains89,
Welcome aboard! I am sure you will enjoy your time here. We have a great bunch of guys on this forum. A word of caution about expanding beyond DC. I realize you aren't at that juncture, yet. However, there have been quite a few changes in train control. The advice you got on using a MRC controller is spot on. I do not believe there are any better controllers for DC. If you decide, at some point in the future, that you want a better system for model train control, make sure you explore "all" the new systems. Good luck in your endeavors. Glenn
 
wombat457 said:
Once you have something running - I can almost guarantee you that you and your son will want to/need to make it bigger :)

Okay so now for a reality check - everything said thus far is pretty much spot on; however, bigger is NOT always better, in fact n this hobby it can be a down right soul destroyer when it comes to managing it. maintaining it, and so forth. Build something that is manageable for both you and your son to control - don't build something for 20 people to run if there will only ever be 2 or 3 people running it :)

Anyway, I stand by what I said when I said you will want something bigger and more interesting to "play with" once you have something up and running - just have fun with whatever you do 👍
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@wombat457 Lol! Gee....ya think? Yeah, when I was building the current (portable and lightweight) 3' x 6' N-scale layout for my nephew about...good golly...ten or even twelve years back (time flies, right?), he only demanded I shoehorn the grandeur of all the Colorado Rockies into that small footprint. Thank god he didn't also want the Bitterroots too. Or Donner Pass.

Re your second point, re maintenance: Yes, you have to maintain it too. In the real world Sperry is the company that scans rails for cracks and other problems. But they don't have to clean them.....

Modelers don't (yet?) have a Sperry svc, (at least not one we can typically afford) , so we use solvents and abrasive erasers mounted under cabeese or flatcars, etc. to keep our rails clean enough they can still conduct electricity. So, and yes....those 2-3 people will quickly become "just you" when too much maintenance takes over running trains.

[Heck...it can take you over too if it's too hard, too often that you have to clean things up enough to get them working well enough to actually run the trains. This is more difficult in the small scales like Z or N too, than in the larger scales like HO or S or O, where weight of the models themselves can help you]
 
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