How to return to model railroad after 40 years


ghost

New Member
Hi,

When i was a kid in the early 70's, i used to have a Fleischmann H0 railroad, sold since long. I've noticed an interest with my kids, and was thinking of starting all over again. But when i look now there's tons of brands, digital and analog, and I'm just getting confused. My question is, where to start? I do have many hobbies that eat on the budget, so cost is a factor (second hand is certainly an option).

Thanks,
Mike
 
Yes, it's a time of great choice in the model railroad hobby, probably the greatest there has ever been. Will depend on what you hope to achieve with your layout and how much room you have to build it in, so many variables to consider. Some expansion on what you would like would be helpful. Oh, and welcome to the best forum on the web.

The question you need to ask yourself is not so much, "Where do I start?", but "What sort of layout do I want to finish up with?", Then you will be able to look for the where to start with an aim in mind.
 
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restarting can be SO confusing. Decide what scale 1st. then is there still a local hobby shop near you, go visit, and look around. After you decide. check out local organizations/clubs/NMRA and magazines. Lots of info on youtube also! Then when all set, purchase a starter RR that has DCC (Digital Command and Control).
You do not want analog!. Make sure starter set has track that has plastic balast base so you can set it up anywhere to start. You get to see if your kids like it or not. Then you can put somthing more permanent together. All my 2 cents but you will enjoy. Regards and have fun, Tommy (then support your LHS)
 
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I too just returned to the hobby after 30 years. I switched from H0 to N-scale to be able to build a larger layout. I first bought the very same locos and rolling stock that I had in my early 20s, but in N-scale: I immediately bought five used Southern Pacific GP35s on eBay, and 11 Railbox cars new from Model Train Stuff. These are the same locos and rolling stock I had in H0 in my 20s, and what saw when growing up.

Do you have a favorite roadname?
Do you have a favorite era?
Do you have a favorite industry?

Growing up in Southern California, I like Southern Pacific and am modeling the mid-1990s. Most of my locos are GP35-series and SD40/45-series locos, plus a few SD60s. My most modern loco is an AC4400 (built from 1993-2004) which is still within my era's time-frame. I also grew up near a Chevron oil refinery in El Segundo, California, so I bought some Walthers' oil derricks and a bunch Tomytec oil refinery stuff. I also just bought two new-in-the-box Walthers' North Island Oil refinery kits on eBay for less than they sell for new.
 
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Buying on eBay:

Although I buy a lot of new stuff, I buy a lot of NOS (new old-stock) and used locos and rolling stock on eBay since many of my preferred roadnames are no longer in production. There's a HUGE used market of stuff on eBay. If you don't see it this week, wait a month and it''ll likely show up. I've bought a TON of stuff on eBay and only had two sellers kind of cheat me (the car was broken and they weren't willing to credit what I thought it was worth, though they did do a partial credit). Other than just those two incidents, every other seller has been honest, and for the most part really great.
 
Mike - Welcome to the forum. Lots of knowledge here and the most friendliest folks as well. Tell us a little more about your modeling interestd and you will get a barrage of responses. Join us in the Coffee Shop sometime and get to know us.

Willie
 
Per Ghost: "When i was a kid in the early 70's, i used to have a Fleischmann H0 railroad, sold since long. I've noticed an interest with my kids, and was thinking of starting all over again. But when i look now there's tons of brands, digital and analog, and I'm just getting confused. My question is, where to start? I do have many hobbies that eat on the budget, so cost is a factor (second hand is certainly an option)".

I started my layout 29 years ago because my two boys showed an interest. Having always been involved in some type of modeling activity, I thought this would be a good thing for my boys to get into. They've been out of the house now since the turn of the millennia and I am still very interested in the hobby. There is no secret to getting back into the hobby, just do it! I would recommend starting with Direct Current (DC); or, Analog as many call it now. It is the simplest way to get started and pretty easy to understand how it works. I ran my layout for the first 10 years as DC, however, I had always been interested the Dyna-Troll types of control systems that was available back when I got into model railroading. Around 1990; or so, Digital Command Control (DCC) came on the market and it didn't take me long to make the change. You can, if desired, jump right into DCC, this would simply be your choice. If you think DCC might be your choice, you need to educate yourself, by reading about DCC, before you make the plunge.

The ridiculous nature of this hobby is that you will start out with minimal knowledge about the subject and will need to make all kinds of decisions about stuff that you really need more information about, to make a good, educated guess. This is what we all must do, so relax, it seems to work out.

You also need to know that some people will try to educate you and it can be akin to drinking water from a fire hydrant! The information comes way too fast and there is way too much of it.

I am willing to help you and if you have questions, feel free to PM me.
 



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