"New" to trains - O or HO?

[pologuy]

Hi everyone!

I am finally making my foray into a model train!

I had a quite extensive model train set-up when I was young and always wanted to get back into it - now I am!

I am looking to start by purchasing one to go under the Christmas tree.

I just started looking on the internet today and went to a relatively knowledgeable hobby store with an extensive train selection.

Ok, so my questions:

Are there any advantages of O over HO or vise-versa? The person at the store said it was just a personal preference.

I was originally looking at the Lionel Polar Express train set... But the engine really didn't have all that much "detail work" to it, from what I could see through the box...

I REALLY like the Lionel Santa Fe 2-10-10-2:

http://www.lionel.com/visionline/registration.html#/nav/products/steamengines/santafe3000

But at $1800 for just the engine and tender, that is a little much...

He then showed me a Athearn Genesis HO 4-8-8-4 Big Boy/Weather, UP #4007 [ATHG97221]:

http://www.athearn.com/ProdInfo/LargeImages/ATHG97221.jpg

VERY NICE!

Although I really don't care for the "weathered" look...

Now the Lionel Polar Express is O and the Athearn is HO...

I am looking for an all black train and track that will be approx. 72" round...

Anyone have any other ideas?

Any input would be GREATLY appreciated!

Thanks as always!

 

[Selector]

Hi, and welcome. You got some pretty solid advice from the guys at the LHS (local hobby shop). It is very much a personal decision because there is so much to take into account if you want to be enjoying your hobby in a year's time...either that or unloading it on an e-auction.

The O gauge toy trains are robust and easily handled...and their details, if they have much in the way of details, are more easily seen. The more expensive scale items, and brass, cost mega bucks. And they are very finely detailed. Kids would be better off with the toy market stuff, Christmas Polar Express and that sort of thing. You, with an older child, would be fine with the finer 1:47 scale items, but they do separate you from your money.

Ho scale tends to be a scale where more attention is paid to realism..although it has a wide range of enthusiasts that include just zipping 'em along and having a blast on a sheet of plywood. The finer details are harder to see as you age. Many of us gravitate to S or even O scales as we enter our 60's.

You can get more 'railroad' into a given space in HO scale, although there is a tendency to go a bit wild and literally shoe-horn as much track as you can into it. Hardly ever the right thing to do. O gauge track has tighter turns as necessary, but that makes them look a little more toy-like to some of us.

Crandell

 

[pologuy]

Hi, and welcome. You got some pretty solid advice from the guys at the LHS (local hobby shop). It is very much a personal decision because there is so much to take into account if you want to be enjoying your hobby in a year's time...either that or unloading it on an e-auction.

The O gauge toy trains are robust and easily handled...and their details, if they have much in the way of details, are more easily seen. The more expensive scale items, and brass, cost mega bucks. And they are very finely detailed. Kids would be better off with the toy market stuff, Christmas Polar Express and that sort of thing. You, with an older child, would be fine with the finer 1:47 scale items, but they do separate you from your money.

Ho scale tends to be a scale where more attention is paid to realism..although it has a wide range of enthusiasts that include just zipping 'em along and having a blast on a sheet of plywood. The finer details are harder to see as you age. Many of us gravitate to S or even O scales as we enter our 60's.

You can get more 'railroad' into a given space in HO scale, although there is a tendency to go a bit wild and literally shoe-horn as much track as you can into it. Hardly ever the right thing to do. O gauge track has tighter turns as necessary, but that makes them look a little more toy-like to some of us.

Crandell

Thank you very much for the reply!

Yes, I really like the price of the Lionel Polar Express, lol...

But, as stated, it did not have much "detail" and it looked more like a "toy"... and not a model train... to me anyway...

Are there any other trains that have the detail of the Lionel Santa Fe 2-10-10-2, in a O specifically or HO, that don' cost an arm and a leg?

http://www.lionel.com/visionline/registration.html#/nav/products/steamengines/santafe3000

I REALLY like the price of the Athearn Genesis HO 4-8-8-4 Big Boy/Weather, UP #4007 at $275.00 - but am not too crazy about the "weathering" effect...

http://www.athearn.com/ProdInfo/LargeImages/ATHG97221.jpg

Again, any input would be GREATLY appreciated!

Thanks as always!

 

[galaxy]

It all depends on your personal preference and what you are wanting to do.
You say you want an under-the-tree 72" train run. If you have a full size tree, O gauge would show up better. If you have a table top tree, HO would be fine.
ANY train "set"...O,HO or N is going to be cheaper and have less detail than the "good stuff", which, naturally, costs more and in O guage can get up there in the thousands of bucks, but in HO can still run you hundreds of bucks.
If you have young children or pets who will be around a full sized tree layout on the floor, you might really want to stay with the cheaper sets. They can be hard on trains.
Also do you just want a ring or oval of train, or do you want to develop a whole layout?
If you want the whole layout deal, then you have to decide which will give you the best layout you want. If you just want a Thomas Kincade style "Cottage village" around your train, then you would want the size train to go with it and have a "cheaper set up". If you want a detailed village to proper scale, again it is what you want personally and what size will look best under the tree.
HAve I confused you? I hope not.
________
LovelyWendie99