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Hello folks. Yesterday i was driving back from a friends house and drove past this hobby store that i have seen for the past few years but never actually went in. Well im a car nut so naturally when i spend money on collectibles its always on 1:12 scale cars. Well not this time. I fell in love with a train that was going around this little awesome looking layout in the store. They had tens of different locomotives and train sets. So today i went and purchased a basic starter set HO scale Alaska Mckinley Explorer made by bachmann. I truly love it and cant wait to purchase more track and different accessories. This looks like its going to become a very much preffered hobby!. Thanks for having me folks.
Hello and welcome aboard. And welcome to the world of HO scale modeling. There are a lot of great people here that can answer any and all questions. Since you are just starting out with a starter set, do you have a track plan in mind that you would like to build? Do you have a prototype railroad that you want to model?
Aww I'm so jealous! I've had my eye on the Mckinley Explorer ever since I saw it in boscov's! Good luck w/ your new hobby I think you will be pleased w/ that purchase for some time to come.
Hello and welcome aboard. And welcome to the world of HO scale modeling. There are a lot of great people here that can answer any and all questions. Since you are just starting out with a starter set, do you have a track plan in mind that you would like to build? Do you have a prototype railroad that you want to model?
Thank you. As of right now indont really have somethig in mind that i want to build. Im going to going to go purchase a book and get more familiar with everything.
Aww I'm so jealous! I've had my eye on the Mckinley Explorer ever since I saw it in boscov's! Good luck w/ your new hobby I think you will be pleased w/ that purchase for some time to come.
Did you get it out yet? If you did, how does it run and how is the quality of the workmanship (good details, decent rolling stock?) I have been looking to purchase one and I think I want to get one for my niece for Christmas if it is a good starter set.
Hi Diesel Guy and Welcome to the forum, glad to have you,
I'm an Old Steam guy but we all have a good time, right?
I took a look at your set, as shown on the web in the Bachman ad, which seemed to be on a fairly tight radius, and there is a lot of overhang of the cars which doesn't look that prototypical or appealing. So depending on how much space you have to work with I'd suggest at least a 24" or larger radius but again I'm into early steam and small 20" radiuses due to my space confinement.
While I know your just starting out and the Oval track plan is what seems natual to go with at first you'll soon tire of watching the train making the same Left or Right hand loop, most all of us have been through it too.
What I would highly suggest, if you have space available is to look for an 'L' shaped track plan with a loop on each end for continuous running if you desire or of course it can also be operated as a point-to-point too if desired. Also keep your track plan simple, mine is just a large oval bent into the shape of a dog bone which gives me, or you if you decide to go this route both Left and right turns to break things up as well as seperating things too. Also if you do something like I did by building an around the wall shelf layout, 'L' or otherwise, the inside line can be the lower line with the outside line being the higher which also gives more separation and oppertunity to create more operation or stations to stop at that are further apart.
The only thing I noticed with the set you got was that the engine didn't have any snow plow to it and I would think that would be standard? I imagine that is something that could always be added later.
Did you get it out yet? If you did, how does it run and how is the quality of the workmanship (good details, decent rolling stock?) I have been looking to purchase one and I think I want to get one for my niece for Christmas if it is a good starter set.
Yes sir i did open it up. I love it, for 74 bucks i really cant complain. I had bought the bachmann thoroughbreed or i think thats what it was called. I returned that one because i didnt like the look of the locomotive and the mckinley explorer because i liked the diesel engine better. I love this thing im 26 i work in one ofthe worst jails in the country and deal with murderes rapists and robbers all day so this is an awesome hobby that makes me feel like a kid all over again, i was sitting there staring at it going around the oval for 2 hours yesterday . Oh good times.
Great. Great pics, great train. There is def. some good advice about expansion on this layout. Little ovals of track get boring fast, especially if you have severe ADD like I do . You will at LEAST want to get a Bachmann expansion set, I believe it's called Your First Bachmann EZ-Track expansion pack or something like that. It includes a couple turnouts, a 90 degree crossing and a bunch of other stuff that you can use to put up an advanced layout in a very short time. I think they run like $50 to $60 bucks from what I remember. I don't use EZ-Track anymore unless I'm setting up on carpet or not gonna be nailing the track down but this pack is a great option for a quick, cool layout. I remember the days of watching a train go around an oval of track. So much fun! But Trussrod is right, for those passenger coaches you should go w/ a wider radius curves. I have a set of Spectrum 80' heavyweight coaches and they look bad even on my 22" turns so the wider the better if you have the room.
Man a whole bunch of stuff, i cant wait to get the box and tear into it. It seems like an older set from the 60s and 70s. It obviously came with no ex track but the track you have to nail down. Do you have to nail it down in order to run the train or can you just splice them together, lay it on flat ground and run the set that way??
Welcome to the forum. There's a ton of good info on here! With the track you bought on eBay, you've gotta build a layout and run it that way. The ez track is different from what you won. And coming from a fellow car guy, this hobby is more fun, I think and a little easier to afford
With the type of track you are getting, what most people do is lay down something underneath the track for roadbed (cork, foam, etc) and then put the track down on that. You should build some sort of benchwork and use that stuff to make a cool layout for your McKinley Explorer. A wintery mountain scene maybe ? If you try to lay that track down directly on the floor it will just come apart and for that reason sectional track sucks for quick layouts. But trust me, it is SO worth it to have track up any time you want it, plus your train doesn't have to sit all by it's lonesome in the box. And of course we are all here to answer questions about layout builds (and ask some if you're me!)
The old stuff could be brass track which is tough to keep clean. The nickel silver track will cause less heartache. Engine motors have improved a lot since the '60's and 70's
I would also suggest a subscription to model railroader magazine and several books from Kalmbach publications on track laying and one on scenery to start. This is a very curious world you are entering filled with really good people with big servings of OCD.
Doesn't the second part of that law say something about what your wife/significant other will allow you to have? And if that is law #1, what is law #2?
. Oh good times.
. You will at LEAST want to get a Bachmann expansion set, I believe it's called Your First Bachmann EZ-Track expansion pack or something like that. It includes a couple turnouts, a 90 degree crossing and a bunch of other stuff that you can use to put up an advanced layout in a very short time. I think they run like $50 to $60 bucks from what I remember. I don't use EZ-Track anymore unless I'm setting up on carpet or not gonna be nailing the track down but this pack is a great option for a quick, cool layout. I remember the days of watching a train go around an oval of track. So much fun! But Trussrod is right, for those passenger coaches you should go w/ a wider radius curves. I have a set of Spectrum 80' heavyweight coaches and they look bad even on my 22" turns so the wider the better if you have the room.
