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The other suggestions are good. I think you may want O gauge like Lionel, Wiliams and others for small fingers that might get frustrated and for cars that stay on the track better. It could be good to start with a Tomy THomas the Tank set to see how the interest will be. Battery powered and simple track and not moving to quickly speed wise. You can find them at dept. stores. Plus you have some things for sale the you could assemble with the track secured to see how it goes. Just some thoughts. Originally posted by Alco Fan - February 16 2013 :  11:35:59 AM

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HO means Half O Originally posted by microbusss - February 16 2013 :  1:44:07 PM

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An Athearn F7 is probably one of the most rugged and reliable engines out there. If you wanted something like that tourist train, an Athearn F7 and some IHC/Rivarossi/AHM or Con-Cor cars would be a good stand-in without breaking the bank. If Rocco just likes watching the train run at this point, keep switches on the mainline to a minimum. Unless you're planning a switching layout, turnouts generally just cause derailments (in my experience anyway) Happy railroading! Originally posted by DaCheez - February 16 2013 :  6:39:06 PM

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Okay so switches is where the track has a split right? I'm sorry, my ignorance is showing! What if turnout radius is bigger allowing for a less sharp turn, does that help them stay on the track? Or additional weight bars? Can you even do that? And what about the couplers? I've been looking at them for 3 months now and they just seem so fragile...would the couplers be able to handle the drag of extra weight...would a loco? I'm sorry, that was a lot of run-on questions. :)

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[quote]HO means Half O Originally posted by microbusss - February 16 2013 :  1:44:07 PM

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Thank you for being so patient with me. I have a lot of questions! Like how are the switches controlled with DC? I'm assuming that DCC boxes have menus and you can control each switch separately? Can you run a program where you set the switches to operate at a given time...like set it and walk away, or do you have to control them manually on the switch board? I understand the logistics of DCC which is why (in spite of the cost) I'm leaning towards using one, but the set-up is intimidating for the electrically challenged. How does DC work? The old power packs I have only have a dial control...I'm guessing to control voltage regulation but what about the switches and accessories that are powered. Do they all have to have separate packs? Can you fry the components? I'm sorry if this is all elementary. Originally posted by Zombievickers - February 16 2013 :  8:04:53 PM

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And there are different types of couplers. It's something to watch out for when purchasing rolling stock (train cars). Typical TYCO and AHM stuff like you sold on here earlier had the talgo "death grip" couplers. They work well,won't break unless you drop the car. The Kadee's look like miniature replicas of couplers you would see on full size freight cars. Even though they look fragile , they hold up to normal usage. BUT, the two styles are not compatible. I have a combination freight car: a talgo on one end and a kadee on the other so I can run cars with different type couplers on the same train. Keep throwing out the questions, we'll try not to overwhelm you with the answers. Originally posted by NC shortlines - February 16 2013 :  8:06:24 PM

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Thanks!! One of my Tyco "mounted" sample cars had a different set of couplers on it. They looked like coke can tabs almost. Just a curved piece of nickle basically. All the others look alike so I'm guessing those are the talgos? The black plastic ones that almost look like a trailer hitch with a loop and stake instead of a ball? I've never seen a real train coupler up close. As a matter of fact I've never seen a real train except for the CSX line here in Lincolnton, and I went on the Grand Canyon 4960 but I was REALLY young. It's pathetic, I know. I want to go on a train, but not an amtrak. I'm going to take Rock up to tweetsie when they bring Thomas back in the spring. :D

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If HO is what you choose get a base MRC transformer will do the job even if you run Tycos etc. Originally posted by Alco Fan - February 16 2013 :  8:18:31 PM

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The term "talgo" refers to the coupler being mounted to a car's truck (wheel set) rather than being mounted to the body of the car. Originally posted by DaCheez - February 16 2013 :  8:36:11 PM

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quote: If HO is what you choose get a base MRC transformer will do the job even if you run Tycos etc. Originally posted by Alco Fan - February 16 2013 :  8:18:31 PM What is an MRC transformer?? Originally posted by Zombievickers - February 16 2013 :  8:43:20 PM

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About track: It's my opinion not to buy brass track. It's really inexpensive, you can buy boxes of the stuff for a few bucks. I only use nickel silver. Some folks don't have a problem with brass track, saying it's no different than nickel as far as keeping clean to conduct electricity. Train shows: When purchasing a locomotive: run it on a test track before purchasing. Every train show that I"ve been to has a test track set up. The person selling the train will in most cases allow you to walk off with his loco so that you can test run it. Don't expect to be allowed to do this with a Broadway Limited 4-6-6-4 steamer or such. I was in Cherryville just a couple of weeks ago. Went to the Carolina Trucking museum. Originally posted by NC shortlines - February 16 2013 :  8:35:45 PM

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Is that where the power originates when running from the pack? Kind of like a trolley almost where the power courses through the track once it's made contact? Originally posted by Zombievickers - February 16 2013 :  8:41:41 PM

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Sounds like a loop and hook coupler...they were popular pre-1960's. The couplers on the cars you were selling are called "horn hooks" or "X2F's". The term "talgo" refers to the coupler being mounted to a car's truck (wheel set) rather than being mounted to the body of the car. Originally posted by DaCheez - February 16 2013 :  8:36:11 PM

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..... As far as the train show goes...there's no way I am going into the lion's den alone. I would have a panic attack on the spot. I'm easily overwhelmed. I would need to take someone train savvy with me, I may ask my mom's BF if he wants to go. He's a collector but has never done anything with his totes and totes and totes of stock. I'm actually about to help him turn his adult daughter's old room into a layout room and do different scenic murals on the walls so he can butt his layout board against a different wall for a different scene :) Originally posted by Zombievickers - February 16 2013 :  8:51:42 PM

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quote: Is that where the power originates when running from the pack? Kind of like a trolley almost where the power courses through the track once it's made contact? Originally posted by Zombievickers - February 16 2013 :  8:41:41 PM That's basically it. Originally posted by NC shortlines - February 16 2013 :  8:53:19 PM

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I don't know anything about track...AT ALL. I have seen posts here and there about locking track, brass track, nickel track, etc. but it's pretty much all greek to me.

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And the ones that do move are obviously the talgo. It seems to me that cars that have talgo couplers would work better on a track with a tighter turnout radius, is that right? So NONE of the different couplers work together? Can you switch them out to allow your rolling stock with mismatched couplers to run together? Originally posted by Zombievickers - February 16 2013 :  8:57:38 PM

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If it's an open current running through the whole track then you obviously run a risk of electrical shock...is it strong?

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quote: If it's an open current running through the whole track then you obviously run a risk of electrical shock...is it strong? Not at all. I touch my track all the time when trains are running and I've never been shocked. Originally posted by DaCheez - February 16 2013 :  9:14:39 PM

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As far as track goes, there are three types of metal that have been used for rails: brass, steel, and nickel (there may be others, but those are the big 3). Brass tarnishes and steel rusts. Nickel is pretty much the standard these days and is also the most easily maintained. "Locking track" basically has the rails mounted to a chunk of plastic that's made to resemble roadbed/ballast (the gravel you see along train tracks) and has some form of plastic tabs at each end, allowing two pieces of track to be snapped/locked together. It's good for floor running and people who don't want to put a whole lot of effort and glue into track laying (not trying to put anyone down here!!!) Standard track sections just have the rails mounted to plastic ties (the wooden beams that are underneath train tracks). Then there is Code 83 and Code 100 track. Every piece of track you get has a code. The code just refers to the height of the rails. Code 83 track has smaller rails which look more prototypical, while code 100 rails are slightly over-sized and work better with older trains which have larger wheels. Originally posted by DaCheez - February 16 2013 :  9:10:12 PM

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You can replace the couplers with different styles. It can be very tedious. Yes, the talgo mounted are done that way for tighter turn radius track. This hobby, like many hobbies, has a great depth of variety and intricacies. But, it can be kept simple. Don't let all this foreign terminology bother you. The folks you met here on the forum are the same kind of folks you'll meet at a train show. You'll see quite a few moms there shopping for their kids and humoring their hubbies. If you don't know.. just ask. Ask someone there selling trains: "Can I see an example of a horn-hook coupler?" "What does a Kadee coupler look like?" "Do you like to use brass track?" These guys love to talk about model trains or introduce someone to the hobby. If you get anything other than a cordial response, I will be shocked. Originally posted by NC shortlines - February 16 2013 :  9:10:24 PM

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So nickel huh? Okay. I'll look into it. What about flex track? And if it's glued down permanently, how do you expand?

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quote: If HO is what you choose get a base MRC transformer will do the job even if you run Tycos etc. Originally posted by Alco Fan - February 16 2013 :  8:18:31 PM What is an MRC transformer?? Originally posted by Zombievickers - February 16 2013 :  8:43:20 PM

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I would like to recommend another source of information ...http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/ This site provides forums & blogs and also covers several scales (HO,O, S, etc)... as well as a monthly free online magazine. The folks there are fairly well behaved, almost as good as the folks here. Originally posted by cicsos2 - February 17 2013 :  10:26:34 PM

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I run a 4x8 layout currently (see pics in this section under 4x8 layout) Originally posted by royal blue - February 17 2013 :  11:09:58 PM

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Really good advice here so far... and I don't want to muddle or contradict anything, since you're getting a good education. However, I recommend you immediately search out a copy of the book Small Railroads You Can Build, published by Kalmbach (Model Railroader) in the late 90's. Here's an Amazon link, looks like you can get it used and shipped for under 10 bucks: http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0890242259/ref=dp_olp_0?ie=UTF8&condition=all Anyway, this book is a wonderful primer into everything about model railroading, in describing the construction of layouts in multiple scales from N through O, in spaces about about 4x8 or so. In addition to multiple scales, multiple eras and themes are covered so you get lots of ideas. All the conceptual basics of Benchwork, wiring (including basic DCC), and scenery techniques are covered. In addition plenty of contextual sidebars covering some of the hobby's many niches like selecting rolling stock, detailing locomotives and structures, custom painting, weathering, kitbashing, etc etc etc are all covered. So in this way you can kind of mix-and-match concepts and see how they apply - but ultimately you can choose what you prefer. My layout is based on one of the articles in that book, although I modified the scenery quite a bit. As for the technical minutiae about couplers and track codes and such, you're already in the right place for that :) I will say that new track has become shockingly expensive of late, so it may be tempting to buy used - especially brass because people almost give that crap away. Because it IS crap. Don't go cheap on the literal foundation of your fun. But, remember a lot of what you "think" you "need to know" will be determined by what you actually try to do and use, and like everything in life you can't know all the answers until you know which questions are relevant... and you don't know which to ask until you start getting your hands dirty... ...my point is: don't obsess and overthink things here, yet. Build your nice table like you were describing, bust out one of those Bachmann sets you haven't sold yet (heck, you don't even need to build a table for that right now), set it up, get it running, and see where it takes you. It's amazing how tangible objects can reveal where you want to go and what makes sense - what's important - more than written words. Have fun with it and keep us posted...! Originally posted by spiderj76 - February 18 2013 :  12:46:23 AM