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 Posted - April 05 2013 : 06:01:32 AM
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Hello everyone,
I'm new to this forum, just joined a few minutes ago. I have been lurking around for a little while, and decided to join. I have been active in this wonderful hobby since my childhood in the 1980's, when my dad built a HO scale 4x8 foot layout. I would have been about 8 or 9 years old, when he built it. It had the typical code 100 brass track, don't remember the brand, but probably a mixture of brands, if I remember correctly. The layout had a few locomotives and some freight cars from Tyco, Bachmann, Life-Like, AHM, Model Power, etc. Also had some of the Tyco and Bachmann operating accessories, buildings, etc. That layout is long gone, nothing remains from it. It remained for a few years during the 1980's, until my dad replaced it with a slot car layout, with the old style TycoPro HO track made in the 1960's. But I wanted to keep the trains, which I enjoyed much more then the slot cars, lol. Anyway, I still have the enjoyable memories of that model train layout, hence my reason to join here.
Later in my later teen and early adult years, I remember going thru some old boxes in the basement, and "finding" all those old trains I used to have. I still had most the trains, freight cars, track, Tyco powerpack, and a few magazines. One day just browsing, I decided to purchase a new Life-Like 0-4-0 steam switcher at Toys 'R' US. That was about 20 years ago, around the time I graduated from high school. Later I would purchase some new magazines (Model Railroader), and started to visit my local hobby shops, and picked up some Athearn locos and freight cars, MDC brand freight cars, and Atlas nickle silver track. In the past 20 years, I have also experimented with N scale, O scale Lionel, even HO scale Marklin. I have decided to sell all my other stuff (it's mostly N scale trains) and focus on just HO scale.
I don't currently have a layout, and have no plans to build one right now. I live in an apartment and might need to move later this year, or next year. I don't know yet. Once I get settled, I hope to build a small switching layout. I have not settled on any of the details yet (I'm contemplating between code 100 or 83; DC or DCC, etc). I know I'll be using equipment made from various brands, some of it brand new, and some of it might be 50 years old. For those of you with older equipment, with the taller flange profile, what type of track do you guys operate on? Is code 83 reliable for you, or should I stay with code 100?
I also need to make a decision, if I want to stay with plain DC control, or try DCC. I have a couple MRC Tech II power packs, and they work great. I have never used DCC, it would be very new to me.
I prefer reliable and dependable stuff, stuff I can fix myself. Sometimes I'm afraid to even pick up a new locomotive at the hobbyshop, fearing something will break on it. The detailing on the new diesels (Proto 2000, Atlas, Kato, Athearn Genesis, Broadway Limited, etc) is so much nicer then the clunky details of my childhood trains, but I wish the details were not so fragile. I'd rather have those sturdy metal railings on the Blue Box Athearn locos, compared to the thin and flimsy plastic stuff I see now. And I certainly enjoy hearing a sound equipped loco, when my local hobby shop is testing a locomotive for a customer, with Tsunami sound decoders. I like the features, when it's working properly. But I would hate to purchase it myself, and then burn up the expensive decoder, when the loco derails on a turnout and shorts out. Or wait 3-6 months for a MTH loco to be sent back (to China??) to be fixed. That is a long time to wait.
It's something I need to think about. Do I stay with the more reliable and dependable DC block control, but with all the extra wiring for multiple trains? Or do I go with the simpler wiring, and more advanced features of DCC, knowing full well that DCC is more vulnerable to electrical problems. Decisions, decisions.
Howard
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Posted - April 05 2013 : 09:01:55 AM
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Welcome aboard Howard!!
I am currently without a layout myself, due to time and space constraints. I am building a 4-room addition and when done, I may start on a layout then. Not sure if I will stay married long enough for that however...
I will build a DCC layout someday however...
Sean
"If everything seems under control, you're not going fast enough!" - Mario Andretti!
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Posted - April 06 2013 : 6:11:37 PM
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Hi, Howard. Welcome aboard the Tyco Forum! Glad to see you saving your childhood trains, and giving them a 2nd chance. If you're going to be on a tight budget, I'd stick with regular DC engines, and Code 100 track for hassle-free operations. I WOULD invest in the newer nickel steel track, and ditch any old brass track you have, it's not worth the constant cleaning required. A minimal DCC starter setup will run you about $400-550 depending on what you want to do with it. For a small layout, where you won't likely be running multiple engines on the mainline, DC will work fine. Since I operate my engines in a club with DCC ( although I didn't have it at home ), I decided to invest in a system since I'm up to about 10 engines with Decoders, and need to be able to program them at home, as often the Club programmer is broken. I got frustrated trying to switch my engine addresses and being stuck with the same factory settings. You can also buy DCC engines and run them on straight DC with no problems, by the way, if you really like the newer detailing. The biggest draw to DCC nowadays is that you can sound-equip them for realistic steam and diesel horns and sounds, from whistles to brakes to chugging. Depends on how much all that means to you $$$ wise.  Anyway, I too have my childhood Tyco / Bachmann / Life-Like / AHM / misc trains to play with as well. I put a 4 x 4 oval over my stairwell ( only available space ) as a test loop layout. No details, just some track and tools.  Good luck on your move and future layout, whatever shape or form it may take. Post some pictures of your vintage stuff when you can, we all like looking at the "old stuff" . if you're limited on space, you can probably make a door-hung layout that stays out of the way, but you can pull it down and set it up quickly. I also was designing a behind-the-couch type layout, which would fold up onto the wall, with a big picture on the bottom, then you could fold it down over the couch to operate when you wanted. Haven't done anything with that idea, I'm now designing an outdoor deck HO layout that will hang off the outside of the railings, and I can play with it, then take it down and put it in the garage when I'm done. Hope to get some of that done this year. 
Jerry
53 and still plays with trains.
" When life throws you bananas...it's easy to slip up"
Edited by - AMC_Gremlin_GT on April 06 2013 6:16:25 PM
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Posted - April 06 2013 : 6:34:47 PM
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Welcome Howard! I wired my layout for dual cab control, and I run one of the cabs as DCC. I rarely run the DC cab but it is nice to have both - and it's nice to be able to isolate blocks from DCC when there is a problem or short.
I look forward to your posts and seeing your collection.
- Thomas
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 Posted - April 07 2013 : 12:41:51 AM
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Hi Howard1975,
Welcome aboard!
Mytyco
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Posted - April 08 2013 : 06:28:42 AM
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Thanks for the welcome guys.
I think I should have been a little more clear in my post before. I started with model trains when I was 8 or 9 years old (I'm 38 years old now). That first 4x8 foot layout only lasted a few years, because my dad was bored with the trains, and thought, I would like slot cars more. Well my dad liked slot cars more, and I have always liked model trains more. Anyway, the trains were put away in boxes. Also since my dad was always a renter, our family would be required to move, every once in a while.
About 10 years later I found those old model trains (which had been sitting unused in the boxes), and I decided to try them out, and see what still worked. Most of the locomotives still worked, some better then others. I had 3 or 4 locomotives, and between 15 - 20 freight cars. Brands were Bachmann, Life-Like, Tyco, Rivarossi, AHM, etc. And all brass track at the time.
I no longer have any of my childhood trains, those trains were given away to a neighborhood teenager (actually a friend of my brother) about 12 years ago. He had nothing and was interested in model trains, so I gave him my old stuff.
Currently I have a few pieces of O scale Lionel, G scale, and Marklin (3-rail HO), although most of my collection is in N scale. I seem to like any and all trains, lol. I like steam, diesel and trollies; old time and modern; American trains, European and Japanese trains. I just like it all, hehe. But I think it would be better for me to concentrate on a single scale, instead of having such a diverse collection.
My budget is limited, so I can't really afford DCC and other expensive stuff right now. Anyway, when I finish selling my collection of N scale, that will help me get some HO stuff I need. I don't even have a single (running) HO locomotive at this time, so I need to get something. I currently have two good power packs (both MRC Tech II), and enough fright car kits (about 20, mostly MDC and Athearn), and enough HO nickle-silver track, to get started with a small layout. I just need a locomotive.
I've owned various HO scale locomotives in the past, from makes such as Athearn (both R-T-R and Blue Box), Life-Like (both train set quality and Proto 2000), Atlas, Walthers (Trainline), Tyco, Bachmann, AHM, Rivarossi and others -- but no longer have any of it. I sold all of it, to get into N scale. Now I will be selling all my N scale trains, and fully concentrate on only HO scale, American style equipment. That is my plan anyway.
My brother does own four HO scale locomotives, he is not using. Maybe I can purchase them from him. Two are Athearn Blue Box locos (a DD40, and the U33B "Spirit of 76"), and two are AHM (both GP-18 "Spirit of 76"). I remember that three of the locomotives work, only one of the AHM GP-18's has a burned out motor.
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