I was trying to find a Christmas gift for my 8 year old son and was browsing online and discovered that Hobby Lobby has an online coupon only good till December 22nd for 40% off on any item in the store except a few custom things they do. I printed it out and went to the store and bought a train set that was selling for $169.99 for only $100 plus tax:tb-ooh:! I went with an HO set because they seemed to have a wider selection of things to add to the train set up later. Here is the link for those that might want to check it out but hurry because it is only good till friday!http://www.hobbylobby.com/site3/weekly/coupon.cfm The set I bought is the Backmann Digital Commander Train Set with DCC. It comes with two locomotives and looks like it is a great deal at the price I got it for. Just thought I'd share the tip on the boards... By the way...I can't wait till next week to set this up...this is going to be so much fun and I can tell the wife its Father/Son time and get brownie points too.:tb-biggrin: Any tips on what to do on the first day with a train set and what to avoid would be great...We don't have a set up of course being our first train so I guess I need to go to home depot and get some wood...I don't even know what size lol...oh boy this is going to be interesting...the train set comes with: "47" x 38" oval of E-Z Track, including 12 pieces curved track, 1 piece straight track, and 1 terminal rerailer". How big a piece of wood would I need to set this up? Anyway any info is appreciated...I can't wait...tic toc tic toc.. Merry Christmas!
Welcome to Trainboard! I'm not that familiar with HO or that set, but I'd suggest something along the line of 48 x 48. I'm sure someone will come along with more detailed suggestions.
Welcome to TrainBoard!!!!!!! My first layout was setup and torn down often right on the basement floor. I later worked towards having a 4x8 board that I could attach the track to for faster setup and could put away quicker. Later I got a corner in the basement to setup a more permanent layout that was about 12x8 but I went off to collage before it got very far and was torn down. What I'm saying is take it slow and let the kid be a kid and be a kid yourself and enjoy this time together. I still run my O Gauge set on various XMas's on a 4x8 with the Tree stand sitting in the loop. It's a great place to start with a youngster by keeping it simple and fun...
Did I pick the right scale? After reading more on these boards I'm wondering if I picked the right scale. It seems everyone is going to N. They only had a couple of cheap N trains at the store and one full set with like added items so that is why I went with HO. Is it easy to get N stuff online(because the store had few N items.). Should I go exchange the train...I have until friday if I need to and still use a coupon.
N scale offers more railroading in a given space than HO. HO has a lot more equipment available but N scale is not far behind. Hobby Lobby won't have the best selection, regardless of scale. There are plenty of online hobby shops that will have much better selections. The main consideration of scale may be your son's ability to handle the smaller and more delicate N scale items. Just getting them on the rails properly is sometimes difficult for younger ones. Two of my grandsons are 5 and 3 years old. They are a little to young to handle N scale and the youngest is still in a "pick it up and throw it" stage. NOT good for ANY scale! LOL In a few years, they may be better able to use N scale. Then I'll just give them my old layout and a few old locos and cars. You got a good price on the HO set. Why not wait and see how well your son enjoys the trains. It's not too big of an investment and will provide him with experience. If he really enjoys trains, re-starting in N scale is possible, especially if you want more railroading in a given space. For just starting out, your local building center should have 1/2" or 5/8" plywood pre-cut to 4' x4'. That's all you'll need for the track you have, but you might consider getting a full 4' x 8' sheet so you'll have room for expansion (NOBODY starts small and STAYS small! LOL). Let us know how your Christmas turns out! I'll bet your son's eyes will light up! Darrell, quiet...for now
HO has many advantages and I think you did really well! I actually just purchased a switch track at Hobby Lobby and was really surprised that they were on sale...had no idea the sale was on! Anyway, I think the guys here are right, go with a 4 x 8 sheet of plywood (get a good thickness so it won't warp) because I garauntee that VERY soon you will want to expand the oval by adding switches and more track. I also recommend looking at the "Layout" forum for tips and ideas. Before you know it there will be buildings and scenery and you guys will have a layout. Also, I agree with earlier comments of taking it slow. My 11 and 5 year old boys are my "partners in crime" when it comes to model railroading and no matter what we are working on the most important aspect of it is that we are spending quality time together. Good luck and have LOTS of fun! J
MR Review of Bachman DCC Trainset Here is a link to a video review Model Railroader did for the Bachman DCC trainset. Model Railroader Magazine - Model Railroading, Trains, Track Plans - Bachmann 00501 Santa Fe Digital Commander train set They also reviewed a few other sets too. Model Railroader Magazine - Model Railroading, Trains, Track Plans - Train set video demonstrations
Ty so much for the input. I think my son would have a hard time with the N scale sizes so I will keep this set and start HO. Ty so much for the review video link. We watched it and I could see his eyes widen as the two trains moved on the track. This is going to be one great Christmas morning...guess I'll have to go to bed early so Santa can get here fast
NOOOO! Please don't start another of those threads Seriously, Trainboard has about twice the number of N user members as HO users, but that is not neccessarily (in fact almost certainly not) representative of the hobby in general. There may be more (say) Ford drivers in the world, but that doesn't mean a Skoda isn't the right car (auto) for you. And like cars, people often change a few times during their lifetime :embarassed: As said above - enjoy what you have for now and change in a few months or years if you feel it really isn't right for you.
Check your local HOBBY LOBBY AD in the local newspaper. There is almost always a 40% discount coupon someplace in the ad. The ads will come out every couple of weeks. Usually in the "woman's" section. I get some art supplies and such there, but most of my train buying is still at my LOCAL HOBBY SHOP.
Hobby Lobby puts this coupon out every three to four weeks. It's good if you need Woodland Scenics products, becasue the store does seem to carry a reasonable supply.
