Hello I have not bought my first train set yet as I've been spending the past couple days reading through the forums on Newbie questions. I found alot of info but still scratching my head on a couple of things. My initial layout space is very limited but I want my 6 year old son to participate so I'm thinking O guage and just stick with a simpler layout. My total lack of experience leans me to look at the Lionel and MTH RTR kits. Thanks for the education Bob
Bob- Welcome to TrainBoard! There's nothing wrong with going Lionel and keeping it simple. Many, many of us, (myself included), got our starts via Lionel, American Flyer or Marx. Whatever you chose, as long as you are having fun you have accomplished all which is truly important.
Hi Bob, Welcome to the TrainBoard, we're glad you are on board. I also started with Lionel when I was about 5-6 years old. Actually they were my older brother's, but he let me play with them until I got my own a few years later. I think Lionel trains are an excellent size for a six-year old. They are large and rugged enough to survive that age without a parent constantly saying "be careful, don't break it", because I remember Lionel locos, cars, and track as being almost indestructible. When (if?) your son really takes off with the train hobby and learns handling care, then if you & he want, y'all can switch to HO or N. I made the switch to HO around 12-14 years old, then to N at 45. But there are times I wish I still had those big wonderful Lionels.
Welcome Bob, you've found a great resource for you and your Grandson's new hobby. I too started off with Lionel at a young age. With limited space you might want to try HO scale which might afford you some added fun. But as was stated above as long as it's fun to you then that is what matters most. Enjoy
