Getting into it

[sayulitas]

Hello
i am a college student in nyc
im moving into a huge loft space in brooklyn and would love to set a train up that goes around the apt room to room
we have the ability to make tunels and such
what scale and brands should i look for to get semi quality train and lots of track for not to much money
i was looking on ebay for lionel tracks O scale
such as this one here

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=19149&item=5968320859&rd=1

my grandfather had a huge colection of this scale trains and id like to start to rebuild it


i want somethinig durible in the snese that i can leave it on and let it run
is there switches that the train changes after it goes by so the train does a different loop what kind of electricity would we need
im really interested in this and wondering if going along the parimiter of a 2000srt ft warehouse studio id like to have hills maybey and some helix style curving accent/decents
am i crazy
is this endever worth it

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=19149&item=5968320859&rd=1

 

[yellowlynn]

into it

I'm not into O gauge at all, bu when you want to go cheap, check around. Ebay #5968325193, and #5968334827 is a better start for track. Jumping too fast can get very expensive. Others that are into it can give you good advise.

Lynn

 

[Ralph]

Welcome aboard sayulitas!

2000 sq ft warehouse space?! You're gonna have a lot of folks green with envy around here! Stay tuned, I believe some of our O scale modelers might have some thoughts for you.
Good luck!
Ralph

 

[nachoman]

there's one guy around here who likes old marx trains. You can find them on ebay - still classic and durable but cheaper than lionel.

kevin

 

[ausien]

Welcome to the gauge sayulitas, you came to the right place for advice, there are lots of friendly experts here in all scales.
It sounds like you have chosen your scale, and you certinly have the space for it, I think the first thing people will ask you is, have you got a track plan worked out, and is this appartment perminant?. this goes a long way to getting you started..as to the construction techneque,(bench work, ect).. hope this helps you a little, and enjoy the hobby...have a good one..steve

 

[Livesteam]

Im into O scales and thats a good deal for the track but i know you can get more track for the money,i would still search

 

[sayulitas]

so is ho worth it

i was looking at ho it seems top be cheaper
and
my plan is build a hanging platfrom from the ceeling and walls
like iin some restaurants from out west
i have no idea of the shape or layout yet because i dont know the space yet
i hope to get enough track together this summer to get a huge loop going id like to have switches so other roomates can have privacy from the train entering their room
id like the train to go through every room including the bathroom mabey 6 feet or so off the ground
lemme know if you have any ideas

 

[spitfire]

Saulitas, not to discourage you but the bigger the layout, the more expensive it is. If you are just getting into the hobby it is a good idea to start small, with a layout that is expandable if you find you want to do that.
Most layouts take many years to complete, and if you're in a rented space you should plan to be able to take the layout with you when you move.
I'd suggest you start with a diorama, switching puzzle or 4x8 layout. That will give you practice, it will allow you to start right away, it will be portable, and it will also allow you to see if you really like doing it - all for a much smaller investment and time commitment than a massive layout.
In this hobby it is very tempting to dream big, but I think it's better to have a small completed layout, than a huge one that never gets done.

That's my 2¢ worth.

Val

 

[sayulitas]

oh i dream big but i walk what i talk
i have seveeral small collections commming i from friends and reletives
ill probably set up and run them this summer

 

[Livesteam]

The big the more expencive to a point, N-scales and Z-scales are smaller than HO but they are a little more expencive i found out that the Z-scales are very expencive but they are nice qulity. If you dont have a ton of room i would go with HO or smaller, i have a small O scale layout and really wish i had more room for a bigger one.

 

[jetrock]

There's nothing wrong with dreaming big--but the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, and the construction of a home-filling layout often begins with the construction of a compact layout to learn the basics and try out techniques.

I doubt anyone here denies the urge for a monster home-filling layout. A small starter has many advantages: lower cost (Model railroads cost about $100 per square foot, in relatively-inexpensive HO--not counting the trains themselves), ease of moving, ease of storage, fast construction, and faster "return on investment" value: believe me, it's a lot more fun to have a small layout that you can actually run than a huge layout that isn't yet ready because it is taking forever to build.

You can also use a small layout as a starting point for a giant empire--start out small, and build big!