To Lilbanshee99
Hi buddy
Just thought I'd make some suggestions about your engine choice:
Decide what time period you want to model, if you want to do steam or diesel, then look at a bunch of photos (or better, look at the photos first..in books, magazines...go to the library and look in the travel section. Second hand book stores often have old train books, too)You can usually browse at the big Bookstores , for a little while, anyway, without buying, then if you find something you really like..birthdays are always great for gettin' train books! ( I've got a whole 'library' just from this year..helps that I got started just before my birthday!)You could model the Real Railroad in your area...or you could just pick the one you like by it's 'colors'. Model railroad magazines are full of pics, of both models and 'prototypes' (real trains).
Then, the 'big' thing: how much money do you have to spend? In HO scale, steam locos are much more expensive..In general, same thing in N scale, but not as much a price gap as HO, as far as I can tell...there is less steam available in N scale ( I did come across a nice Steam 4-8-4 AT&SF, made by Bachmann a while back , on sale for about $75 ('wrong' Railroad..I passed it up!!
)...I paid $90 for my little N scale diesel,(Atlas)an FM Trainmaster, undecorated, to be painted in Virginian colors when I've aquired an airbrush. I have 8 freight cars beheind it now, and could probably pull 4 times that many. I have an HO steam Loco. on layaway at the train shop..I pulled 30 freight cars with it at the shop, without adjustment, right out of the box!(I joined the local Model RR club so I could buy it..it's the only 'Virginian' engine I've found in the Entire San Francisco Bay Area!!)
One last suggestion..unless you have experts available and willing (real time, real hands..there are some things just can't be done 'electronically'!!) to help and guide you, go with diesel to start with... there's more maintenance and adjustment required for steam models, just like there was for the prototypes. And of course, there are a lot more Diesels out there to choose from.
One last thought: (Finally
)go with what ya like...and have fun!!
I hope this 'ramble' helps.
All the best
VGN
[This message has been edited by Virginian (edited 04-02-2001).]