NEWBIE

[TMurry14]

  I was at the Columbus Train show this past weekend..and decided I finally wanted to start this hobby.. I got a DCC set.
1. What is the difference between diesel DCC and digitial DCC?
2. Any suggestions to a new person to this hobby...I literally do not know much about this (hence why im getting educated on this forum)
3. How do you get the switches hooked up? can it be controlled by the DCC control system?

Thanks alot for your help!

The set I bought was http://www.megahobby.com/images/view.aspx?productId=944  and then i bought the additional EZ track of this...   Bachmann's track pack has nickel silver track with gray roadbed. 3-piece Track Pack features: Nine 9" straight sections One 9" terminal/rerailer One 9" rerailer Twenty 18" radius curved sections Two 3" straight sections Two left switches Two right switches Four switch wires (green) One terminal wire (red)


http://www.amazon.com/Bachmann-Trains-Snap-Fit-Greatest-Railroad/dp/B0006NI3TQ

Hope this helps you help me   If you have any other questions or need more info to narrow it down I would be glad to try and find it for you  Thanks again

[Cowboy]

The set I bought was http://www.megahobby.com/images/view.aspx?productId=944  and then i bought the additional EZ track of this...   Bachmann's track pack has nickel silver track ... http://www.amazon.com/Bachmann-Trains-Snap-Fit-Greatest-Railroad/dp/B0006NI3TQ

No suggestions, but just wanted to say this is exactly what I purchased last month to start too. Since then I have purchased eight 36" straights and a 30 degree junction. Now to start the benchwork.

Good luck and I hope you enjoy the hobby.

[TMurry14]

How do you like it so far   I have my track on a 4x8 board..my uncle is a woodshop person..so he is going to constuct me a nice display to put my train on..then onto the next project with the mountains and buildings etc..what ERA would you put this train set in?

[Cowboy]

TMurray,

I haven't used any of it yet - still in the planning stage. Next step for me is to build the benchwork. I am building a "L" shape table that is 12 feet by 4 feet with the "L" part being another 4 feet (two 4x8 plywood sheets).

I am really new as well, so I have no idea about era. Perhaps the 1980s?

[TMurry14]

I have just set up the track like on the box of the Track pack and been practicing using the DCC command pad...so far its pretty cool...just waiting on a table..I have a few ideas in mind...but not sure how I want to make it..I want to to be able to be transfered and broken down like they do at the train shows..so I hope my uncle can figure that out haha...the L shape will look really good..have you been looking in magazines to see what layout you want to do?  I cant wait to start building my landscape.  Where are you  located?  I will have to look up the era to put my setting in

[jward]

era wise, this set seems to be an anamoly. the ft diesel was made from 1939-1945 and was the first successful mainline freight diesel. the gp40 was made from 1966 to 1971. by the time the gp40s first appeared, the fts were hopelessly obsolete and gone from many railroads. specific to the samta fe railroad, red and silver fts were used on passenger trains, probably converted to freight service and repainted blue sometime before 1960. they only had one gp40, acquired when they took over toledo peoria & western in 1983, long after all fts were retired.

that said, you could fudge things a bit and overlook the anamoly and set your era as the mid 1960s. the western maryland boxcar shown in the photo would be appropriate for this era as well......the 1960s and 1970s are good eras to model because most of the diesels available in model form coexisted during this period, along with older 40 foot cars and the newer 50-60 foot cars. cabooses were still used on most trains, and up until 1971 most railroads ran their own passenger trains as well. the only thing missing are steam locomotives, and there were even a few of those running on excursion trains on the big railroads.


of the diesels bachmann makes the following are appropriate for the 1960s:
ft, f7, f9, 44 ton, 45 ton, 70 ton, gp7, gp9, gp30, gp35, gp40, rf16 shark, rs3. and dda40x...

for the 1970s, add the gp38-2, sd40-2 and b23-7. subtract the ft and rf16.

[TMurry14]

WOW what a detailed description..thank you so much...this will help me with my layout I will try and make in the upcoming months.  This should help in buying more locomotives and cars..I cant wait to start on this project ! I am really excited about this hobby..Thanks again..you have been a big help!

[Colli]

Hi Newbie,
                  Welcome to the club, I , like so many others am also a Newbie at age 67
and also have a lot of Locos ( diesel and steam ). As regards a " Theme " it's your railroad you make it the way you want it.  I like the modern diesels and the steamers so to have a way round it I made a Railway Museum area so that my older diesels and steamers sit in their sheds and roundhouses and when visitors come I can just trundle them out as a living and working museum piece. Where I am in Winnipeg, Canada, we have the Prairie Dog Central ( Steamer) and a couple of older diesels that are kept maintained and run on a short line during the summer as excursion trains. I think whatever money they make goes to offset the operation and maintenance of the units.
   If you ever get the chance to ride on a steamer it will be an experience you will remember for ever. I grew up with steam trains in the U.K. so for me it brings back lots of good memories.
    Enjoy your hobby, model railways never ever killed anyone.

Colli.

[TMurry14]

Thank you for your reply..that sounds like a good idea..  I am waiting on my table to be built so im still gathering ideas and pieces for the puzzle and then hopefully little by little will be able to make some sort of town with my train models! This will be fun

[Doneldon]

Colli-

You're sure right about the impact of a cab ride on a steam machine. There's nothng like it.

The Nevada Northern Railroad offers the opportunity to "rent" steam or diesel locomotives
and run them as if one is a real engineer. It's pricey, but then so are the cockpit rides on
WWII  era airplanes, and you don't get to control them. (Well, they'll let you take the stick
a bit, but it's really not flying the aircraft.) NNRR also has classes so you can become an
engineer or fireman. I've been told that the NNRR is the only place in the US where you can
do that, although I'm not completely sure that is true.
                                                                                            -- D

[jward]

if you do go with a roundhouse and turntable, be aware that the bachmann turntable  has radial tracks spaced at 20 degrees, the atlas ones are 15 degrees. not sure what the other types of turntables are. what this means is that you can't use an atlas roundhouse with a bachmann turntable. be sure that whatever roundhouse you buy has its stalls spaced right for your turntable.

[Colorado_Mac]

Welcome the the asylum!  It sounds like you are already having a lot of fun and you will have a lot more.  Don't be afraid to ask questions, but try to search for the answer first.

[Johnson Bar Jeff]

NNRR also has classes so you can become an
engineer or fireman. I've been told that the NNRR is the only place in the US where you can
do that, although I'm not completely sure that is true.
                                                                                            -- D

Apparently as recently as last year (2010) the Cumbres & Toltec ran engineer and fireman "schools," but just now, when I checked the web site, I couldn't find anything except a link to Youtube videos.