now i want one!!

[ct03si]

some of you have probably read my thread about the thoroughbred trainset i got for the friend in the hospital.
well now i want a set!!!!
i was wandering around the hobby shop today and i love the looks of the union pacific trains, i would def need a set to start as i do not own any trains right now.
what would be my best route to go for an easy set that will not always be out, i dont really have room for a permanent setup so it would be put away after use untill i can figure out something better. i am brand new to this hobby, but i have tinkered in hobby grade rc cars for a while so i know about maintenance and detail stuff

[jbsmith]

Any set will do!

what some people have done who are pressed for space have been known to do the following.

Get a board and some casters. Attach the casters to the board and slide it under your bed.
Just pull it out when you want to run! A Dust cover is recommended.
I imagine N scale rather than HO would be best for this sort of thing.
Also depends on size of your bedroom too.

Wall mount. The train board simply folds down from a wall for running.Folds back up when done. Sort of Simple but effective,,so long as the scenery is spartan.
All scenery if any should be removeable,obviously, like a cheap Styrofoam mountain, a building or two that can be stored in a box or the like.
Check with landlord if a you're a renter. LLs' sometimes get twisted about stuff like that.

Folding collapseable table, fairly self explanatory there.

Out in the garage if you have one. One i have heard of is a suspended 4x8 that can be lowered from the rafters by
ropes and pulleys. Just use your imagination to picture that one.

if nothing else, hopefully this got your synapses going.

[ct03si]

im thinking maybe i can clear some room in the basement, and do some sort of plywood sheet with sawhorese table or similar. im just debating what set i should start with, not sure i want to drop big bucks on a dcc set i like the train in the golden spike set. it will just be simple and fun, no big scenery stuff. just track and trains, maybe a nice yard to put them in

[spanky30]

This is how it starts.....   just a board in the basement , ct03 will have 34 loco's, 250 plus in rolling stock, and a 65' by 30' layout dcc set up, with turn table and a big ol river running thru the center in three years.  " Just simple and fun"  he he he I love this hobby. get started ct03 you want be sorry its great.

[Barney R]

spanky30 just stated what happened to me, except the river is Tommy's Pond. I have been having a lot of fun.

Barney

[OldTimer]

ct03si,
Since you've been with us for a few days, I'm sure you've seen threads about trains that jump the track, cars that randomly uncouple, and other instances of trains behaving badly.  These events are often caused by uneven track.  If you throw a piece of plywood on a couple of saw horses, the plywood will warp, I promise, resulting in unreliable operation.

Please take time to frame your platform.  The process is very simple, much like framing a wall.  I use 1X4's from the local home improvment center, and assemble the parts with utility screws.  Legs can be 2X2's

Extruded foam insulation two inches thick can support itself better than plywood, but still needs to be framed.  If I were using foam, I'd set it down inside the 1X4's to protect the edges and put the cross members on their sides so there are no edges to dig into the bottom of the foam.

Go to your local hobby shop and buy a "how-to" book for beginners.  Kalmbach (the Model Railroader folks) offer an extensive selection of books including one that just covers building benchwork.   Hope this is helpful.
OldTimer

[Johnson Bar Jeff]

Make sure you get a set that has the nickle silver EZ-Track (with the gray roadbed). If at first you aren't going to fasten your track to your table top, the EZ-Track will give you a good, sturdy base to run your train.

Also get something to cover the top of your plywood to help deaden the sound. Felt is often recommended for layouts where the track isn't fastended down. I use an old green flannel sheet myself.

Welcome to the hobby! 

[jward]

if you are not going to do dcc then i'd go with the golden spike set. the other two union pacific sets are steam, and it sounds like you are interested in diesels. i would also advise the purchase of a few #5 switches and some extra track, since you mentioned a yard. i'd also recommand that when you do put up a permanent table, that you stay with 1/2" or thicker plywood as a base. stay away from wall board and particle board as they do not make a good foundation for your railroad.

once you have the initial set, it is easy to add on piece by piece. union pacific happens to be one of the most popular railroads, so you'll find a wide variety of locomotive available in UP colours. the same with freight cars.

one thing you might consider when you do put up a permanent layout is the use of wider radius curves like the 26" radius ez track. union pacific was notorious for running some truly monster locomotives. the bachmann dda40x is but one example. these will run and look better on the wider turns.

[GN.2-6-8-0]

Having been a Model railroader for the better part of 40 years my advice would be to first check out any and all Model Railroad clubs in your immediate area regardless of scale...talk to the members of your desire tell them your thoughts on what you wish to have ,Manys the layout that got started only to languish and wind up on the trash heap when it was found to be too daunting of a project.

[Terry Toenges]

Gluing 2 or 3 sheets of 2" foam together makes it pretty rigid. On the 9' x 11' one I had, I built base framework on casters, then just set the foam layout on it.

[Terry Toenges]

I figured if the wife ever wanted the layout out of the living room, it was easy enough to move the layout and the base separately and it only took 2 people to do it.

[CNE Runner]

ct03si - Do yourself a huge favor and check out Carl Arendt's website. For years I thought I could not find the space for a layout - and Carl's website changed all that. Trust me, there are plans on the site that will fit anywhere! Our European friends find clever ways to put small, well-detailed layouts in some amazingly small places...I'm sure you can as well. Carl's website is:

http://www.carendt.com/

It will take you a long time - but I recommend that you go through all the Scrapbook pages; and don't forget the layout plans.

All the best,
Ray

[ct03si]

honestly, i am not even considering any detail stuff right now. i want to learn and understand track layout first so all i am going to get is a single train and track for a while, i want to figure out track switchers and that stuff first

[jward]

do yourself a favour and pick up a copy of the book "The atlas beginner's guide to HO model railroading"......

in that book you will find all the basics of model railroading covered, benchwork (with plans for a basic train table) wiring, track layout do's and don'ts, and a host of other topics. there are also 12 track plans. although they are designed for atlas snap track, it appears most could be built using ez track with little or no modifications. with both systems, the standard straight, 18" radius and 22" radius curves are the same. the atlas snap switch plus a 1/3 section of 18" radius track is the equivalent of a standard ez track remote switch. best of all, since this book was first put out probably 50 years ago, these track plans were built and tested before they were published, no cad programs back then......