Price of HO V. O scales

[electrical whiz kid]

Recently; I had the occasion to delve into O scale-not for me, but for my grandson.  I had never really looked closely at Lionel cars, but this winter, I did, and was amazed at how much detail there was in these cars I had relegated in my mind as "toys".
The cost wasn't all that much different, all things considered.  Even the track has slimmed out and wasn't the klunky old "junk" I was used to.
Andrew is going on five (actually, he is mentally going on ABOUT 16...)  WHEW!!)  and he is really taken with trains.  I do hope he gets a really good paper route...  He might need it.
Grampy.
(Rich C.)

[MilwaukeeRoadfan261]

If you look around online, you can typically find better prices than in a store, but on the whole if you want engines with a lot of realistic detail and can run on anything from a small home layout up to a big club layout for a reasonable price, go with HO scale. Some Bachmann Standard line engines (mostly diesels like the GP-40, GP-38, GP-7, GP-9 and others) with DCC can be found for about $60 in local hobby stores. I myself have both HO and O scale and I like HO better because it is less expensive, more is made in HO scale than O scale and the layouts in HO scale can have more to them in the same amount of space as O scale and it takes less space to store HO scale trains than O scale. And for the freight and passenger cars, they may be priced about the same but you again have to take size into account and most O scale cars are designed for the smallest curve made for O scale which is 0-27 gauge, which is more of the beginner O scale. What your grandson goes with for scale is up to him. I know all this from being like your grandson. I was looking through Model Railroader Magazine when I was 3 years old and took my first train ride when I was 4 years old behind a restored steam engine and I was hooked for life and I am only 20 years old.

[Woody Elmore]

Michael - most O equipment cannot operate on anything close to O27. Many Lionel cars were designed for tight radius and actually O27 was developed for their lower priced "scout" line.  They had some equipment which would not run properly on O27 track.

Lionel trains, MTH and Rail King are referred to as "tinplate" because in the early days cars and engines were made from lithographed tin plated steel. They are also out of scale - just look at the couplers!

Modern Lionel is very nice but don't confuse them to scale equipment.

[Joe323]

I have noticed that Lionel has some reasonably priced starter sets but I'm not sure that holds true when you want to expand.  In any event how can one consider Lionel to be scale with the 3 rail track IMHO

Having said that there are 2 things that kept me from going to O scale myself one was cost and two was lack of space.  I have not regretted going into HO

One thing I do like is Lionels blog and thats free.

[Doneldon]

Joe-

I'm pretty sure that the inexpensive Lionel sets are all O27. I wouldn't get into that unless you are sure you'll want to stay with it
permanently because a good deal of regular Lionel O-scale won't be able to stay on O27 curves. I advise spending a bit more for
better quality and more universal utility.

                                                                    -- D

[wjstix]

Today a big chunk of today's Lionel, MTH and other 'three rail' trains are products built to 1:48 scale. Some the large engines and passenger cars require 0-54 or larger curves, but a lot will go around O-36.

There are many really nice "high rail" layouts - folks who are building 'scale' layouts with three-rail track. Norm Charboneau's layout is outstanding, click on the link and scroll down to the links to weathered train pics and videos.

http://norm.beesky.com/

[electrical whiz kid]

All of this is fine, but what I bought is for my soon-to-be five year-old grandson.  I really don't believe he will be "scale-rule Richard-ing" this stuff-just enjoying being a boy.  What I had said was just what it is; a anecdotal reference to 0-scale.  Also, it will keep him out of "grampy's room".  Once he hits the right age, we will do the out-door layout (Fn3), and that will be fun for us both; him with the hand-held, and me with the camera.
I have learned not to take this stuff-or myself-too seriously in life.
RIch C.

[Doneldon]

Rich-

You are in for a treat if you haven't experienced it yet. There's something
about trains and kids, especially boys, that is almost magical. They just
love them. I got one of my grandsons addicted (he's twelve now) and it's
been a great ride.

                                  -- D

[Joe323]

Joe-

I'm pretty sure that the inexpensive Lionel sets are all O27. I wouldn't get into that unless you are sure you'll want to stay with it
permanently because a good deal of regular Lionel O-scale won't be able to stay on O27 curves. I advise spending a bit more for
better quality and more universal utility.

                                                                    -- D

D:

You might be right I really have not researched it The only Lionel I have is a post war Santa Fe set for Christmas that I run around the tree on O36 Fastrack.

[Doneldon]

Joe-

Fast Track is an excellent product, in my opinion. It certainly looks tons better
than the old three-rail, three-tie, all metal stuff of years gone by. It's so darned
expensive, though.

                                 -- D

[Joe323]

Joe-

Fast Track is an excellent product, in my opinion. It certainly looks tons better
than the old three-rail, three-tie, all metal stuff of years gone by. It's so darned
expensive, though.

                                 -- D

Yes it is an excellent product and expensive although I cannot remember what I paid for an oval exactly.  It is also very LOUD scared the puppy when I ran the train the first time this year.

[electrical whiz kid]

Doneldon;
Yes, you are right.  I can remember when I was a young boy and we lived in the Boston area (Quincy).  My mother would take me cChristmas shopping, drop me off in "Santa';s Toyland", and when I was good and transfixed, go and take care of business.  They had two layouts as  can remember:  one in O scale, and the other was in "S".  I fell in love with those American Flyer PAs!  We never really had enough money to get me trains, but a few years and a paper route later, I got into HO.  My buddy was one of these "rich kids" (His dad worked his behind off-there are definitely no free lunches) and his dad used to get him HO scale trins, so it rubbed off.
This year, when Andrew was opening his presents, he was all smiles-but then he opened the big set his dad got him-and that was it-all the other presents went aside, and away he went.  Grampy got him a bunch lf things like crossovefrs, turnouts, etc, so he was in hog heaven and he is hooked!  I would love to take him to the show in W.Springfield this year, but five is a little on the young side for all of that walking.  I hasitated to ask my significant other if she whould like to go, as there is a lot of walking to do...  We will see, I guess.
So enter retirement, a big room, and a complete layout remodel.  Ahh, life is good, eh?
Rich C.   

[Doneldon]

Rich-

Go ahead and take hm. He'll enjoy it for a while. Most shows have an area for little
kids to either ride something or play with unpowered Thomas sets or something.
And if you have a stroller for him, he'll conk out and let you browse around as long
as you want. Just be sure to adjust your timing to nap time, if he still takes one, and
wear him out good before you settle him into the stroller.

                                                                                            -- D