Newbie wants to know if all HO trains and tracks are compatible

[WriterGal]

jbrock27, thanks for the info/suggestion on using a plastic drape on my display to keep it clean. I agree, anything actually touching the display may cause more harm than good so I'm still trying to think of a good way to do it. I had thought of the plastic sheets stretched over a light-weight wooden framework suspended from the ceiling but realize that is a huge undertaking so still "thinking". 

[Doneldon]

Writer-

You ask a tough question because there isn't really a pattern. I know of train set power packs which failed within days and others which have worked for a year or more. That unpredictability is testimony about the overall quality of the set packs. The quality control on them isn't good enough to ensure that they'll all last a long time yet some manage to do so. One thing is certain: you won't fail to know when your power pack poops out; your sleeping trains will tell you!
                                                                                                                                                                                  -- D