Hello, hello!

Thank you both for the excellent replies, I absolutely appreciate them.  I'm sorry I didn't get back to this thread sooner.  Seems any time I have time for the computer, it's to get necessary things done.  *sigh*

Anyway...we are having a WONDERFUL time with the trains.  They are set up on the wood floor of our un-occupied guest house.  Initially, we set up an oval on our dining table, but that didn't work out well.  Despite his honest attempt at responsibility, the engine fell to the tile floor.  It still runs, but has a little bit of jumping and jerking intermittently now.  And, the coupler broke off the rear.  We installed a new one, off the caboose, but it sat too low and on any elevation changes, the tender would lose its cars.  So, it's at Papa Ben's Train Store now to get a new, correctly set up coupler.  He saw its jerkiness on a test run, but said the only way to possibly fix that is a complete overhaul, which would cost more than replacing the engine.  Is that correct, do you know? 

I also bought a pier set to do an elevated figure eight, two switches to run a half oval around the firgure eight, a few consignment cars and ...yesterday I bought a consignment Kato Santa Fe locomotive.  It runs beautifully and is more his style.  I'll take over the steam engine when it comes back and run it with some Pennsylvania passenger cars, Strasburg-style.  :-)

We are getting ready to finish the second story on our house  (Houston = no basements) and when we do, we'll move his set over here and, if he's interested, begin working on a basic, layout the length of a wall and around the corner a  little.  If he's not, we'll just tack down the tracks on a board and let him at it.  He spends a few hours a day running his set, and loves every moment of it.  I'm just not sure if he'll care about layouts right now.  We went to see an N-scale club and he pretty much totally ignored the layout...just asking a thousand questions about the different trains. 

Hello, everyone!

I just bought a starter Spectrum set for my 7 year old son, to work with me at building a small layout that he can run.  He's a responsible kid and has been begging for a model set for several years already.  It seems like he's ready.  I would prefer to run a larger set due to his age, but simply don't have the space for it.  So, we compromised with N.  (I ran a basic antique American Flyer S gauge set as an older kid and have VERY, VERY basic understandings of model trains, but for practical purposes, let's assume I know nothing.)

Anyway, our local hobby shop had several Bachmann N scale sets.  There was a Spectrum diesel set, a Spectrum steamer set and an "Explorer" diesel set.  The shop employee told me that the Spectrum set was higher quality and a better choice.  My son has a soft spot for steam engines, thanks to our many trips to Strasburg Railroad. 

So, we chose the Spectrum Stationmaster Southern Steam Set, Item 24121, for $119.

Anyway, I can't find ANY info on this set via Google or on Bachmann's own site.  I did find one set for sale on eBay, but that was all.  Additionally, it comes with a VHS(!) info tape (wow, we haven't had a VCR in ten years or more!).  I'm guessing that this might be an older set they've had on their shelves a while, but don't know, of course.

Can anyone lend me some insight into this set and if it was a good choice, or really, anything at all about it?  I'm at a loss.

Thanks in advance,
Jaclyn