Hey, I'm looking to jump back into the hobby after a 10+ year hiatus due to college, grad school and a new house. Right now, I'm looking to go ahead with a 12' x 10' L-shaped shelf layout in a spare bedroom sometime this fall. When looking through my boxes of trains I can see that for all intents and purposes I will be starting from scratch. Looking into things, it looks like a lot has changed since I left. A couple of mergers, a couple of new companies like BLI, the increasing popularity of RTR products, the end of Blue Box kits and what looks like a little saltier prices across the board. I was hoping that someone could get me up to speed with the state of the hobby. Who are the big players when it comes to locomotives and freight cars? Who's good and who's not so good? What about modern-era structures? What are my options when I want to do a couple of projects, like build some freight cars or detail a locomotive, on a budget? And for those looking to give a little more perspective on things, are things simply more expensive (even exceeding inflation) than 10-15 years ago or do some of these products have that much more value to them?
Hi Lars. I can't answer your questions, but I'm sure there will be a broad number of different responses from the membership. All of us have different tastes in what we think is "best". In any event ... we are glad to see you get back into the hobby. Take photos as you move along with your project and post them here to keep us up to date. Good luck!
Your assessment pretty much covers the ways things have progressed. Economics (world) of manufacturers, retailers, consumers= Prices up. But quality of items is also much improved, as part of the difference in cost. Plus add in the DCC "ready" or equipped items, and that raises prices. A lot of folks no longer have the luxury of spare time for sitting down and building kits, so R-T-R has faded- Perhaps when they retire. HO scale has top flite makers such as Atlas and Kato. There are many manufactueers of rolling stock, a lot of them smaller operations, but quality and accuracy easily just as good as the big boys. It will all depend upon what your goals are for this new layout. Prototype? Freelance? Steam? Diesel? Transition era? Take a look through those retailers who advertise and help support TrainBoard. You can get a picture of some things happening right now. Here on TrainBoard, I see the stats every day. We have newbies coming in of all ages. Pre-teens to very senior. Many, such as yourself, returning to a great hobby. All things considered, it is a good time to be back.
Heck, I was out of the loop for nearly 30 years. Talk about future shock. Quality has improved, even in ten years. Some manufacturers are beyond others, like Atlas, Kato, Intermountain, etc. Those are the best locos I have. Rolling stock depends on the price you want to pay - and some of them are really out there. I don't tend to spend a pile on freight cars but I will put some time and investment into locos - especially in the detailing. Of course, you'll run into DC vs DCC, but that's a moot point for me. I'm a DC stalwart and that's the ways I likes it. If they improve DCC just a bit, like make it wireless control but still have power through the rails, then I'm in. But that's just this old grump's opinion. For those that disagree, grump! grump! grump!
The top manufacturers for diesels are, in order of running reliability, Kato, Atlas, Intermountain, Broadway Limited, Athearn Genesis, and Bachmann. For details and looks, Athearn Genesis, although not to be outdone are the few Rapido Trains early model passenger trains and diesels. Note that just because I listed Genesis second last in running reliability does not mean they suck...they definitely do not. However, they have had quality issues with the trucks on some of their diesels in recent years. The only diesels where I have read quite a few complaints is with the Bachmann brand. I do know that Bachmann has worked hard to improve their record. In the past three years, their basic Bachmann brand in steam has been as good as their Spectrum top-shelp line of steam. That sez sumthin'. For steam, reliability goes to Walthers Proto Heritage Seires. They are also near-brass, even as good as brass, in terms of visual appeal and detailing. Rivarossi in late years has matched them, and their Allegheny H-8 is also a really good runner...if a brute of an engine, and huge. For general steam of average quality, although with excellent service and a two year warranty, Broadway Limited Imports (BLI) does really well. Most of my steamers, about 14, are from BLI. None of them is now a plug. I also have a Bachmann Spectrum Heavy Mountain in C&O livery, a nice heavy all-metal locomotive into which I had a QSI Titan installed. It's a great runner. BLI's best runners and pullers are their N&W A and Y class articulated monsters, both of them heavy and all-metal. Their Brass Hybrid Pennsy Q2 is excellent, and so is their Hybrid TTT-6 2-10-2 from the Union Pacific. Finally, I really like their Pennsy J1 2-10-4 and their Pennsy T1- Duplex streamlined passenger fast rails steamer. I also have their all-metal K4s 4-6-2 in Pennsy livery, another excellent runner. I hope this helps.
Your question is sort of hard to answer. It all depends on what you plan on doing. Steam or diesel? It seems you like modern trains from your questions about modern structures, so perhaps diesel. The prototype you choose will determine what specific locos you seek. More common locos will be available from various manufacturers, unique items may be more difficult to find. In that respect, the hobby hasn't changed. What I've learned over the years, and this is my personal take on things, is to get what truly makes you happy. At the same time a really poor loco will never make you happy. Perhaps the best start is to pick a loco type and maybe the guys here can steer you toward a model that runs well and has good detail. Then again, the manufacturers can sometimes make loco prices a bit high these days, it's always a compromise. I won't re-list manufacturers here as the names already mentioned are good choices. Another thing I've noticed is the tendency to bite off more than one can chew. Maybe a starter layout, or even a simple tester oval on a board that can be stowed away when not in use, is a good way to get back into this. I think too many modelers don't actually run any trains, and some kind of oval or switching setup to get things running right away is a must. So what kind of layout are you planning on having? Switching/running. Short locals/long unit trains. etc.
Just getting back into the Model Railroad scene after a 30+ year hiatus. I began collecting things about a month ago, and within a week or so I had set up a test track: You can see the Binford T-5000 temporary track attachment device I used to assemble this quickie . By placing the head against the inside rail of the track you can shoot in the middle and straddle ties easily. 5/16" staples hold great and can be removed without damaging the track. I am mudding the 11'x11' room I have for a layout right now and will be started on the benchwork in a couple weeks. My layout will be circa ~1880's coastal Mexico in Sn42. Still debating between a 8'x11' donut with duckunder or a folded dogbone shelf layout. Not aiming for perfection with this layout, just want to get it together quickly and have some fun with doing the scenery and scratchbuilding the structures this summer. If I retain interest I can remodel this layout in the future, and if I don't I have not invested years into it. Welcome aboard and have fun Lars! James Stoker
Thanks for all the good advice. Here is the most current design of the layout, although I'm thinking of changing things a little more. Although I haven't done any modeling for a long time, I haven't been a stranger to things either. I've kept up on model railroading forums and magazines to an extent, but I focused on layouts and techniques more than products. I decided to not buy anything until I knew what I was going to model. I've been fairly active railfanning over the past couple of years, hampered only by a major home renovation project. I've even managed to take my 6 month old trackside a couple of times (with ear protection of course). I look forward to starting something this year, barring any family problems and I'm getting pretty excited to put my vision onto lumber and styrofoam.
By the way, I saw a lot of "the sky is falling" posts when Athearn discontinued the Blue Box line a few years ago. Has everyone moved on or are there many still lamenting their decision? From the looks of it, there is no shortage of kits on ebay.
Athearn Blue Box while long an absolute hobby staple, were quickly replaced by Accurail, Bachmann, Bowser and others.
Oh yeah, still lamenting! but, moving on as well. ebay is a source of endless variety, and train shows fill the need too. So while we lament there's really no cause for complaint. One thing I might throw out there for your consideration as you begin your layout plans: don't set anything in stone just yet, and be prepared for your interests to evolve in ways you might not expect. It's most likely going to serve as an educational tool as well. Good luck and glad to see you on here!
Moving from N scale to Ho has rekindled my passion for model railroading. There is so much available in HO and i am really enjoying learning about DCC and testing locos with DCC and sound. I have my first DCC decoder and speaker installation coming up which should be a lot of fun. So far i have purchased Athearn Genesis, Kato locos and Exactrail cars as well as quite a lot of second hand cars that I will practice my weathering skills. I think the stare of the hobby for us existing hobbyists is fine I just worry if we dont get the younger generation as involved then it may not survive in the long term
Colonel, I would agree - although at the train shows I have attended the kids all seem to know what a CHOO-CHOO is, and get pretty excited watching the trains. The parents will tell me how enthralled their children are about trains. Of course those are the kids who are already at the train show, so who knows? I think Thomas the Train and Chuggington help out as much as they can.
As I've noted previously in similar topics, I don't believe age is a determining factor. Yes, getting youth involved is great. But are we dependent upon them for the hobby to keep on? No. We need everyone regardless of age. A few years with us has plenty of real value. Day after day I see the stats here. I note many, many new folks of all ages. Also see a surprising number of folks returning to the hobby, which also spans the years of age. People have been lamenting how things seem for years now. Yet the whole hobby has just kept on rolling along. Sales may have contracted with financial weakness, thus tight personal budgets, but that is not any proof people have actually left. I have reduced spending and dropped subscriptions, but guess what? That does not translate to my leaving. To the contrary, I, along with a lot of folks in similar status are still here! It is loooong past time to shed this false notion, and start thinking PLUS TALKING positively. Negativity is a poison.
Yep no negativity from me. I've modelled both UK 00 scale and American H0, and the sheer variety of stuff available to the H0 modeller is amazing. Add to that the superb running of locos, even the cheaper Atlas Trainman and Walthers Proto 1000, and you can't go wrong. I have a number of Accurail cars too, and if I can afford them, pretty much anyone can. Mike
Well said Boxcab. I get nostalgic from time to time, but I can't imagine leaving the hobby. Having the time of my life with it, "living the dream" LOL.
Things are generally good, as long as you have the time or the money. Just make sure you're not in need of Atlas track for the next several months
Over the years I have modelled all sorts of scales and prototypes, from British OO, Swiss HO, Belgian HO, American N, American HO, British O, British #1, and now Slovenian HO with a bit of Hungarian thrown in! An eclectic range, but I have thoroughly enjoyed every one. Like Paul, each time I decided on a change it rekindled my enthusiasm for model railways/railroads. As I now model a tiny country few models are available, but even so new ones are being produced which are snapped up as they appear! I guess that American HO has by far the biggest range of equipment and parts available, but if I were to go back to US models I would have a hard time choosing which road(s) to model as the variety is immense just in the one continent. But I have to admit to a leaning towards CN and CP as when we visited Canada and USA in 1985 there was a huge variety of locomotive types. Don't think I would want to go with current railroads as there is way too little variety, (as in most countries) except on short lines, etc. Whatever your choice, the quality of models is extremely high, much more so than when I began to indulge in this great hobby 55 or so years ago.
