Goodbye O-Guage, Hello HO

[tbob]

Howdy all,

Well, I've finally broken down and decided to stop running the quite expensive O-Guage. I received my first trainset ever when I was about 9 or 10, it was a Lionel New York Central Flyer with 4-4-2 Atlantic, a few freight cars, a tractor trailer, etc. After a few years, I got a pretty decent layout going, which looked even better when I moved into my new house after living in an apartment for my entire life. As a gift from my parents, I got to choose another trainset, and picked another New York Central Flyer, only this time, it had an F10 and three lightweight streamlines, and the new Fastrack. After getting my layout to the point where I was happy with it and wanted to expand, I was not happy with the prices I was looking at, at all. Now, as I approach 16 in August, my parents gave me an early birthday gift, giving me a budget for starting an HO layout, $250. So, here is a picture story of the evolution of my model railroading experience:

O-Guage

Since I have no pictures of my layout from the apartment, here is my layout in it's final year.

This is the laundry room of my house, holding stuff I didn't even know we had, making for a very disorganized environment.

I know how to budget and get more bang for my buck, so when looking for vehicles, die cast from Tractor Supply and Walmart I found was the way to go.

Here lies my first model trainset, or rather, what's left of it...

And, my first and last O-Guage diesel locomotive, I handsome NYC F10 in Lightning Stripe paint.

Continued...

 

[tbob]

Ctd...

A New Begining: HO

Recently, the downstairs room was cleaned out, carpeted, and completely renovated. I now have a new workspace and can use many of the materials from my old layout since they fit better with an HO layout than O.

Boxes ;-P

A combination of IHC and AHM Amarossi New Haven cars.

My stack of unused Bachman Nickel-Silver Gray E-Z track, which is quite realistic for the affordable price.

Freight cars, switch controls and wiring, couplers, and my recent die cast acquirement, a John Deere 6120, the same tractor that I've been operating for over a year at the Vo-Ag Dept. of my school, and a tractor that I've grown to admire.

A yet to be installed crossing

Continued...

 

[tbob]

Ctd...

The interlocking tower at the soon-to-be junction

Signal bridge

RS-3 #529, a locomotive that is very dear to me, is an Atlas Classics model, which I found on E-Bay

The platform for the Jct. Station

At the point of a commuter train is a Model Power FA2, which I got at the Chester, Mass. train show for $20

My layout is still growing, with plenty more track on the way, a brand new New Haven EF4 from Ebay at $39 (Store price: $80-$100), a Metrolink Bombairdier Bilevel Cabcar as birthday gift, and much more. I hope you enjoyed this story and I always look forward to questions, comments, and of course compliments

Thanks,
Jesse D.

 

[Thorinoakin]

love it nice pics

 

[PVincent342]

that looks great , just a couple of hints though , the EZ-Track comes in Nickel and Steel , Steel is Cheaper but keeping using Nickel sice it works better. Also , Horn Hook Couplers shouldnt be combined with knuckle couplers, but dont worry , couplers are changable so that can be fixed. I remember my 1st Model Trainset w/ HO (The Acela $320) , not worth it but it is an expensive hobby. Im thinking about getting started again. Also using Matchbox cars or Hot wheels is the right thing to do as it is in the same scale as HO , so buy those instead of thse $6 Cars while they are a buck @ Walmart . So here are some hints from a former model railroader. By the way, the best companies are Walthers , Bachman , Atlas, Kato and Athearn. Happy Railroading

PVINCENT342

 

[GP_38-2]

These days I'm not so sure.........Ho Scale is getting to be just as, if not more, expensive than any other guage. Just a few years ago I could buy brand new Athearn Blue Box units for under $50 (now they don't even make parts for them I'm screwed). Now Athearn Ready-to-Run locos of the same size cost $120+
Fortunately there are plenty of used units out there (and ebay) so finding stuff is just as easy.

Pvincent:he's got the Nickel Silver version of EZ-Track (it's easy to tell as the black roadbed has steel, while the grey roadbed has nickel silver) except for the corssing..... it appears to be BRASS
And no offense, but Bachmann is crap, dead crap STAY AWAY. The average lifespan of their locomotives averages out to about 2 weeks (I got 5 yrs out of one of mine, but I was very very careful with it).

Athearn, Walthers, Proto 2000/1000, IHC Premier series, Athearn Genesis, Proto Heritage, Kato, Atlas, Ricarossi/AHM, Front Range, Stewarts Hobbies, Precision Craft, Broadway Limited, Spectrum <--- now those are good companies.
Stay away from Bachmann, Model Power, and Life Like (not to be confused with Bachman Spectrum or Life-Like Proto series)

EDIT: I don't feel like posting again, as arum says matchbox/hotwheels are not HO scale. They're actually quite appropriate for S scale though.

 

[arum]

Of course, hot wheels and matchbox are not really in scale, I always buy the slightly more expensive cars simply because im a "in scale" nut.

 

[Gandalf0444]

Bachmann isn't that good, I have an N-scale layout and I bought an Amtrak E-60, with 3 light up metroliner cars, and within a week one of the cars leghts busted than after a month maybe 2 the loco,crapped out and would light up but would no longer move,and then I used the cars on another loco that I have and gradually I started to notice that the couplers were falling off!!!. So I sent it all back,They happily replaced all of it(but personally I think they sent all the same stuff back to me) and they say they replaced the loco,sent 1 new metroliner car back(the one with broken light) and the other 2 they replaced the couplers.I say that the quality is bad yes,but they replace it for nothing ar next to nothing. I've stopped using them,but every now and again I do find my self buying one.

 

[Thorinoakin]

yeah bachman ust to have some nice trains till the company lost the very good managment... so i only buy the Thomas trains from them now... rest from Athearn:hehe:

 

[PVincent342]

my acela only lasted 1 hour :'''''(

 

[tbob]

So, should I be surprised if my Bachman Spectrum E33 kicks the bucket pretty quick?

 

[Gandalf0444]

Nope not at all.But I will say that some last a little longer than others but not much more.But if you really want another one bachmann is pretty good about replacing it etc.

 

[BRIANA]

A New Begining: HO

Recently, the downstairs room was cleaned out, carpeted, and completely renovated. I now have a new workspace and can use many of the materials from my old layout since they fit better with an HO layout than O.

Boxes ;-P

A combination of IHC and AHM Amarossi New Haven cars.

My stack of unused Bachman Nickel-Silver Gray E-Z track, which is quite realistic for the affordable price.

Freight cars, switch controls and wiring, couplers, and my recent die cast acquirement, a John Deere 6120, the same tractor that I've been operating for over a year at the Vo-Ag Dept. of my school, and a tractor that I've grown to admire.

A yet to be installed crossing

Continued...

Really it is a good Idea that you went with the ho trainset because O scale takes up too much room thats why I collect HO and N scale

 

[Gandalf0444]

Yeah same here, I had HO scale and still do, but I thought HO took up to much room so I focused on N scale.

 

[tbob]

that looks great , just a couple of hints though , the EZ-Track comes in Nickel and Steel , Steel is Cheaper but keeping using Nickel sice it works better. Also , Horn Hook Couplers shouldnt be combined with knuckle couplers, but dont worry , couplers are changable so that can be fixed. I remember my 1st Model Trainset w/ HO (The Acela $320) , not worth it but it is an expensive hobby. Im thinking about getting started again. Also using Matchbox cars or Hot wheels is the right thing to do as it is in the same scale as HO , so buy those instead of thse $6 Cars while they are a buck @ Walmart . So here are some hints from a former model railroader. By the way, the best companies are Walthers , Bachman , Atlas, Kato and Athearn. Happy Railroading

PVINCENT342

Don't you worry, I've done my research.

I'm using hook horns, that's what I meant by couplers, lol

For vehicles, I've got Corgi Fire Heroes, Ertyl John Deere stuff, and Tonka stuff from Tractor Supply, all reasonably priced

 

[Spawn_of_Chaos97]

"Horn hooks" you goofball, and they STINK. Get either Kadee or McHenry's! They're knuckle couplers, and they come with a bonus: get the magnetic uncoupler things, and you don't even have to TOUCH them to uncouple your cars!

 

[campbell5149]

ya i've got H.O. too, but my layout has found itself in pieces after a fire, all caused by a faulty atlas switch. thank god i could save my rolling stock and locos!!!!!!!


o, and my house too! almost forgot that...:hehe:

 

[campbell5149]

Don't you worry, I've done my research.

I'm using hook horns, that's what I meant by couplers, lol

For vehicles, I've got Corgi Fire Heroes, Ertyl John Deere stuff, and Tonka stuff from Tractor Supply, all reasonably priced

it's horn hooks, not hook horn...... i been workin with this stuff for a while, and i hate em.... all my stuff is knuckle couplers...

 

[GP_38-2]

whatever you call em they come out to the same thing. Junk!

Kadee #5 or #58 (the scale version of the #5) all metal
McHenry come in all sorts (including a specialized version just for the truck mount Rivarossi/AHM models plastic with metal spring
Proto 2000 (expensive but reasonable scale) all metal
Bachman EZ Couplers (I think they're actually re-branded McHenry's)
Athearn (again same as McHenry's)
Atlas (more McHenry's)

 

[Spawn_of_Chaos97]

McHenry come in all sorts (including a specialized version just for the truck mount Rivarossi/AHM models plastic with metal spring

Glory Halleujah for that! I got IHC cars which use the exact same system!