I Know its been asked before
 

I am looking to get into the hobby (something for the retirement 18 yrs away) so I am starting with a blank canvas, which is best OO or N DCC or DC. I was thinking of buying a complete set to start with and carry on from there probably into a 8x6 shed. I know it is the age old question but we all have to start somewhere.

Thanks

Mike

Hello mictop and a warm welcome to the forum. The way I see it there are several things to take into consideration;

How much room do you have available? An 8X6 shed will give you a reasonable size layout in 00, or a really good size one in N.

How's your eyesight? It just won't get any better as you get older. I speak from personal experience, when I was 43 I could see OK to do lining out on 00 locos, twenty years on and I won't even waste my time trying because my eyes just ain't up to it! If You start with N are you going to be able to see to do fine detail stuff around the time you retire? Some friends of mine built a N scale layout to sell to raise funds for preservation some time back, the verdict after completing it was "Never again" "Pass the Magnifying glass" "Don't call us, Please don't call us"! They were about your age and skilled at 00 modelling.

I have no personal experience with DCC, but from what I have seen at various shows, exhibitions, etc, If I was just starting I would go for it from day 1. When you have a couple of dozen locos it's not so easy to convert to it but if you buy stock ready equipped it's easier.

Take some time to visit as many exhibitions as you can before you start spending and talk to the people running the layouts, there is a wealth of experience there to be tapped into for just the admission charge, also some traders do special "Show only" discount offers.

Hope that this is helpful.

The natives are very friendly on here so feel free to throw questions at 'em.

Regards, 62440.

Please excuse my ignorance, but what is DCC?

In a word.... DIGITAL

Regards, 62440

Hi Mictop, welcome to the forum.
As others have said, go for a fairly simple "OO" layout but make sure you invest in DCC - it is light years ahead of DC. The only problem I found with it is that all rail connections have to be electrically bonded (ie solder all the rail joints).
Dave; DCC is the future! Basically, you can control each locomotive from one controller without having to section the track. Imagine being able to independantly control every engine in a shed yard without any track sections!
Find someone who has a DCC layout and talk to them, they will be able to answer all your questions. The model shops will spout information from the instruction manuals but few have the practical experience of it.

Welcome to the Forum mictop. I would totally agree with the advice given by 62240 and Tony. We have a 009 layout at the model railway club I go to (4mm narrow gauge running on N gauge track and I have enough difficulty seeing that!) If I had the space I would go for 0 gauge!

Deffinately go for DCC!

Keep us up to date with progress.

Best wishes for Christmas and 2010,

John H-T.

Hello Mictop and welcome to the Railway Forum. Sorry, but some how I missed your first post. I have to agree with all the comments about DCC. I have been collecting bits for my 00 layout for nearly 3 years now and I still am not yet 100% sure as to the actual track layout.

Go OO mictop. N is okay, but I have issues regarding the couplings. Shunting is very hit and miss, although I'm sure Swisstrains would have a few words to say here! :)

Just quickly from me, if you have a model railway club near you, join it ! You have nothing to lose and you will get a lot of help from the members.

48111

Hi, I agree with the eyesight issue. I am very blessed I still have good vision.

DCC yes probably if you are reasonably well off. Most new locos turn in at three figures now and it would presume that you have no earlier stock which can be difficult to fit chips.

Be very careful if using DCC to get good reliable chips and be very careful with track laying - it does not tolerate short circuits well.

Fo me its old DC I build my own locos.