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Why O-Gauge?
- Many O-gauge trains are built to played with and passed on for generations. Even many starter sets include die-cast steel locomotives and cars with many metal parts.
- It is easy to incrementally upgrade a starter set with even higher-quality cars and locomotives and trackside accessories as the years go by
- What about cost? Although O-gauge equipment initially costs more than HO gauge, it not only lasts longer but holds its value. Used equipment can be resold easily. Rarer pieces sometimes appreciate.
- The best O-gauge locomotives are both finely-crafted machines and true works of art. You might not be able to collect Porsches, but you could collect some of the best toy trains ever produced. You can buy pristine examples of many collectable locomotives for a few hundred dollars.
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Why Not O-Gauge?
- Cost: an O-gauge starter set or layout is several times the cost of an HO gauge layout of the same (scale) size and quality.
- Durability of high-end equipment under hard use: many modern O-gauge trains won't stand up to hard use, for example, unattended play by children. There are two potential sources of trouble in the more expensive modern trains: the electronics can be damaged by derailments, and detail parts (handrails, etc) can break off. The very sturdiest choice for children would be Lionel's most basic, non-electronic Pennsylvania Flyer set, which still uses 1950's era technology. You can also find older inexpensive, low-end sets at train shows and auction sites. Otherwise, children are probably better off with a G-scale set (most are less prone to electronic damage, and are made of sturdy plastic) or an inexpensive HO set that you won't mind having destroyed.
- The space needed for an minimal O layout is larger than for an HO layout, but not by as much as you might think. If you are happy with a "toy train" style, you can build a nice layout in 4 x 8 feet, or even 3 x 6 feet - see my Layouts directory. A very realistic ("high rail") layout, on the other hand, can easily fill a room. If you are space-constrained and want realism, you should consider HO or N scale.
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Where to Shop?
- Find a local store that specializes in O-gauge model trains. Forget
about toy stores! The best search engine is http://www.hobbyretailer.com/. A big advantage of buying locally is that the dealer will repair or replace defective merchandise under warranty - and due to the many mechanical and electronic parts in O-gauge trains, defects are unfortunately not rare. If you save $10 by buying mail-order and then spend $20 mailing a defective piece back, your savings is negative!
- Although there are many train dealers online, few have lower prices than
you find locally. An online store with good service and good prices is trainz.com. The store WholesaleTrains.com (also known as Lantz Hobbies) has a very large selection and low prices, but their shipping charges are unpredictable (you have to telephone to learn what the shipping charges will be for your order) as is how well the merchandise is packed (they often reuse old boxes taped together for shipping).
- Ebay is a great place to sell O gauge trains, but not necessary a good place to buy them. Ebay auctions often end up with higher prices than are available at many dealers. Most bids on an auction come in during the last two hours. Auctions that end on Sunday evenings tend to end up with the highest prices. Those that end during work hours on a weekday tend to end with the lowest prices.
- A good auction site for buying O gauge trains is LiveAuctioneers. Search on "Lionel" at the site to find upcoming model train auctions. A great feature of online auctions is that you can decide how much in advance the most you want to pay for an item, and then record a "sealed bid" for that amount. At the auction, your bids will be placed for lower amounts up to your limit (just like Ebay). This way, you'll avoid getting caught up in a frenzy and overpaying. Professional auction houses that deal in large numbers of model trains use a standard grading guide. I have found the grading information from auction houses that list with LiveAuctioneers, such as Stout Auctions, to be quite accurate. Equipment rated C6 or C7 looks great and is often surprisingly affordable. Beware of the grades used by sellers on Ebay - I often see items described as Excellent (C7) that from their photographs are obviously C4 or worse.
- Model train shows are a great place to see operating layouts and to buy new and used merchandise from a large number of dealers. There probably is a show near you at least once a year. Dealers will typically sell new merchandise for a slight discount off MSRP (on the order of 10%). Prices on used equipment will vary widely, from much less than the original MSRP to considerably more. You should buy a recent edition of Greenberg's Lionel Trains Pocket Price Guide before you attend. Many traveling shows are organized by Greenberg Shows. The Train Collectors Association (TCA) organizes a huge show twice a year in York, Pennsylvania. To attend York, you need to be with a TCA member or join TCA yourself, which requires being sponsored by a member. You can find members willing to sponsor you on the O-Gauge Forum or by contacting TCA directly.
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O Gauge Train Eras
Many hobbyists like to collect antique trains to display or run.
- Trains produced up to 1942 are called "pre-war", and those from 1945 to 1969 "post-war". (No model trains were manufactured in the USA during its involvement in WWII.) "Tinplate" trains are the earliest pre-war trains, which are constructed out of sheet metal rather than die-cast metal and plastic. "Tinplate" is sometimes used generically to refer to any pre-war train or to any toy-style train.
- Almost all O-gauge trains are electrically compatible - if the motor is in good condition, you can run a train from 1945 on a modern layout.
- You can educate yourself about models, terminology, and prices by getting the Standard Catalogs of Lionel Trains by David Doyle, volumes 1 (pre-war) and 2 (post-war).
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Which Brand to Buy?
The brands to know are Lionel, MTH, Atlas-O, Williams, and Weaver. Engines, cars, and transformers are
interchangeable (except as regards remote-control, see below), so you are not locked into one brand.
- Starting in 2003, Lionel starter sets come with Fastrack track. It is quite sturdy when locked together. The rails are attached to a wide,
solid plastic base, so it is fine to use even on heavy carpet. The Fastrack manual switches are unique in that they will not derail the train if it runs into it "backwards". With other kinds of track you must buy more expensive remote-controlled switches to avoid frequent derailments.
- MTH uses a similar but incompatible track called RealTrax, which they
introduced years before Lionel. It is a bit more realistic looking than Fastrack, and also is sturdy and can be set up on a carpeted floor. MTH was founded in 1980 by a model-train enthusiast who wanted to recapture
the glory days of model railroading, and ever since has built a strong
reputation for the highest quality equipment. MTH makes several
different product lines: Their popular RailKing line of traditional
trains includes many starter sets. The Premier line is aimed at adults
who collect highly accurate scale models of real trains. Finally, MTH
has a unique Tinplate Traditions line of reproductions of early turn of the
century (1900, that is!) toy trains made out of stamped metal that are a larger scale, called "Standard Scale".
- Lionel Corporation is actually a brand of MTH that produces reproductions of O-gauge and standard-gauge trains from the early pre-war era.
- Atlas-O makes detailed, high-quality scale-size trains aimed at adults who want to create realistic ("high rail") layouts. They have concentrated on diesel engines, but in 2007 offered their first steam engine model. In 2007 they also came out with their first starter set that includes an engine, cars, and track (but no transformer). Atlas track is more realistic looking than either Lionel Fastrack or MTH RealTrax, but the sections do not lock together as strongly, so it should be set up on a table rather than a carpeted floor. Most Atlas-O engines are compatible with Lionel TMCC remote control.
- Williams was a small independent company producing replicas of postwar Lionel trains until the owner retired in 2008. Fortunately, rather than disappearing, the company was bought by Bachmann, which had previously been known for HO and N gauge trains. Williams trains incorporate few electronics and no remote control, and are built like rocks. However, their starter sets are considerably pricier than those from Lionel or MTH.
- Weaver is another small company that manufactures O-gauge trains and buildings right in Northumberland, Pennsylvania. It is the only company described here that builds trains in the USA. It appeals mainly to adult collectors who want the very highest quality and detail. They do not sell starter sets and their engines are pricey, but they also have a huge range of rolling stock (cars) and wooden and plastic buildings that are very affordable.
- Up until 2005, there was another major independent O-gauge train company, K-Line. Their
higher-end collectible engines were typically 30% cheaper than the Lionel or MTH versions of those same locomotives. Another unique feature of K-Line's higher-end engines is that they could negotiate standard 031-inch (diameter) curves; nearly all of the more expensive engines from Lionel and MTH require 042-inch or even larger curves. For example, see their beautiful "Shay" engine (that historically was used for logging on steep mountain lines). K-Line licensed Lionel's TMCC remote control system. Unfortunately, they also tried to improve on Lionel's "cruise control" by buying Lionel's electronic designs from an unscrupulous Lionel employee. As a result, Lionel sued K-Line, K-Line lost, and was eventually acquired by an overseas manufacturer which in turn licensed its name back to Lionel! In 2007 Lionel introduced the "K-Line by Lionel" line of products, which features semi-scale, 031-compatible engines and cars, as well as a unique line of electric streetcar track called SuperStreets.
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Judging Quality
How can you judge the quality of a (new) engine or rolling stock? Aside from the obvious visual detail, a simple rule of thumb is that higher
quality pieces tend to use less plastic and more metal (steel, aluminum, or
brass):
- The body of steam locomotive should be die-cast metal. The upper
body of a diesel engine will be plastic, but if you turn it over all
you should see is metal. All of the companies mentioned above include
such engines in some of their least expensive starter sets - but there are
some unfortunate exceptions, so check before buying!
- For rolling stock, check whether the "trucks" (the things the wheels
attach to) are plastic or steel. Steel trucks are sturdier and their
weight helps keep the car on the track. If the trucks are
steel, check if the carriage (the bottom of the car) is steel as well -
another good sign. The rest of the body is likely to be plastic, even
in more expensive equipment, but there are some exceptions.
Both MTH and K-Line make freight cars with metal
die-cast bodies, but
a line of several such cars will be too heavy
for most engines to pull. The more expensive passenger cars from all
three manufacturers are made of aluminum. Most pre-war rolling stock is made of thin stamped steel called tinplate.
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Sounds, Remote Control, and Transformers
Traditional O-gauge trains include a electro-mechanical horn and (rarely)
a bell. Although such trains still appear in starter sets,
most modern O-gauge locomotives include electronic sound systems of varying
degrees of sophistication. They provide sounds of chuffing, steam release, brakes, whistle, bell, and radio chatter from a train crew.
- Higher end engines also are remote-control ready. There are two
different (incompatible) remote control systems, one by Lionel and also licensed to
other companies such as Atlas, and the other by MTH. Both systems allow
multiple trains to be independently operated on the same track from a hand
held remote (including detailed control of sounds), and can operate remote
switches and accessories.
- Terminology:
- Trainsounds - engines with Lionel's most basic electronic sound system
- Railsounds - engines with Lionel's more advanced electronic sound system, which allows multiple sounds to occur simultaneously (e.g. chuffing + whistle + bell)
- TMCC (TrainMaster Command Control) - engines with Lionel's remote control
capability and electronic sounds system
- TMCC II Legacy, - Lionel's updated remote control system, released in 2007. It has many new features but is backward compatible with original TMCC equipment.
- Loco-Sounds - engines with MTH's electronic sounds system only
- Proto-Sounds DCS (Digital Command System) - engines with MTH's remote
control capability and electronic sounds system. If you buy used equipment, be sure it is Proto-Sounds 2.0, not MTH's earlier 1.0 system.
- Remote control allows you to run multiple trains on the same track without complex wiring of different sections of your layout. For Lionel, the most basic set up requires a TMCC or TMCC Legacy enabled engine(s) and the CAB-1 handheld control and the TMCC command base (about $150 total for the control and base). Substituting the TMCC II Legacy controller and base would bring the price to $300. For the MTH system, you need Protosound 2.0 enabled engine(s) and about $300 for the handheld and base. Both systems work well. One advantage of the TMCC system is that the command base only needs to be wired to the track at a single point; the Protosound system typically requires running wires to several points for the most robust operation. The cheapest TMCC enabled engines from Lionel are more expensive than the cheapest Protosound engines from MTH.
- Using remote controlled switches and operating accessories with a layout that is
not permanently installed on a train table is a pain because of all of the
wiring involved. You might think that the Lionel or MTH wireless remote
control systems would simplify things, but they usually don't! The systems are designed so that the handheld unit sends a signal to a command unit which
must be physically connected to the transformer. The command unit then
broadcasts another signal to a switch control unit, which must be hardwired to
each of your switches.
- In 2009, Lionel introduced Fastrack switches that have built-in remote control receivers. This would seem to overcome the wiring problem - and it does, if you can foot the bill. Each TMCC enabled switch lists for $120 and retails for about $100.
- All US O-gauge trains run on 0-18 volt AC current, and transformers from any of the companies mentioned here are interchangeable. The higher wattage of a transformer, the larger layout it can handle without overheating. Get a transformer with at least 70W of power, such as the Lionel CW-80 or the MTH Z750. If you have inherited an old Lionel transformer that is in good condition (no frayed wires or cracks in the case), you can use it with modern trains. However, to protect the delicate electronics in modern engines from being damaged, you should add an inexpensive fuse block between the transformer and the track. You can buy appropriate fuse blocks from Scott's Odds N Ends. In fact, it is an excellent idea to add a fuse block even if you have a brand new transformer.
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Recommended Starter Sets (Christmas 2009)
Plan on spending at $200 to $300 on a good starter set that includes a die-cast steam locomotive, several cars, a loop of track, and a transformer. Don't forget to buy some extra track, too!
Some good choices as of 2009, along with the lowest retail price I've seen, include:
- Lionel Pennsylvania Flyer with Air Whistle Set - $170
- Lionel's Alaska Steam Work Train Set - $200
- Lionel New York Central Flyer Railsounds Set - $250
- Lionel Polar Express Set - $250
- MTH Pennsylvania 2-8-0 Steam Passenger RTR Train Set with PS2 (ProtoSound 2.0) - $280
- MTH Pennsylvania 2-8-0 Steam Freight RTR Train Set with PS2 (ProtoSound 2.0) - $280
- What about the Lionel Harry Potter Hogwart's Express O-Gauge set ($350 list, discounted to $210 at Toys R Us)? It looks great, and I owned one once, but I found it disappointing. The engine is not a smooth runner - it slows down dramatically on curves, and cannot negotiate any curve tighter than O36, so it is not possible to run on older O31 track. And, disappointingly for the HP fan, there are no HP character figures included.
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