HI beveryody :)
After looking at LOADS of topics on here over the last fortnight or so I have got serious info overload so, I thought I'd ask what is possibly an easy Q for all you pro's to answer :-
Is it worth buying a train set v. separates to get started ?
My reasoning is that one of my requirements is operation over scenery (for the time-being I hasten to add ;)) and I love the idea of having a multi-platform terminus station with all the associated movements. (I used to spend loads of time at Hull Paragon in my mis-spent youth and loved to watch the loco's moving around their trains)
One of the sets I've seen has an 08 shunter in it and (thanks to another thread) it seems that this is the perfect loco to judge platform spacings. Seemed to be quite a reasonable price as well, about £170 IIRC and seeing as there was a similar loco only on eBay for over £100 is this a good move ?
The only problem is that I would like to use code 55 rail for the extra realism whereas the set comes with setrack.
So, what would you peeps recommend ?
:thankyousign:
OOPS !!! forgot to add, I will be modelling in Rail Blue era, mid 70's to late eighties as that was when I was most "into" Railways so the 08 in the kit will have to be repainted eventually
If you aren't going to use the track, don't really want that particular locomotive and have plans way beyond the basic controller then it doesn't seem so much of a bargain. Are you planning to go DCC or DC?
I think a train set is a good idea - and even if you end up discarding the code 80 track you won't lose much. You could easily use the code 80 stuff in hidden areas once you settle on a layout plan.
A train set will let you get a feel for N gauge without committing too much cash. :beers:
Agreed; plus, even if the circle of track isn't useful on a more 'serious' end-to-end layout or DCC operation, the circle of track and cheap controller will be very handy for running in new stock (best done on a circle of track on DC). So either way, you won't be wasting your money.
£170 for the Farish "Steel Worker Train Set" is a bit much though, and that's the only one I'm aware of with an 08 shunter in it. New 08s cost around £50-70, so for a train set, I'd only be expecting to pay around £100-120 for a train pack or set depending on what it came with.
Cheers, NeMo
Quote from: austinbob on January 11, 2016, 08:18:37 PM
I think a train set is a good idea - and even if you end up discarding the code 80 track you won't lose much. You could easily use the code 80 stuff in hidden areas once you settle on a layout plan.
A train set will let you get a feel for N gauge without committing too much cash. :beers:
Quote from: ShakyZZR on January 11, 2016, 08:00:21 PM
Seemed to be quite a reasonable price as well, about £170 IIRC and seeing as there was a similar loco only on eBay for over £100 is this a good move ?
Happy to sell you one for about £150 :D
(looking forwards to making £50 off this !!!)OK, more seriously, a single Google finds the Steel Worker set for a few quid under £100 ... If this is
indeed the set you have in mind, you
really need to have a wider search on-line ! Whether this 08 is right for you ... only you can say. An 03 in BR Blue is £75ish, so if you consider the 3 wagons, track & DC controller are £25 the lot ... (RoS are selling the track/controller & the 3 wagons for £25 a group ... so £50 for both groups). Code 80 is OK; at worst, as the others say, use it in the fiddle yard, or for a small running-in oval.
It looks a reasonable set; not my cup of tea, but ... If you like it - go for it, just
don't pay over £100 (unless that includes a fiver for shipping).
But ... if you really want Code 55 ... and you really want an 08 in BR Blue ... a basic DC controller is cheap to buy on it's own. Add on the loco you prefer & you're about the £100 mark. The track equivalent in Code 55 will push the price up a bit, but still cheaper than that £170 !!!
Cheers for the replies guys. As to the £170.....errrr.........well.........god knows where I got that from :dunce:.
I have seen them for around the £100 mark, best bit is, I edited my post twice because I forgot to add the bit about the era I am contemplating modelling on and I STILL didn't notice my typo :doh:
I think I may well go that route so I've got summat to have a faff around with and see if it would be worth me going any further with it. At least as bob said, I wouldn't be losing much if I ended up having to chuck it all.
Thanks again guys.
Darren
**EDIT** One of these days I will post a reply without forgetting summat - lol. Is this 08 the one to go for to check platform spacing btw ?
Quote from: ShakyZZR on January 11, 2016, 09:19:51 PM
Cheers for the replies guys. As to the £170.....errrr.........well.........god knows where I got that from :dunce:.
I have seen them for around the £100 mark, best bit is, I edited my post twice because I forgot to add the bit about the era I am contemplating modelling on and I STILL didn't notice my typo :doh:
I think I may well go that route so I've got summat to have a faff around with and see if it would be worth me going any further with it. At least as bob said, I wouldn't be losing much if I ended up having to chuck it all.
Thanks again guys.
Darren
**EDIT** One of these days I will post a reply without forgetting summat - lol. Is this 08 the one to go for to check platform spacing btw ?
Darren
Once you see your little loco running on a bit of track I'm sure you'll fall in love with it and you won't want to 'chuck it all'.
and yes.. I believe the 08 is good for checking platform spacing - I'm gonna use my 08 for just that purpose.
Happy N gauging.
:beers:
Quote from: MikeDunn on January 11, 2016, 09:06:44 PM
Happy to sell you one for about £150 :D (looking forwards to making £50 off this !!!)
Hehe, mebbe you should've PM's me Mike, the way I've been just lately I'd have prolly fell for it :worried:
Seen it at two places for £99.99, antics with (I think) free shipping or Kernhow + £4 P&P.
Now I know I'm from Yorkshire and ££££ saved makes me smile but I have seen a couple of posts mentioning Kernhows which seem to rate them highly but nothing re: Antics. Knowing as I do now the wealth of knowledge and experience on this board I consider it prudent to ask:-
Would either of these retailers be OK to get it from or do they have any "black marks" I should be aware of ?
Cheers as always
Darren
The best prices seem to be Hattons (never used them myself), Rails of Sheffield (usually OK, think they have this set for £97 ?), and my personal favourite Hereford Models (they can beat the others a little usually). Sadly, HM seem to be sold out of the Steel Worker.
Can't say I've used either Kernow or Antics; been in the latter's shop, never been particularly impressed.
Mike
Hi Shaky, welcome. As you so rightly state, there is a huge wealth of information, (from a friendly bunch ;)), on this 'ere forum and whatever the question, no matter how daft it may seem, someone will be able to answer it. I started with n gauge, (and railway modelling), 12 months ago after reading various posts on here. I started with a set - engine, rolling stock, controller and track - which seemed the easiest way to start. I have added some more track and am well on the way to completing my 4' x 2' coffee table layout - and looking forward to getting started on a 12' x 3' (ish), layout. :claphappy:. Slightly off topic, (sorry mods), wheres thee from in Yorkshire lad? I was dragged up born and bred in Bradford and spent most of my adult life there until I 'emigrated' to the Emerald Isle.
Addit: :doh: - just seen you are from Hull - never mind.
A circle of track from a set, even of not used for a layout, is always handy even if just for running your locomotive stock in initially.
I have one in N and one in OO for that very reason :)
Quote from: ShakyZZR on January 11, 2016, 09:44:08 PMNow I know I'm from Yorkshire and ££££ saved makes me smile
And as I was born and brung up close to a northern border I feel duty bound to mention Cheltenham at £96.99 +£4pp
;D
http://www.cheltenhammodelcentre.com/products/26687-Graham-Farish-370-140-The-Steel-Worker-Train-Set/ (http://www.cheltenhammodelcentre.com/products/26687-Graham-Farish-370-140-The-Steel-Worker-Train-Set/)
No connection, happy customer etc&etc
Remember that a green shunter could survive for a long time into the blue period so you should not need to repaint
Quote from: ShakyZZR on January 11, 2016, 09:19:51 PM
**EDIT** One of these days I will post a reply without forgetting summat - lol. Is this 08 the one to go for to check platform spacing btw ?
Yes. The Farish 08 is one of the widest models out there. If it'll fit through a goods shed or past a platform, most everything else will too.
Cheers, NeMo
I wouldn't buy a train set on its own for a child because children today get bored very quickly and watching a train going round a small oval will bore them very quickly . It will be OK if you buy extra track and a few points so that they can build up a small circuit with passing loops and sidings and at least one other loco .
The other reason for buying a train set is they can be a cheaper way of buying a particular loco as some are only released in sets as a limited edition name or number.
As allready said the track will come in handy as a test track ,in fact if you make a figure of eight then you don't even need to take the loco of the track just run it for about an hour in each direction gradually increasing the speed.
Sorry if I've repeated what's been said many times .
Bob
Folk will have their favourite shops both to visit and online.
It may be handy to do a thorough search to see who is offering a decent deal.
On a personal level I have done business with:
Hatton's - large stocks and usually prompt delivery but occasional hiccups
Cheltenham - occasional excellent price and decent customer service
Kernow - again the every now and then bargain but always good service
RoS - good service and occasional bargain
Not got that much since moving up to the Worcester area other than what I had on pre order from several suppliers but Hereford Model Centre have been recommended to me. I've yet to visit that store.
Happy hunting!
Dave G
Quote from: daveg on January 12, 2016, 02:59:32 PM
Not got that much since moving up to the Worcester area other than what I had on pre order from several suppliers but Hereford Model Centre have been recommended to me. I've yet to visit that store.
This is my local shop, and well worth a visit. Slightly chaotic, but in a good way. If you can't see it in the cabinet, then ask...they seem to have a lot of stock hidden away! I also understand they test every loco before dispatch if you are mail ordering, which is useful to know.
Quote from: Jonas on January 12, 2016, 03:28:04 PM
they seem to have a lot of stock hidden away!
LOL, you better believe it ! I've had a tour of the warehousing, and it's amazing :D
Quote from: Bob Tidbury on January 12, 2016, 09:01:42 AM
As allready said the track will come in handy as a test track ,in fact if you make a figure of eight then you don't even need to take the loco of the track just run it for about an hour in each direction gradually increasing the speed.
Sorry if I've repeated what's been said many times .
Bob
Cheers Bob, that takes care of me having to look up the running-in procedure then :)
How come I never came across THIS (http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?topic=20518.0) thread in the last fortnight ? Typical innit, just about all my Q's are answered there ::)
Many thanks to all. :NGF:
Just a thought, you mention rail blue and an interest in passenger operations. In that case, the Steel Worker set might not be the best one for you.
Have a look around for the Newspaper Express trainset (product code 370-065) It includes a rail blue Class 24 with matching GUV and full brake coach ( as well as track and controller). It is no longer produced but can be tracked down second hand.
It might suit your eventual plans better than the Steel Worker as parcels and newspaper stock is much more at home in a passenger terminus than steel wagons.
Evening Darren,
Seeing that you are in Hull, you would be very welcome to visit us at Hull MRS one evening! :wave:
Quote from: ShakyZZR on January 11, 2016, 08:00:21 PM
I used to spend loads of time at Hull Paragon in my mis-spent youth and loved to watch the loco's moving around their trains.
We are currently building a layout based on Hull's other Terminus - Cannon Street.
See the thread on here (http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?topic=30294.msg343359#msg343359) or our Blog (http://hullngauge.blogspot.co.uk/) for details!
Getting back to your original questions;
Quote from: ShakyZZR on January 11, 2016, 08:00:21 PM
Is it worth buying a train set v. separates to get started ?
They do offer a quick 'all you need' starting point, and if the stock in the set is something you particularly want, are definitely worthwhile - the prices are typically around 75% of the cost of buying the same items individually.
They also seem to hold value pretty well compared to mainstream production should you later change your focus. Typically the second hand price for an ex-set loco will be near enough the same as any other example of the type so given the lower original cost, the return is better.
Quote from: ShakyZZR on January 11, 2016, 08:00:21 PM
The only problem is that I would like to use code 55 rail for the extra realism whereas the set comes with setrack.
Code 80 Set track serves a useful purpose as a simple robust beginners entry point so it is a sensible decision to use it in the sets, but I'd never consider it for an exhibition layout. In fact we have made the decision to go a step further and use the finetrax code 40 on the new layout.
Paul
Quote from: Karhedron on January 12, 2016, 04:49:19 PM
Just a thought, you mention rail blue and an interest in passenger operations. In that case, the Steel Worker set might not be the best one for you.
Have a look around for the Newspaper Express trainset (product code 370-065) It includes a rail blue Class 24 with matching GUV and full brake coach ( as well as track and controller). It is no longer produced but can be tracked down second hand.
It might suit your eventual plans better than the Steel Worker as parcels and newspaper stock is much more at home in a passenger terminus than steel wagons.
Thanks for the heads-up bud. However, I'm always a little sceptical of buying 2nd-hand stuff, unless of course they're from someone who is known and trusted but thanks for giving me another option, it's appreciated. :)
Quote from: PLD on January 12, 2016, 07:46:24 PM
Evening Darren,
Seeing that you are in Hull, you would be very welcome to visit us at Hull MRS one evening! :wave:
Thanks for the invite Paul. I may just take you up on that sometime. Are you guys responsible for the large scale railway in West Park as well, or is that another group ?
Quote from: PLD on January 12, 2016, 07:46:24 PM
We are currently building a layout based on Hull's other Terminus - Cannon Street.
See the thread on here (http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?topic=30294.msg343359#msg343359) or our Blog (http://hullngauge.blogspot.co.uk/) for details! ;
I've seen that thread, looks like that will be something special. My Mam remembers that station although only being 50 myself, I don't. Would be great if she's still with us when you complete it to bring her to 'ave a gander :) She's 81 in March but still as fit as a lop, put it this way, I STILL watch what I'm doing when I'm around her as she's not too fussed about giving me a slap if it warrants it :D
Quote from: ShakyZZR on January 12, 2016, 04:35:14 PM
How come I never came across THIS (http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?topic=20518.0) thread in the last fortnight ? Typical innit, just about all my Q's are answered there ::)
Many thanks to all. :NGF:
Has anyone heard anything from the OP on that link above recently ? The thread just seems to stop abruptly in Nov 2014 and the last time he seemed to visit the board was January 2015 :confused1: I was enjoying watching his progress.