Not for my layout, but one of my grandsons is interested in trains and I would like to buy/build a simple layout. As he's only 7 I want reasonably robust locos, with that in mind I don't think that steam is really a goer as I can hear in my head "Mike can you mend this please" too often. I don't think the motions or the connection from tender to loco would last to well.

I would normally buy a small (get ready for the swear words) Hornby OO set. But he has limited space so N it will have to be.

Now to cut to the chase what I'm thinking off is a Peco set track starter kit ( I have some spare code 80 track to add to it), a gaugemaster Combi 12v 1Amp Single Track Controller with Transformer, something like a Farish Deltic loco and a couple of carriages (possible Dapol with the light kit added).

I also have some hardboard  to use as a baseboard. I also have a spare Metcalfe pack of Railway workers cottages (I read the description from the OO kits and thought there was only 2 per kit instead of the 4 in N gauge so I brought 3 instead of the 2 I needed ). I think I will also have some platform left over I could add.

Also it would make getting presents easier in the future a building, Loco, wagons or suchlike.

Any comments please.

http://www.osbornsmodels.com/dapol-ndiesel2-dcc-set-digital-start-set-25718-p.asp

http://www.osbornsmodels.com/osborns-set-2-27671-p.asp

Hope these are of some help

Would your grandson be interested in making up one of the free kits you can download?
I realise at 7 y/o he may be a bit young, especially for the cutting out part but it might turn out to be a nice project for both of you to try out.

Class 08 locos are fairly robust beasts along with some Peco 5 or 7 plank wagon kits you could make up together.

Kitchen roll tubes make good tunnels along with some paper maché and poster paint.

cheers John.

Re GWR - Kris post,  a trainset -in - a - box is the simplest way to get started, loco, trucks, track and power
controller all provided and the oval can be added to later. I think kids prefer goods trains as they can put Lego,
soldiers , farm animals etc in the trucks. By the way I don't think hardboard is a good choice for the base, its hard and noisy, but perhaps would suffice on a temporary basis. Good luck with the project !

I would recommend a Kato Unitrack M1 set for an oval + controller + (this is key!) a re-railer.

Then see if you can get a Minitrix "class 27" from Ebay (or if the model offends you a minitrix class 47 or even a dock tank might do better), and as already suggested some Peco wagon kits - about 3 quid each and can give you a rake fairly cheaply. For a 7-year old the nuts on the bottom might be too much so you can glue instead. Avoid the 9ft wheelbase which is a little bit trickier to assemble.

Quote from: Agrippa on October 17, 2013, 11:17:28 AM
By the way I don't think hardboard is a good choice for the base, its hard and noisy,

Perfect for a young lad, lots of noise to annoy his parents with

I like the idea of Peco kits ( I need to get some for myself ).

The reason I went for the Deltic is the lights it would keep him amused for hours and me as I have one coming for my birthday (well it's here but Mrs M won't let me have it yet).

As much as I like the idea of DCC the price is a bit out of my range.

I would like to have something ready to roll at Christmas and look at the pair of us building some kits later, what this normally means is me making the kit and Jack watching
Agree that hardboard isn't the best but I have some already here and getting the builder merchants to cut ply or MDF is impossible around here. A full sheet would be far to big.

If I was 7 years old I reckon I might find re-railing anything with bogies and lots of wheels difficult - and this might have to happen often since high speed rail crashes on curves is an appealing play activity if some visitors to our house a while back are typical. A Deltic would be easier than an A4 Pacific with tender admittedley - but much harder than an 0-6-0 like a Jinty or a diesel shunter.

Are 7 year olds fascinated by tiny LED lights? Don't know - it's a long time since I was 7.     

Hardboard for a baseboard = disaster waiting to happen! 

No matter how much support you put under it, and how much you try to prevent it, it WILL warp very quickly - that's what hardboard does. How quickly will your grandson get fed up with trains derailing, stopping and generally running badly, and ultimately find something more satisfying to do?


Paul

agreed hardboard would be a disaster. The kato track is designed to put away when not used as its for japan where space is an issue. also kato track has the balast already there and for a young child would be more appealing from the start.

There is also this and you can purchase the trains seperate,

http://www.osbornsmodels.com/kato-m2-20-851-n-scale-starter-trackcontroller-pack-221-p.asp

Also note only the dapol coaches have a space for lightbars, Mk3's and collets, teaks to name some.

A class 66 surely, and a Peco re-railing slide!

He was born well into the 21st Century - what's a "Deltic"  ?!!!   

Good luck with the project!!

Cheers   Jon   

Another loco that would be pretty robust in a 7 year olds hands would be one of the older class 20s.
A solid metal body and no parts easily broken.
The only downside is the propensity for split gears on some of them.

Ste.................

As I've been indoctrinating into trains from the '50s and 60s I don't think he would be to worried about the era

But looking at it a Kato setup may well be the best option.

As you already have a controller, one of the Kato extension sets, inner or outer oval depending on space, the inner oval is anout £30 with postage, the outer is about £35. Both include a circle plus straights and connector rail. Further extension(s) (next birthday?) add a passing loop,  or sidings. If the track is not too rigidly fixed down the extensions can easily be added as & when.

A Farish 0-6-0T with a Thomas like face might go down well, or Amazon  have a Tomix thomas and 2 coaches, Ebay probably have them too.

I would have thought one of these would be perfect - if they're in stock for Xmas !

http://www.modelrailwaysdirect.co.uk/New-Graham-Farish-2013/New-Graham-Farish-Train-Sets/

Cheers,

Rob.