A coupla questions...

N is my scale of choice, so someone else will have to reply to your questions about O scale. I can recommend a good on-line primer for DCC:

hope it helps.

-- Bill McC.

Buy a current issue of each the mags, the ads will a) answer most of your questions; and b) give you enough info so that you what questions to ask that you didn't think of yet. There's a mag called O Scale Railroading, that should be very on topic for you. But Mr and RMC are OK, too. Mags IMO are the quickest way to get a feel for the current state of the hobby, and besides, you can take 'em to the throne room. :-)

Have fun!

Just to be sure you get good answers, by "model in O scale" do you mean 1/4" to the foot scale with 2 rail NMRA track standards (like "O Scale" used to mean), or do you mean 1:48 proportioned equipment with big flanges running on 3 rail track which used to be called "Hi-Rail" but now is most often called "O Scale"? Gary Q

Atlas is definitely into O scale. Check out their website.

A really good site that explains lots of wiring issues for DCC is Alan Gartner's "wiring for DCC" at

Tony's Train Exchange has a good primer for DCC beginers at Loy's Toys also has good information on DCC at Tony's and Loy's are DCC suppliers that are very reputable and stand behind their products. They also have some products of their own that are DCC compatable.

Don Crano has a web site with DCC tips that can be helpful. It is at

He is a major part of the Digitrax Yahoo Group and very knowledgable.

Finally I'd suggest you consider joing some of the Yahoo Groups. There are groups for each of the mfg's products, and I think there is one that is general for DCC. Just go to

and search for DCC groups. Then join the ones that seem of interest to you.

Above all, have fun!

Peter

HiRail is now known by the term "O Scale?" That will be the pits when ordering by text ad that has no verbage or pictures.

So what do they call the 1/4" scale stuff now. Proto48 or whatever?

My stuff is 1/4th to the foot on 2 rail NMRA standards.

KRF

A really good site that explains lots of wiring issues for DCC is Alan Gartner's "wiring for DCC" at

Tony's Train Exchange has a good primer for DCC beginers at Loy's Toys also has good information on DCC at Tony's and Loy's are DCC suppliers that are very reputable and stand behind their products. They also have some products of their own that are DCC compatable.

Don Crano has a web site with DCC tips that can be helpful. It is at

He is a major part of the Digitrax Yahoo Group and very knowledgable.

Finally I'd suggest you consider joing some of the Yahoo Groups. There are groups for each of the mfg's products, and I think there is one that is general for DCC. Just go to

and search for DCC groups. Then join the ones that seem of interest to you.

Peter

```````` Another good group at Yahoo is called "DCC For Everyone". All brands and DCC related info is discussed in general. The Group's homepage line is:

Paul - "The CB&Q Guy" Modeling 1969 In HO.

Yup. You need to either know the manufacturer, or look for the words "2-rail", or replace the wheelsets or trucks.

See above. Proto48 is fine scale 2 rail O with smaller than NMRA flanges and narrower wheel treads.

A couple observations. An earlier responder recommended the magazine "O Scale Railroading". I find some good stuff in it but it seems to me to be more focused on HiRail 3 rail O. I prefer "48/ft O Scale News" which is exclusively 2 rail O scale. The "Company Mail" section in O Scale News is the best way to find out what's newly available for 2 rail O. A recent entry which also focuses on 2-rail O scale is "O Scale Trains" which is good, but I think overpriced in comparison to what you get in O Scale News.

Atlas and Weaver are still around, but I believe have shifted their focus to the HiRail market, where sales probably exceed the 2-rail market. They do continue to offer their products in 2 and 3 rail versions. Interestingly, Atlas is reintroducing an economy line which appears to be the old 1970's

40' slide door / 40' plug door / 40' stock / 52' gon models from the 1970's with upgraded trucks. I don't know whether you went inactive before Red Caboose and Intermountain started making O scale. They began with really nice 2-rail kits, but of late seem to have shifted to focus on HiRail offering ready to run (foreign assembly of the kits) with tinplate trucks as the prevalent option.

If I sound negative about the impact of HiRail on O scale, I don't mean it. It's really a blessing in increasing the size of the market and thus the number of items being produced. The current HiRailers are just as demanding of accurate 1:48 models with separate handrails, full brake system detail, etc. So in addition to Atlas, Weaver, Red Caboose, and Intermountain mentioned above, many offerings from the traditional 3-rail manufacturers Lionel, MTH, Williams and K-Line are very acceptable on a full scale 2-rail layout.

As for sources, I really like P&D Hobby north of Detroit. They maintain a nice site at

and I have always found them prompt and reliable on phone orders, and have to be restrained when I infrequently get to their bricks and mortar shop. Hill's Hobby and Des Plaines Hobby north of Chicago are also good.

Hope this helps, and welcome back. With a basement as you describe O is definitely the way to go! Gary Q

No problem. I have all of the MR mags from about 1950 on. I kept my subscription going even through the last decade or so when I didn't have time to railroad. Still in the plastic wrap. Problem is, they won't be delivered here until after the Forth.

Krf

Ok, you are starting to jog my memory. I think I remember when O Scale Railroading switched over to hi rail. That is when I dropped it and went to O Scale News.

It was P&D hobby that I was trying to remember as the place which was O scale big time.

Interesting that Weaver has gone to hi rail big time. When I left all they did was offer a few scale models with big flanges and center rail pickup. I have quite a few Weaver locos.

I won't need much stuff for a while, other than consumables and supplies. I have boxes and boxes of rolling stock and probably over a thousand feet of track, turnouts and roadbed.

Plus, even with such a large area that I now have available, there is no way that I am going to try to build another Great Southern like Joiner's. It would take way too long and there are far too few model rails around here in the sticks. I will probably do a 24 X 30 or so. Lots of scenery, not much track. Point to point.

Krf

You mentioned that you were out in the sticks. Where? I know that P&D is in Eastern Michigan, is that close to you?

If it is, there is a train show and sale at the Macomb Community College Sports and Expo building in November and March. See my sig for the GVRR link.

I use to be a part of the show when I lived near there. They have had over

500 tables and many of them were O scale.

Now I live in Western Michigan, but I will make every effort to drive the 3

1/2 hours to get to the GVRR show in November and March. Many feel that it is the best in the state.

krf wrote:

There is one very bright spot in the 3-rail vs. 2 rail stuff and that is the MTH-Railking line where the company has engines that can run on either 2 or 3 rail with DCC. Look at their website for the "Proto-Scale

3-2 feature" and see if you like it. Also note that MTH is the only 1:48 manufacturer with off-the shelf 3-rail arch-bar trucks. Hopefully they'll make those available in 2-rail.

Weaver has fairly good products if you purchase items with diecast sprung trucks, but I'm put off by a manufacturer that doesn't weight cars properly and still calls hopper cars "coal cars". (and really watch what is offered of theirs on eBay - it is usually older and poorer) Some of the new passenger cars and troop train cars look to be a much higher quality product.

Atlas has by far and away some of the best detailed products going, properly weighted, incredible finishing in both 2 and 3 rail. The introduction of their Adjust-A-Coupler System with scale couplers is a great feature.

K-Line, has over the last two years come out with some incredible products that have great detail. They offer products in 2-rail and have introduced a number of models that come with scale couplers. They've introduced some small switchers, a Porter and a Plymouth, that are unmatched.

It's too bad there aren't any Lionel 2-rail items. Over the past few years they've brought to the market some incredible highly detailed scale size products and are head-to-head with MTH in the command-control arena. It might be possible to switch out trucks, and perhaps worth doing so if they have the only model of a particular car.

If you are really going for top of the line, look at 3rd Rail which offers both 2 and 3 rail items. A lot of their line is detailed in brass and engines come with Lionel electronics.

krf wrote:

A 24 x 70 basement!! That is bigger than my house. Could you expound on how you wound up with a basement in Texas? I am just across the border in Louisiana and I have never seen a basement. Man, that would hold one heck of a layout. Think of what you could do in N scale.

Hagar

On eBay, that's what they call tenders!