Actually he was bought a Farish N-gauge set last Christmas. Hard as it is to believe, he seriously enjoys it. Dad puts the train on the track and he controls it. He's got one of those Peco plastic station kits that I made for him (along with a platform) and he loves setting the points on the passing loop, stopping the train in the station, etc.
For that he play's with Grandad's RC Gauge 0 garden layout. But no fun in winter, rain, etc.
Cheers Clive
Thanks Andrew. There's some great N-gauge advocacy there, a serious number of points to consider. After all the input from the group, I'm going to sit down and make another thorough review, whilst trying to block out the images of the quality 00 rtr stock (which is after all what prompted this dilemma).
Cheers Clive
In message , Clive Summerfield writes
You'll just have to tell her that Disneyland is for kids and she ought to grow up :-)
In message , Martin Wynne writes
Remember, he won't be 4 years old for much longer. He should be able to "grow into" any layout you build for him.
LOL!
Clive Summerfield wrote in message news:ZrQrb.1170$ snipped-for-privacy@news-text.cableinet.net...
Hi Clive, My son Tom will be 4 next February and I've been working on an n-gauge layout for him over the past year, my own first venture into a working layout since my late teens. There were 2 factors driving the decision to go with n-gauge. First was the space consideration - n-gauge made it possible to produce a relatively complex dogbone layout along one wall. Second was the availability of the excellent Tomix "Thomas" range in this gauge - considerably larger in scale than true british outline n-gauge, but very good for raising the interset of a small child A year into the project and I have a few observations which you may find relevant. Firstly, my initial worries about a child's ability to handle something this small were unfounded. My son is now quite capable of putting stock onto the rails without help. Second observation is the frustrating unavailability, poor quality and expense of British outline n-gauge. Graham Farish has been almost completely unobtainable during the first year, with Bachmann produced models only now starting to fill the shelves. The choice is still tiny compared to the wonderful range of models which are available in 4mm scale. While the modern image models are presentable models, I am singularly unimpressed with the toy like stteam engines which seem to be (cosmetically) unchanged in the last 20 years. I understand the running has improved with the Bachmann produced stock but I've yet to own any of this. Our best running engine is a Lima class 31 bodyshell mounted on a Life-Like PA chassis. Not a true scale model by any means, but it will haul long trains realistically at a snails pace. Contrary to what you might imagine, small children can be fascinated by something which doesn't move at a scale speed of 200mph! The third observation is my son's fascination with a simple OO gauge Hornby train set which I have. It's a simple loop of track with a single point, the engine is a Pannier tank with 5 pieces of stock. This isn't a fixed layout, it lives in it's box. It is continually requested and has to be regularly laid out on the carpet in preference to using the n-guage layout. The simple nature of this setup isn't a problem to Tom, he enjoys the fact that he can manage the entire operation of this setup on his own (though I obviously keep a close eye - I won't leave him unattended with electricity!). With hindsight, I would lower my ambitions and build a simpler layout in OO. It's very frustrating that every time we're in a model shop I'm asked "Will that fit on my railway?" to which the answer is invariably "No!". Cheers, Bill.
But it isn't! Much of their advertising is directed at couples with kids old enough to leave at home, as well as the traditional family.
BTW Disneyland is in California, on a restricted urban site; Disney World is in Florida, on former swampland.
You miss the point! Most women think that model railways (or "toy trains" as they prefer to call them) are for kids and men ought to grow up. Sauce for the goose ...
Both have an onsite 12"/ft tail chaser and a psuedo roller coaster ng mountain railway. So they're (il)legitimate railroad venues.
-- If Your specification is vague or imprecise, you'll likely get what you asked for not what you want
Thanks - I have a 3 year old who's getting some old N guage stuff for christmas. Reading the articles here I was starting to get worried that he might have some problems, but you've reassured me. It'll save him playing with his grandads 3 track dublo whenever he gets the chance.
Fortunatly all of the gear we've laid our hands on is free - been in the loft since the end of the 70s and works like a dream. :-)
Ian
-- Ian, Cath & Eoin Ford The view from Beccles
I loved the words you wrote to me/But that was bloody yesterday
No e-mail address. If you want to talk to me then talk here to start with and we can go back to your place later...
Clive
We still went n gauge even knowing Graham Farish was going to retire. It was simply too big a market for someone not to fill the void.
Make your list - if running the 00 rtr is on the list decision will be easier. You could always go n gauge and then build a wall shelf wide enough for two 00 tracks side by side. Make it about 12' long. This is what my wife wants me to do around the walls of the railway room so she can buy the HO &
00 engines she likes.Andrew
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