Thanks for suggestions so far.
I've taken on board the suggestion that a freight set might me more fun for my 5 year old daughter. After looking around I see that Hornby manufacture some sets that are sold specifically through catalogue or chain stores, and the "Freightmaster" set from Toys R Us with the crane seems particularly appropriate as my daughter always liked playing with a similar wooden set when she was younger. I've also managed to get a "Track Pack C" from EBay for £16 and can pick up "Track Pack B" cheaply at the same time as the set itself. I'll keep my eyes open for any bargain packs D and E on Ebay, but they are something for the future.
I've noted from here and on various websites that the layout is best set up on a board (sundeala if possible), and as luck would have it,
As her birthday is fast approaching, rather than presenting her the box and then telling her she'll have to wait some time to use it, I want to get it all set up over the coming weekend. I'll mount the board on a
2x1" frame, every 2' which should be straightforward enough, but now, on to my questions:1) What's the best way to fix the trakmat to the board? Wallpaper paste, dabs of glue, simply the tacks through the rails and then trakmat into the board?
2) Electrical connection: Will one controller safely power the entire Hornby trakmat layout, or do things get more complicated when there are points involved and multiple tracks? I know that multiple controllers and isolation is required to run multiple trains simultaneously, but will the points create any isolated segments of track or short circuits if I just want to run a single train on the whole trakmat layout?Thanks in advance.