I have wanted a model train for years and now I am in a good position to buy one, but I have a bit of a predicament, which is cost and space, here are that options that I was considering:OO Gauge>Subjects that interest me>Compatible with 2 rail HO>Stock is spotty in AmericaHO 2 Rail>Wide variety of subjects>Compatible with OO>What interests me is not as widely availableHO 3 rail>The best quality>Subjects that interest me>Expensive and restricts me to only Märklin productsN>Cheap>Nothing interests meZ>Novel>Compact size>Subjects are so-so in terms of interestSo which is it going to be?
>>33693208Space should not be a thing. I have seen people use unused space all around the walls, like a shelf. Idk all the weird train shit but have had plenty of fun with dioramas. There is usually a hobby shop within an hour’s drive, that specialises in that kind of faggotry.
>>33693520I have been to it, mostly Lionel O Gauge which is still outside of my budget (I would really need to have $1000 to get what I would like from Lionel and my budget is $500 max). Their stock of Märklin, Hornby, Piko, Roco/Fleischmann, Dapol, etc. is very limited.The space issue is 20"x30", so larger radius curves in the larger gauges are out.
>>33693595This must go for next to nothing at yard sales, if you want a sidequest.
>>33693608Trust me, Lionel boomers are the "I know what I got" types, but this is a good idea for HO.I would like a complete starter set to begin with, though, so I know that everything that I have is functional.Even then, stuff that does not work is not hopeless: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzXoQo7YLgQ
>wanted a model train for years and now I am in a good position to buy one>20"x30">my budget is $500 maxwhat the fuck are you talking about
>>33693702I have a 20"x30" space for track work and scenery and $500 is my limit for a locomotive and a set of carriages, preferably with track and a controller/transformer, but track and power is usually cheap enough to buy on its own.
>bumpProbably going to order today.
>>33693208You are an adult buy a motherfucking real train https://www.romicgroup.com/rolling-stock/locomotives-multiple-units/
>>33693648Is Tyco compatible with Lionel? I recall that there may be Japanese Thomas the train crap that is the same track. I imagine some useful things are more easily obtained and can be painted to not look like blue plastic. I never got into it but thought about doing the model planes and found parts everywhere dirt cheap, once I started looking. Have a bunch of Thomas and wooden shit that I got for the kid because it was expandable into the big boy stuff.
>>33699265Lionel is O, Tyco is HO. The Jap Thomas is Tomy Plarail which is its own system. Bachmann and Hornby also have or had Thomas ranges which are Tyco compatible. There is also a Lionel Thomas too.>Model planesYou are talking to the right guy. RC, free flight or plastic?
>>33693595>my budget is $500 maxDon't bother you can't afford it, if thats a total budget. I think I have more than that in paint and airbrush and air compressor alone.I've been down this road and what happens is it takes forever to build stuff so realistically this month you spend $50 to buy some plastic model of a barn or whatever then spend the entire month building and painting and integrating into the rest of your RR layout and then repeat every month until your entire basement looks boomer, but it takes forever. $50/month for a couple years adds up to some insane amount of money but its actually one of the cheapest hobbies out there per hour, only DnD is cheaper per hour AFAIK.
>>33693208Model trains are a gf-killer. First time she sees it, she's gone.
