Hello All!
Now that I'm old enough to think about making a decent railway - it's all bloomin' gone and changed!
Some background:
My 4 yr old got the Hornby Thomas 00 guage set with some extra track+points etc for Xmas. This has provided a fair slice of entertainment on the lounge floor over the past few weeks. The only problem being the 4 yr old's dad has become more addicted to driving the 'Sodor Thunderbolt' than the 4 yr old!
Which leads me to:
Having discovered a couple of hundred quid that I'd forgotten about (and which, really, should be set aside for next year's tax bill...) I'm keen to build a railway myself. I'm currently thinking of N guage however as I'll be able to get more railway for the size of board I can realistically expect to end up with.
And so, I'd like to pick your, more knowledgeable, brains if I may...
1. N guage and DCC
DCC seems the way to go. I want a simple, easy, trouble-free and (obviously) as cheap as possible system. I can envisage a handful of locos running, but not much beyond that. What systems should I be looking at?
2. Locos etc
Being ham-fisted and generally a bit rubbish at all things electrical and small - are there DCC-ready locos available (UK models preferred to American locos) already or in the very near future? What are the best online shops to be browsing?
I have already considered, and rejected, the 'Why not switch to DCC and expand the Thomas set with your son?' question simply on the grounds that I doubt Thomas and his friends will ever migrate from floor to board as space simply doesn't allow and I rather suspect my boy would become more interested in 'Dad's railway' than his own (which would be great).
Anyway, If anyone can offer some sage words of advice, I'd appreciate it...
Now that I'm old enough to think about making a decent railway - it's all bloomin' gone and changed!
Some background:
My 4 yr old got the Hornby Thomas 00 guage set with some extra track+points etc for Xmas. This has provided a fair slice of entertainment on the lounge floor over the past few weeks. The only problem being the 4 yr old's dad has become more addicted to driving the 'Sodor Thunderbolt' than the 4 yr old!
Which leads me to:
Having discovered a couple of hundred quid that I'd forgotten about (and which, really, should be set aside for next year's tax bill...) I'm keen to build a railway myself. I'm currently thinking of N guage however as I'll be able to get more railway for the size of board I can realistically expect to end up with.
And so, I'd like to pick your, more knowledgeable, brains if I may...
1. N guage and DCC
DCC seems the way to go. I want a simple, easy, trouble-free and (obviously) as cheap as possible system. I can envisage a handful of locos running, but not much beyond that. What systems should I be looking at?
2. Locos etc
Being ham-fisted and generally a bit rubbish at all things electrical and small - are there DCC-ready locos available (UK models preferred to American locos) already or in the very near future? What are the best online shops to be browsing?
I have already considered, and rejected, the 'Why not switch to DCC and expand the Thomas set with your son?' question simply on the grounds that I doubt Thomas and his friends will ever migrate from floor to board as space simply doesn't allow and I rather suspect my boy would become more interested in 'Dad's railway' than his own (which would be great).
Anyway, If anyone can offer some sage words of advice, I'd appreciate it...