# HOW DID YOU START?



## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

Ok Three simple catagories.


WHO  STARTED WITH   TRACK POWER AND WENT TO   BATTERY ?


WHO STARTED  RIGHT  OFF  WITH  BATTERY POWER?


WHO STARTED RIGHT OFF  WITH   LIVE STEAM?


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## hcampbell (Jan 2, 2008)

Started with battery (Original Bachman Big Haulers) then added live steam. 
The old Big Haulers still put on a few miles each year, good for something running while doing yard work. 

Harvey C. 
SA1838


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

not me 

not me 

not me 

Knew I would have lots of locos, and need to run longer than battery, and want remote control, and want it in even small locos with no room for battery. Went DCC and loving it. 

Greg (ha ha ha) (there are other options than battery)


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## Fred (Jan 2, 2008)

Started off in 1990 with the bachman Big Hauler battery trainset ($50 at TOYS R US) .Had gone to that store to purchase birthday presents for our son and had just finished reading an article in MR by Russ Larson on "garden railroading". Saw the trainset for $50 and said "what the heck" I'll give it a try. Being in HO for 30 years at the time I thought I knew what I was doing when in fact I knew nothing about outdoor railroading. I knew brass track was hard to keep clean in a basement so i thought outdoors it could only be worse so I went with 250 aluminum to replace the Bachman track (including the additional 100 pieces of plastic track I bought). Between the tight curves & sloping backyard I didn't have much luck with the Big Hauler (front trucks kept derailig as well) so I bought an Aristo FA & later a RS-3. The 250 wasn't working out too well (between the temp changes, kids in backyard & 100lb Retriever) so I changed over to 332 aluminum. Not knowing about railclamps, unable to solder the joints, track power wasn't working out too well so I then converted over to Aristo brass (still in the dark about advantage of railclamps). Eng's performed a lot better but still problems, purchased a bunch of railclamps and things got a lot better. Mainline was working ok, but the branch line was still aluminum & giving me problems. Read about RCS & battery operation, contacted Don Sweet and converted the 2 Aristo engs over & started enjoying the hobby. In the meantime though my son started in the hobby with a Lil Critter and NW-2 so maintaing track power became an issue again. Time has passed, he is off to college so the railroad is all mine again. I'm waiting on a Federal Grant (tax return) which will be used to convert the NW2 over to RCS with sound. The Critter will emain track powered & used on a 30' branch used to service a gravel pit. The rest of the railroad was changed from a dogbone to a longer point to loop mainline with a town at each end plus 2 more in between. Batery power allows for such nice operation. Bottom line is I rushed into things without proper research, wasted a lot of time & money in the process, therefore anybody just starting out, don't make the same mistake I made, take your time and do your homework to figure out what you really want & how you want to do it. I was on a small hobby budget and could be a lot farther ahead today if i had researched things out before rushing ahead.


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

Started in Live Steam... I have now dabbled in Live Diesel and built a battery car to hold 14 AAA batteries for a Charlie Brown and Lucy, "Peanuts" (tm) motorcycle (LGB) just to do something "different".


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## sheepdog (Jan 2, 2008)

Track power for one summer..... Nevermore. Battery.


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## fsfazekas (Feb 19, 2008)

Track power to battery/RC. No regrets, I never enjoyed reverse loop wiring, etc


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

Track power then changed to R/C. 

Oh, you mean way back? Kid powered originally


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## Richard Smith (Jan 2, 2008)

Started with track power and Bachmann Big Hauler about 1987-8? 
Always thought it would be neat to power lokies with batteries even years ago when I was in HO and On3. Of course batteries were too big and not advanced enough to make it happen then. 
Went with wetcell batteries and Locolinc R/C with Phoenix Sound about 1996. Worked well but the small wetcells that could fit into my lokies only had limited run time. Still a great improvement over cleaning track however. I like locomotives to be self contained so trail cars weren't for me. 
Converted to NiMH batteries about 2003 still with same old Locolinc R/C and Phoenix. Much improved run times perfect for my type of operation.


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## Henson (Jan 2, 2008)

Track to battery after the second year and couldn't be happier.


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## Robert (Jan 2, 2008)

Track power.  Currently putting together one battery powered locomotive.

Robert


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## markoles (Jan 2, 2008)

Started off in track power, stayed that way a long long time, got a live steamer, stuck with track power.


Too many locos and train combinations, no desire to have the same battery car behind every loco. 


Went Stainless after second outdoor railroad made with brass track became too time consuming to be fun.


Mark


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## MarkLewis (Jan 2, 2008)

None of the above. All track power and staying that way.

Mark


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## jebouck (Jan 2, 2008)

Track power for 22 years. 
Started in 1986. 
Last year started the conversion of several units to Batt/RC. 
Now battery power outside and track/batt inside. 
jb


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## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

I started with track power, then could not get the FA to run after about a year(bad wheels-factory defect I found out about later) so switched to battery. Then got into live steam. Recently I got the Burlington Zephyr and resurrected a loop of track power, but getting tired of cleaning track already,(NS code 250) so it may get the battery conversion soon. Jerry


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

track power with R/C control from the start, no plans to change to anything else.


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## Joe Johnson (Jan 2, 2008)

Track power to live steam. Still run track power occaisionally with no problem. A couple of swipes with a dry pole sander while I get the leaves and limbs off the track and I'm good to go.


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## DennisB (Jan 2, 2008)

Started with track power. Was always intrigued by battery power, but couldn't really afford the expense.


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## Del Tapparo (Jan 4, 2008)

I started with track power, like most. I still run track power, 9 years now. Track is never a problem (LGB brass w/ Split-Jaws), other than cleaning. It is the cheap locomotives that usually go south elelctrically. Then you convert them to battery power.

I love battery power for the ease of running. Just plop it down and away you go.

I still like track power for long term continuous running. For an open house, I typically run one loco on track power, running around the loop at a steady pace, while a Critter Control battery powered loco runs on the same loop, making station stops.


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## OzarkRR (Jan 2, 2008)

Started with plain DC and then upgraded to DCC. I have no plans to ever change. Radio controled DCC gives me all the options and control I can use.


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

Started with, and stayed with, track power (23 blocks and the ability to control any block from three different wireless remotes).  I later converted an AristoCraft FA over to run track power *or* battery power using an internal TE (to pull my track cleaning cars).  The frickin' NiCads keep going flat and when this engine is used, it is typically on track power.  Really soured me on battery power too. /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/pinch.gif


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## GarryNCGRR (Jan 18, 2008)

I ran track power on my HO and N layouts for about 40 years.  When I decided to start my large scale layout in the back yard,  I decided I'd go battery RC right from the start.   Going with battery got me away from having to run power to a transformer stand and then wires from that to all over the layout...big plus.  Also no fancy wiring for reverse loops and wyes,  no worry about track getting dirty,  in fact the dirtier it gets, the better the traction !  Besides...I needed a change from what I had done before,  and it has worked out really well.

Garry  NCGRR


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## Mik (Jan 2, 2008)

I started with a Fisher-Price pull toy...does that count? I had Marx, Tyco HO, B'mann N and eventually the first gen Bug Mauler (so in garden scale you can say I went from battery to track power, lol. 

Meanwhile, there has been live steam since I was 10, except it was traction engines not trains. (Okay, I've also had 2 Mamod locos and 4 Ruby variants, the big stuff is more fun)


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## MikeK (Jan 3, 2008)

I started with a track-powered passenger car set from LGB under the Christmas tree in 1989. In 2008, I'm still track-powered, although on stainless steel, rather than brass, track.


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## bobgrosh (Jan 2, 2008)

Early on, used battery/RC, 5 locos on battery/RC plus one battery/RC car for three other locos.
Went to DCC with wirless throttles, will never go back to battery/RC.


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## Alan in Adirondacks (Jan 2, 2008)

Switched to large scale with track power Big Hauler in early '90s indoor, changed to 1:20.3; then a new track power layout with move to current home in 2000. 

No battery power (someday for outdoors at Adirondack Live Steamers for grandkids) 

Live steam for five years (1:20.3 with mixed rolling stock, adding 1:32 in 2007) 

Best regards, 

Alan


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## Dougald (Jan 2, 2008)

I have had track power (cab control) followed by command control and finally DCC in my small scale modelling over the past 50 years.

When I started in large scale about 2000 it was in Fn3.  I immediately went with battery/RC and then a year or so later with live steam.  Traditional track power was never considered as it is essentially unsuited to running an operating railroad - it is really only useful for continuous running.  I had seen the hassles and maintenance of DCC and I continue to see it in my own modelling in HO plus in the operating sessions of other small scale railroads that I crew on.  Lastly, I am an OVGRS member and the IPP&W (the host railroad for OVGRS weekly ops sessions) has no track power available.  Through maintenance work on the IPP&W I have seen a great deal of what works and what doesn't over the years.

When I began to build my own Northland RR there was never a second thought given.  Aluminum rail, scaled in size to F scale, and battery RC or live steam all the way.  There is no electricity at all anywhere near the garden and I do not expect to ever run the 300 feet of wire to bring electricity over..

Regards ... Doug


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## Great Western (Jan 2, 2008)

The answer to all three questions is no, not me.

I initially saw a UK SM32 railway in operation.  UK ng has never appealed to me and European models were too expensive.  Luckily Bachmann 1:22.5 and Aristo-Craft 1:29 came to my notice.  As they say - I have never looked back.


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## stevedenver (Jan 6, 2008)

on my birthday 
back in 1987 my wife gave me my first red and creme euro coach and a piece of straight track 

and permission to add lgb in addition to n scale 

im still analog


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## ohioriverrailway (Jan 2, 2008)

Started with track power. 
Have 1 loco converted to run either from track, battery car or take power from the trolley wire. Another conversion in the works. Battery power mostly for running the track cleaner/sweeper car.


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

Pure DC... and I dont mean the comic book.


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## Josef Rieder (Jan 18, 2008)

I started out with my Dad's Marklin HO stuff. They are all European protoypes and the AC made setting up loops easy. After a while, we started looking at large scale. I must have been 5 or 6 when I got the marklin MAXI tinplate set, which I still have. That was a lot fun. We eventually bought enough LGB track to make an oval in the Family room. That was great for a while as well. Another Christmas my sister and I were supposed to get a basketball hoop installed in the driveway, but when they came to install it, they found that the gas main ran to close to where the hole had to be dug. Needless to say, we were pretty dissapointed. Later that day, we went down to All Aboard in Torrance and checked out what was being offered. LGB had just come out with digital sound for their Moguls and after watching one run back and forth for a while, we were impressed, but soon found the price tag, a little too much. I finally decided that a started set was what I wanted, so we picked up the ubiquitous "Lake George and Boulder" set and proceded home to set it up. It was nice to have the full oval of LGB track we had bought earlier to run it on instead of a little circle. Needless to say from then on, it kept getting bigger and bigger, more cars, more locomotives. I remember getting the Bachmann shay for christmas which was REALLY cool since the shay was and still is one of my favorite types of locomotive. Finally, my mom and sister got tired of us playing with the trains in den, it was difficult to watch TV when you had to LGB moguls with sound doubleheading through the room spewinng smoke everywhere! So we moved outside. The layout is a simple dog bone with a passing siding. Later, we added a reversing unit and a back and forth section. Attending countless SOCALGRS open houses gave us plenty of inspiration. Train shows were also fun. I remember the first BTS I went to and seeing the Del Oro layout. Every show we went to, we would always spend most of our time watching the Del Oro layout, so finally we became members and have been for a while and that where I am today. Whew...is that enough?


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## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

Not me

Not me

Not me--I'd love to get a live steamer though


I started with  bunch of LGB starter sets given to my son and which he outgrew. Now run a small mostly decorative "train in a garden" using track power and remote control with aristo onboard TE

I can't for the life of me see the attraction of battery power--I keep trying to "get it" and it makes no sense to me. Seems complicated and expensive and annoying. It's like some kind of cult, with secret knowledge only for the initiates and a constant need to tell everyone else how great it is. I posted a thread recently asking for help convertng a car to batteries, and while a bunch of people were very helpful --thanks Del, thanks Cale, thanks Pete--I quickly was put down for my ignorance by experts. It soured me on the whole idea and I thought why fix what's not broken? 

Cleaning track is a ten minute job with a track cleaning car. I can run train lights and building lights from the track for as long as I like, and with RC onboard I can run multiple trains independently. Maybe if  had a bigger layout it would make more sense to run batteries.


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## Stan Cedarleaf (Jan 2, 2008)

Started the first layout in Oct 2000 with batteries, R/C in a Bachmann #177 10 Wheeler and been there ever since.  That ten wheeler, the original R/C system, batteries and sound system are long gone.  

All R/C stuff has been updated, many batteries updated to Li-ion but we're still using the old reliable 6 and 12 volt gel cells.  

R/C systems running today are....  RRemote (3), Aristo-Craft HO 75 mhz (2), Aristo-Craft 75 mhz on-board (4), Airwire 18 volt (2), 28 volt (1), Aristo-Craft 10 amp 27 mhz trackside (6) and one older 27 mhz metal cased.  All system running wonderfully... /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/whistling.gif

Disclaimer   /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/w00t.gif    I did put 2 track powered "to and Fro" reversing units plus a powered loop in the middle of the village on the new layout, though.


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## Spule 4 (Jan 2, 2008)

Live steam back in the 1980s.


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## Del Tapparo (Jan 4, 2008)

Posted By Stan Cedarleaf on 05/24/2008 10:01 PM
  I did put 2 track powered "to and Fro" reversing units plus a powered loop in the middle of the village on the new layout, though. 

Stan - You need to replace that "to and fro" with a battery powered Critter Control.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

I started my model railroad four years before I was able to run it. I had no room in those days for an indoor track run. In fact, I was looking for a business to purchase where I could run my proposed historic model train layout overhead. That was back in'94. I was not on-line in those days and had never heard of Garden Railways Magazine.  Thus, I had no access to outside advice. The only power of which I was aware was via the track. I can recall spending hours just looking over the various transformer options. I really like the large LGB on, but it was out of my price range.

I bought the bar in Copper Center in 1996 and began laying track in 1998. By late that year I had an Aristocraft transformer and was finally operating my first overhead train. By 2000 I was able to connect with someone who knew of some garden railway layouts in the Portland, Oregon area where I frequently visited my folks. It was there that I discovered remote battery operation. I began planning a new outdoor layout that year. It was at that point that it was obvious that remote battery control was the way to go. In 2001 I switched to battery and began disconnecting my rather complex wiring scheme overhead in the bar. 

As expensive as the initial setup is, for the nature of the layout I operate, track power is not an option, nor is live steam.


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## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

I started with track power

Bought a few cheap battery powered trains - decided I prefer track power

Bought some DCS equipped locos so tried DCS but decided I prefer track power

Bought a live steamer - decided I prefer track power

Bought some decoder equipped trains so bought MTS 1, 2, & 3 but still prefer track power

All power systems offer some benefits so I have kept the ability to run all of them.

Now run MTS/DCC 5% of the time

Now run live steam 1% of the time (only 1 live steamer)

Now run DCS 1% of the time (only 3 DCS locos)

Now run battery power 0.5% if the time (no "serious" battery powered locos)

That leaves me running analog track power 92.5% of the time

The batteries in the battery powered locos (and their remotes) are dead
It would take me all morning to find the water, steam oil, butane etc. to fire up the live steamer (and the remote batteries are dead)
The DCS locos are on the shelf as are the DCS controls
I'd have to remember which locos have decoders and what their loco ID's are before I could run them

but...

In 30 seconds or less I can be running just about any loco on my layout under analog track power.

I like all power systems but there is just one for a lazy guy like me who just wants to flip a switch and run trains - analog track power.

Last week I was going to buy some decoders but yesterday I bought two LGB locos and a LGB caboose with the money instead. One loco has a factory installed decoder so next week MTS/DCC operations will probably jump up 1%.

Jerry


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## albert_putnam (Feb 15, 2008)

Started with Track Power.

Have stayed with it, but have not started an outdoor layout yet.
Thinking about  steel rail for outdoors.

My first gear was LGB (Toytrain from retailer liquidation).

My theme is Fn3 logging.

Albert


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## Marauderer (Jan 5, 2008)

Not Me 

Not Me 

Not Me 

Started with track power. Wanted to have remote operated turnouts and remote control but not have to mess with batteries (I got enough of them with airplanes and cars). So I went with DCC and am loving it.


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## CSG (Jun 13, 2009)

Started and stayed with track power. Always admired G gauge from back in the time when it was called K gauge, but with HO and Lionel layouts using up all the train budget, I never pushed to start extending our train hobby into the back yard. Then, Bachman came out with a Shay locomotive. I love geared locos. Cass, WV is one of my favorite places. So, I had to have it and naturally, I had to have a railroad to run it on. My family has been very supportive and generous and I have a lot of fun with my little world, but budgetary considerations dictate we stay the course.


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

I just noticed that this thread is a year and 4 months old. HMMMMMMM


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Not since you brought it back to life! 

Greg


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## Engineercub (Oct 18, 2008)

I started with track power, saw a friends battery setup, wasn't impressed, neither was he, we're both running Bridgewerks track power now. Combination of DCC and DCS. Live Steam doesn't do it for me because I think it has no realism as far as sound and appearance. Watching trains running at 500 SMPH with steam racing out of the stack 500 times faster than the real thing is interesting, but not what I want, though I think running trains with natural resources is kind of neat. All 3 have their purpose and audience, I'm not dissing the others. 

-Will


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

Hey Will 
You and I are pretty close in thinking. 
If I could run a live steam engine with a tender full of water and fuel for 3 or 4 hours like I do battery power, I would run live steam and do switching like I do with my Deisels. 
I too am not dising any one. 

It was a beautiful night at Marty's last Sept when they guys were running live steam at 11 at night when the Plume of steam hung over th engine as it made it's way around the steam up track. It looked great


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## Tom Lapointe (Jan 2, 2008)

Started indoors with analog DC track power, a small layout with R1 curves, first engine was a Bachmann Climax. About the time the roster expanded to 5 locomotives, I converted to DCC.  

Then I bought my first live steamer (Accucraft 3-cylinder Shay); after some "negotiations"  with the family, started construction on my present-day outdoor layout (my "Watuppa Railway"). 

While construction was in its early stages, ONLY ran the live-steam Shay; as soon as a small initial loop was completed, I mounted the DCC command station, booster & power supply in a plastic tote, enabling it to do "double duty" on both the indoor & outdoor layouts. Took approximately a year of construction to complete the full outdoor layout mainline (@ 160 feet of track with 2 long passing sidings, elevated @ 2 feet off the ground). The 3-cylinder Accucraft Shay has insulated drivers, so frequently runs side-by-side (or even double-heads with) my DCC-powered locos. 

The roster has expanded to over 20 locos (!); the indoor layout is now mainly a "parking lot"  for storing equipment to run outside & rarely runs. My 2 additional live steamers (Accucraft Mich-Cal #2 2-cylinder Shay, & Ruby #11 2-4-2) do NOT have insulated drivers, requiring shutting down the DCC system if I'm running them; I may convert one of my 3 Bachmann 2-truck Shays to battery / RC to run with them. Also, all 3 live-steamers have been converted to RC.  Tom


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## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

Posted By John J on 30 Mar 2008 08:17 AM 


Ok Three simple catagories. 
WHO  STARTED WITH   TRACK POWER AND WENT TO   BATTERY ? 
WHO STARTED  RIGHT  OFF  WITH  BATTERY POWER? 
WHO STARTED RIGHT OFF  WITH   LIVE STEAM? 




Hi John, 

You forgot the 4th category: 

WHO STARTED OUT WITH TRACK POWER AND KEEPS RETURNING TO TRACK POWER? 

1. Tried batteries but went back to track power? 

Why? I never had a battery pack that was ready to run when I was. I'm even changing my Sierra Soundtraxx sound systems to capacitors because their batteries are always dead when I want to run them. 

2. Tried DCC/MTS but then went back to track power? 

I keep/kept running into the 5 amp limit of MTS (or higher DCC) because I like lots of lighted passenger cars and did not like to trust 4 decoders to link an ABBA set. Also I can never remember what number a loco is and spend half my time trying to figure out what number each loco is. 

3. Tried live steam but then went back to battery power? 

Same problem as with batteries - it was never ready to run when I was. 

On the other hand I can take a track powered loco that has not been run in years, put it on the track and start running it without problems. 

This is not to put down anything. I still have the Battery, MTS, DCC, and Live Steam locos and they still get run every so often but 90% of the time it is the plain old analog track power that gets used. 

TRACK POWER FOR DUMMIES - and for people who just wanna run trains hassle (complication) free. 

Regards, 

Jerry


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

I just stick with the tried and true DCC and Live steam. Later RJD


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## msimpson (Jan 5, 2009)

I started by building an HO electric layout for my son. It's been more than 20 years and he is still waiting to play with it. 

Went from there to G scale track power, first an LGB motor block and then an early Bachmann Big Hauler. Another ten years of temporary layouts and aroudn the Christmas tree. 

Garden Railways and Steam in the Garden hooked me and I got a Ruby about 1999. No turning back since. Except for those several part-built battery electrics. And the clockwork stuff. God must like me. He showed me really neat toys. 

I tell people outside the hobby that most people think train people are silly. Train people shake their head about the guys who run outside. The guys who run outside can't understand the guys who run live steam. But even the steamers think the guys who burn coal are crazy. Now if I could just find a stait jacket in my size . . 

Best to all, Mike


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## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

Well, now I can show instead of just telling. I got my first train when I was about 2 or 3 years old. It was a pre-war Lionel 1688 freight set (O27). It must have been second hand, because I was born about 9 days after World War II ended. My set had a figure 8 track layout, a mixture of box and latch couplers, and a whistling tender. I have been playing with trains ever since, which adds up to just over 60 years, supposing I got the set when I was 3. 

Recently I found and bought a set that is almost identical to my first set. You can get an idea of it from the photos below. 



















I thought a close replica of that first set deserved a spot among my current large scale collection. 

Yours, 
David Meashey


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## xo18thfa (Jan 2, 2008)

Started in 1995 by building rolling stock, while waiting to return from overseas assignment. Went straight to live steam and never anything else. 

Inspiration was watching "Thomas the Tank Engine" about a thousand bizillion times with our son.


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## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

Got back online too late to edit my original post, above. 
I was so enthused about being able to post the photos that I forgot to answer the initial question. Well, the answer is track power and variable AC (obviously for Pre-War Lionel). Today it is mostly DC track power. Not opposed to the other means, but prefer KISS - and after 60 years, I understand track power pretty well. Got several smaller motorized units that would be hard to fit battery or DCC, even for large scale. Presently have one nominal 7/8ths scale whimsical battery unit, my D-Cell locomotive. 










Would like to afford a Regner Willie someday. Anything larger in live steam would require greater curves than I have the real estate for at present. Besides, I am spoiled. I learned to fire and run on locomotives big enough to sit in the cab, so I'm used to running a steamer from within the cab. 

Yours, 
David Meashey


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## Gungnir (Dec 27, 2007)

Started with track power, only use the trains very rarely, and then mostly indoors, so track power it still is.


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## jnic (Jan 2, 2008)

My therapist said I needed a hobby


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