introduction to model railways

[brianmcs]

Hello all , anyone any opinions about the best way to introduce a child to the hobby. He is too young for the finescale models we like ,so what might be the best beginners system .

Lego train ( maybe in the garden ) ? 

OO scale starter set ( eg. jouef junior set ) ?

6x4 layout somewhere in the house ?

any thoughts?

 

 

[Galteemore]

Age is critical here - how old is he?  LGB is a good option with loads of play value and can go outside. Pricey perhaps but can be found secondhand. Brio wooden trains or their clones are good. What you want is something that won’t frustrate the life out of them - and you- with track breaking apart, wires coming off etc….Hornby also do - or did - a starter set for kids. https://www.argos.co.uk/product/9538339?istCompanyId=a74d8886-5df9-4baa-b776-166b3bf9111c&istFeedId=30f62ea9-9626-4cac-97c8-9ff3921f8558&istItemId=pimiwrwwm&istBid=t&&cmpid=GS001&_$ja=tsid:59157|acid:629-618-1342|cid:9563523558|agid:102231007190|tid:pla-1434681511410|crid:423314718365|nw:g|rnd:8711109848080919416|dvc:m|adp:|mt:|loc:9046059&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=9563523558&utm_term=9538339&utm_content=shopping&utm_custom1=102231007190&utm_custom2=629-618-1342&GPDP=true&gclid=Cj0KCQiAq7COBhC2ARIsANsPATHl1CtTfTdAL2fC0ENbhVmEPPyJH_QeYbdg_dWaGNmzG1UTJ1Fq0z0aAvz9EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

[brianmcs]

Thanks Galteemore . He is 4 .

[Galteemore]

Loads of options then. What I wouldn’t do is give him a Hornby 12v standard train set - you know the sort of thing with a tank engine and a few wagons. It’s just too awkward for that age to work with. Something like Brio or LGB would be my best bet. Brio has loads of play value and LGB is big and chunky. 

[jhb171achill]

jhbJunior and jhbNephew were introduced to trains at about 10-12 (as, indeed, was I). A very basic hornby set is fine for that age - an 0.4.0 steam loco or small 4-wheeled diesel and 4-wheeled wagons for maybe a few years younger, but LGB for a 4-year old without a doubt.

[murrayec]

Another idea for a 4 year old- Lidl have a kids toy train set, you know the ones with wooden track that trains can be pushed along on, they bring out accessories all the time, and they also have battery operated engines?? There are sets in some of the stores at the moment but they are more garage, airport and safari type at the moment but the track n bits are the same........

Thomas train sets are a great idea also, with the added value of 'Characters' enhancing the play fun for a 4 year old

I have a DART and a few other Irish engines designed for the wooden track, the DART prototype model is almost complete- though usual story, just not enough time........

Eoin

 

[Barl]

A hotel I stayed in just before Christmas had a nice LGB Christmas set-up in the lobby which was getting plenty of interest from kids young and old!

They were using a proper Gaugemaster controller too I was surprised to see!

[David Holman]

 The important thing for me is to appeal to and nurture creativity in children. So many toys these days seem to have limited value beyond the first few days, or indeed hours. Even Lego focuses on kits that build just one model, rather than packs that enable multiple things to be built as primers to, in effect, scratchbuilding your own stuff from the bricks and components they offer.

 Yes, basic Hornby train sets can be expanded and there are loads of second hand bargains out there too, but those push along, wooden train sets and tracks that can be built and rebuilt in endless combinations are what fire the imagination, particularly for a four year old.

 Spent all my career in primary education, finishing up as a schools advisor and one of my favourite jobs was doing lesson observations and especially in what we call Year R, with the four and five year olds, where the children have lots of opportunities for creative play and those wooden train sets go down a treat. 

 When you think about it, model railways, at any level, are a brilliant way to engage children's minds, not least because they expand into so many other areas, like buildings, scenery, road vehicles and so on. Back in the day, with my Year 6 class, was given a Triang Big Big Train Set. An oval of plastic track and a battery powered engine. This was pre 'national curriculum' but CDT was just becoming popular, so the class project that term became the model railway and showed to kids how to make a simple building from a fold up card 'net' and they all went on to adapt it into houses, shops and so on. With 30 in the class we soon had a whole town, which got lit up with batteries and bulbs and Lord knows what else. Wrote stories, did loads of maths, science, history and geography too - all based on an old plastic train set.

 So, sorry for the sermon (great question though!) but there really is nothing better than creative play for developing children's minds, while we are all still learning how therapeutic it can be ( for all ages), in these challenging times too. 

[Noel]

The great thing about train sets in the 60s and 70s is the building element of handling and constructing track geometry had a lego’esque construction value, imagination could be let loose, beano hardback annuals used as platforms and socks as hedgerows, not only was geometry self thought, so also was resourcefulness and creativity. Train sets could be put down and taken up, moved from bedroom floor to table top, back into those iconic yellow and red boxes. Migrating to a 6x4ft piece of chipboard was a major advance.

[Galteemore]

We had all kinds of ancient model railway stuff pass through our house to be tested and sorted  for RPSI sales. I still recall as a very small child the ancient Hornby O gauge we had for a few days. That was great fun - even with broken springs in the locos. A little older and Hornby Dublo taught me lots about track geometry and wiring - and the noise on a hard floor was brilliant. The key thing was that all of it fired my imagination about trains going places and carrying things - sprawling track layouts took over the house whenever possible. 

Edited December 30, 2021 by Galteemore

[Mayner]

Some of the cheap large scale battery train sets available at the cheaper end of the market are ideal for younger children and surprisingly robust.

Similar sets battery sets were available in tinplate during the 1960s, my first set was a steam freight with the battery in the boiler, the second an American diesel streamliner, dismantled/wrecked both tinplate sets but my Lego train was a survivor.

My daughter and her friends enjoyed the battery set, but later commandeered my LGB & Bachmann Big Haulier locos and stock. They operated the railway transporting toys and fantasy characters to different destinations on the railway, they had absolutely no interested in watching trains run round and round.

Wooden trainsets with Chuggington and Thomas characters have great play value and seem to be mandatory in most American Railroad Museums and Heritage Lines, these days my daughter is not interested unless its got four legs lives in a stable and eats grass but has become a competent sculptor and model maker.

 

 

[brianmcs]

2 hours ago, David Holman said:

 The important thing for me is to appeal to and nurture creativity in children. So many toys these days seem to have limited value beyond the first few days, or indeed hours. Even Lego focuses on kits that build just one model, rather than packs that enable multiple things to be built as primers to, in effect, scratchbuilding your own stuff from the bricks and components they offer.

 Yes, basic Hornby train sets can be expanded and there are loads of second hand bargains out there too, but those push along, wooden train sets and tracks that can be built and rebuilt in endless combinations are what fire the imagination, particularly for a four year old.

 Spent all my career in primary education, finishing up as a schools advisor and one of my favourite jobs was doing lesson observations and especially in what we call Year R, with the four and five year olds, where the children have lots of opportunities for creative play and those wooden train sets go down a treat. 

 When you think about it, model railways, at any level, are a brilliant way to engage children's minds, not least because they expand into so many other areas, like buildings, scenery, road vehicles and so on. Back in the day, with my Year 6 class, was given a Triang Big Big Train Set. An oval of plastic track and a battery powered engine. This was pre 'national curriculum' but CDT was just becoming popular, so the class project that term became the model railway and showed to kids how to make a simple building from a fold up card 'net' and they all went on to adapt it into houses, shops and so on. With 30 in the class we soon had a whole town, which got lit up with batteries and bulbs and Lord knows what else. Wrote stories, did loads of maths, science, history and geography too - all based on an old plastic train set.

 So, sorry for the sermon (great question though!) but there really is nothing better than creative play for developing children's minds, while we are all still learning how therapeutic it can be ( for all ages), in these challenging times too. 

Thanks for the sermon David , it is very helpful.

Thanks everyone  for the other comments.

I have been looking online and it seems that the lego system addresses your point in that anything made from lego can be dismantled and rebuilt in a different form . There are lego train collectors out there doing that. I am thinking of a lego train system to be followed by an 00 scale set in a few years. The problem I see with  LGB is our weather !!  

Edited December 30, 2021 by brianmcs

[David Holman]

Fine posts everyone! 

Edited December 30, 2021 by David Holman

[Andy Cundick]

Depends very much on the child my first train was a Triang Britannia and a dock shunter,plus various bits of stock and Super 4 track that was when i was 5,both locos are still running,saying that both nieces at that age were running their dads 5"gauge live steamers,Andy.

[irishthump]

Have a look at the Tomy Tomica range of trains. Battery powered, very robust, easy to place back on the track. Smyths usually stock them.

[Westcorkrailway]

11 minutes ago, irishthump said:

Have a look at the Tomy Tomica range of trains. Battery powered, very robust, easy to place back on the track. Smyths usually stock them.

My first layout looked something like this

 

poor Thomas had to pull a rake of 10 or so open wagons up that gradient!

 

I should have kept some of those red bridges around, they could pull of a corrib bridge type design 

[irishthump]

22 minutes ago, Westcorkrailway said:

My first layout looked something like this

 

poor Thomas had to pull a rake of 10 or so open wagons up that gradient!

 

I should have kept some of those red bridges around, they could pull of a corrib bridge type design 

Yeah my eldest son was crazy about the Tomy stuff, he amassed quite a collection. It's still sitting in the attic!

[brianmcs]

thanks guys , I took another look and now I am wondering about the Marklin startup system.

https://www.maerklinshop.de/maerklin/maerklin-start-up/?p=1

[Galteemore]

That’s lovely but don’t forget Marklin trains run on a different electric system to all other HO/OO trains so you can’t easily incorporate other makes. For reliability and quality it would be brilliant.

Edited December 31, 2021 by Galteemore