Train Size + Child's Age = MATCH. |
||||||
. |
||||||
 If you’re
thinking about a first train set for your children, it’s very important to get the
right size "gauge/scale" for the child’s age. The younger the child, the
bigger and more robust the trains must be. And no matter what you purchase, quality does
make a difference. I don’t like picking on any brand or model, but all those
"cheap" starter sets you see at Christmas are just that, cheap. Bachmann and
Life-Like are two good examples, sometimes you can see wheels have fallen off some of the
cars right in the boxes. These sets didn’t even survive the trip from the warehouse
to the department store. There is nothing more frustrating to a child, or an adult for
that matter, then something that doesn’t work like it’s suppose too. Last
Christmas I witnessed a family with two young boys shopping. From the overheard
conversation, I got the impression that the kids were picking their own gifts and there
was a set financial limit. They had already decided on a video game system, and still had
some money leftover. So hey, lets get a train. They grabbed up a Yard Master N scale train
set. Cheap at around $50.00. But dad wasn’t too thrilled with the little steam
switcher engine, so they grab a nice big diesel for another $39.95. And then they needed
more cars - $3.99-$6.99 each, more track at $5.00 a pack, some building kits at about
$4-6.00 a pop, and yes a Styrofoam tunnel for another $10.00. I picked up what I wanted
and made sure I was behind them in the check-out line. Their total was over $100.00. Not
bad really. But the point I’m trying to make is, all the stuff they bought was cheap
junk. The poorest quality of anything on the market. I know because my retarded uncle Milt
buys tons of the stuff each year to replace the stuff he bought the year before. These
trains don’t even survive one Christmas. I’d be willing to bet good money that
that family will not become Model Railroaders for life. The thing is, for around that same
price they could have purchased a quality set by Atlas, Kato, or Athearn. And their first
experience would have been an enjoyable one. |
||||||
. |
||||||
| One of the guys I work with did almost the same thing. He bought a cheap HO train set for his kids, at the time his oldest son was only 5-6 years old. I told him to buy Lionel - they do make several low price beginner sets - but he didn’t. And guess what happened? He tells me that none of the cars stay on the track, most of the couplers have broken off. Guess how much the train get played with? It doesn’t. Why? Because no one wants to FIGHT with a toy to have fun. | ||||||
|
||||||
| (Notes for photos above.) Here is a classic "No No". My cousin is in the first photo, maybe 1yr old, and me and mom are in the second photo, I was maybe 6-7 but neither me or mom could get the trains to work. This is an old N-scale "mining" set that was made to be added to an HO layout as part of a mini-scene. The sets came in either steam engine and mining cars, or diesel engine and lumber cars. The last photo on the right shows a nice N-scale Christmas layout set up several years later. By this time everybody was older and could enjoy the small size scale better. | ||||||
. |
||||||
. |
||||||
| If you want to try the hobby, pick a scale to fit the age of the child. Here are some guidelines: |
Ages 1 - 3 |
| Push and pull toys for little ones:BRIO, Thomas the Tank Engine, Sesame St., etc. |
Ages 4 - 7 |
| Large scales, Adult supervision highly recommended: LGB, Playmobil, LEGO |
Ages 8 - 11 |
| Large scale, rugged trains a must: G,0-27,S - Lionel, K-Line,Marx, LGB |
Ages 12 - UP |
| Any size trains suitable N, HO, +plus all above: Atlas, Athearn, Kato, etc. |
. |
. |
| Also, for your first set, look for some of the newer starter kits by Atlas, Athearn, and Kato. Atlas and Kato both offer HO & N scales and now come with ready-to-run track with built-in roadbeds. Two years ago I bought some of this track by Atlas for my uncle and for the first time in his life he actually had fun playing with his trains. They stay on the track now, they run smoothly and don’t stall way in the back where nobody can reach. Also, pick up some beginners books on the subject. No matter how complete your first set is, there is always lots more to be learned. The best advice I can give would be to get a good starter set this Christmas and just put up a simple circle or oval around the Christmas tree. Plan on making a simple platform for next Christmas. Then each year around the holidays you can add to your first starter set. Add scenery, building, more rolling stock and perhaps that one locomotive that really caught your eye in the hobby shop window. |
|
| (Notes for photos above.) Here is the right way to deal with kids. Just remember what it was like when you were a child and buy the perfect train set you would have asked Santa for if he took you to a toy/hobby shop and pointed out the "BIG RUGGED" kids-proof sets. Here we have my 3 nieces, 3,4, and 7 years of age. It was their first set. Jessica the oldest at 7yrs could put the track together and even be trusted to help with the wiring. The two youngest 4yr old Heather and 3yr old Jenny could both take turns playing engineer and the train stayed on the tracks no matter how fast they pushed the lever. But you can also see little Jenny playing alone with the toy horses. At this age the train didn't hold her attention the way the accessories did. Plus at this size, Playmobil G gauge, they could load and unload the cars, use all kinds of imagination for making mountains out of card-table chairs with blankets covering them, Lego bricks and Lincoln logs made nice houses, and even Barbie dolls could use the railway system to travel to photo shoots. |
. |
| What good are cheap trains then? OK, so what are all those cheap trains good for? Once you get hooked on trains, trust me you will, those really cheap cars and locos are good to practice your weathering skills on. Weathering is when you use paints and/or chalks to make your trains look used and worn. Give them the "weathered" look. |
. |
. |
