Where to start?
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Posted at 15:04:57 Wed 6 Oct 2021
Hello everyone, glad to finally be here.
I have wanted a Hornby train set since I was a child, and now I have the means to finally invest some time and money, I’m lost at where to start. I have recently begun to board my loft space, as it’s something I’ve long wanted to do, and realised I would have enough space to assemble some track, and later on, some landscape.
I have begun to watch beginner videos and how to get started, but I have to admit that I feel a bit overwhelmed with where to start.
My plan was to start with a starter set, more specifically the R1271M iTraveller 6000 set, because it comes with the HM 6000 which I really like the look of.
I have come here to ask the experts what are a few of the do's and don’ts when starting out? It feels like this is a hobby where the sky is the limit in terms of how much you can spend, both in time and money, and how much space you can use.
I really like the look of the DDC, but is this for more advanced users, or is it something you can use from the start?
The RailMaster seems like something for large scale setups with multiple trains and connections, so is this something I should avoid until I’m more comfortable with how everything works?
I did try to keep this short, but there is so much I’d like to ask. For now, I’ll leave it here. If you have read all the way to this point, thank you, you’re a real trooper.
Thanks all.
Last Edited 15:08:30 Wed 6 Oct 2021
Posted at 16:12:22 Tue 26 Apr 2022
Hello everyone, hope you're all doing well. I've been rather absent lately, I haven't been able to make any progress on the loft, and not much new on train front. I'm expecting to have it finished by the end of this summer.
Even so, I managed to get a weekend off and knocked up a quick track base made out of some scraps I had for the loft. I have a full cork underlay ready to go, took me three hours to cut out all the shapes, but it was enjoyable. Even though I will admit, the trains going round on just the wooden surface didn't make as much noise as I expected.
It's not much, but it's a start! Here is my incredibly modest first layout. I have some adjustable furniture legs on the way to raise it up off the floor.
Forgive the mess, the loft is still a work in progress.
Things I've learned from just having this very basic layout:
Don't forget the DCC clips.
A programming track is so so very handy. (I don't have one)
Placing a train on the track with the wheels aligned on the track is obviously a skill honed over time.
When your points are all manual, keep an eye on them!
Trying to uncouple a coupling can be very fiddly.
I've had no running issues so far, other than both my Large Praires will not function on the points. They approach, stop, judder, then keep going, sometimes. None of my other trains have any issue with points. So I'm assuming it's something to do with this particular Hornby model.
Posted 16:12:22 Tue 26 Apr 2022