Where to start?

Hornby track and PECO Set Track are interchangeable. PECO Set Track parts all have part numbers that start with ST. PECO also do StreamLine track whose part numbers start with SL. Not all PECO SL track is compatible with Hornby, both in terms of geometry and also rail profiles. So you can not assume that all track parts that you find listed on the PECO website will work with Hornby Code 100 track. This previous thread raised a few days ago will help explain the difference.

https://uk.hornby.com/community/forum/setrack-vs-streamline-307915?ccm_paging_p=1

Time wise you have spent weeks researching Hornby on this forum, particulary in this thread. Just to advise you, that researching PECO track pros and cons will be like a game of snakes and ladders, and put you down a snake where you will need to start again with new research. PECO track products, particulary their Electrofrog products with frog power switching implemented can be a completely different ball game and can need a higher level of technical design consideration. I speak from personal experience, as my own layout is PECO SL Electrofrog with full DCC frog switching. This is a level of technical complexity and knowledge requirement that is just not needed with Hornby track, probably another reason why Hornby have not updated their track products as they target the keep it simple and just plug it together market.

Got my first few deliveries.

Buying the Hornby track plan book has made me so glad I haven’t committed to buying a track layout. It’s given me so many ideas and shown me many techniques I never thought of. I’ve read it multiple times and I still keep finding new things. Only received the Basic DCC wiring book this afternoon, so I’m really looking forward to delving into that tonight.

I’ve got my Elite controller on order, as well as the Terrier train pack, plus a few other bits and pieces. Still can’t quite decide on what Class 08 I want, but there is no rush. So all I need to do now is just finish the loft and commit to a track layout. Oh and I’m pretty sure I’ll never need to buy track pins ever again. 🙄

@DarkRedCape

That looks a great start.

I have turned your picture over, it looks better the right way up.

Keep us posted on how you get on.

On the track plan book, I suggest you use it for ideas only. Others have found these layouts to have problems in practice. These include inclines being too steep, first radius curves limiting locos and carriages you can run, standard points adjacent to curves causing derailments, not using Streamline points, and curved points leading to derailments. Then there are also reversing loops requiring extra track supply management to avoid short circuits and the need for undocumented more complex controller placement to power the entire layout.

I'm not sure but these videos may help you...

How To Model A Railway Track - YouTube

How To Clean Your Model Railway (Hoover + Track Cleaner) - YouTube

My Review Of The 2-6-2 GWR Large Prairie Tank Locos - YouTube

🙂🚂🚂🚂

RDS - Thank you, much appreciated. I’ll keep dropping in and post my progress updates. May slow down a little over Christmas, but I’ve learned that there is no to need rush this hobby. Even though I do feel the urge to buy everything quickly as once certain things go out of stock, they never come back in.

Fishmanoz - I’m still a novice at all this, and I have to admit that some of the layouts in the book made me raise an eyebrow. I tried to replicate a few of them in AnyRail and all but one had conflict issues with length or alignment. I know real track and AnyRail aren’t quite the same in terms of tolerances. Fortunately I don’t plan to use any of the layouts in the book, but it did highlight some connections with various track pieces that I hadn’t previously seen or thought of.

JJ - Thanks for the videos bud, I really liked the track cleaning video. I’ve been wondering how much maintenance and cleaning a layout and fleet would require, and what materials/products to use. The video helped a lot. I’m a big fan of the Large Prairie, it’s quite an unusual looking loco with the single bogies (hope I got that right) at the front and rear, and I’m trying to build a GWR fleet for my first layout, so it’s super nice it has a model with that livery.

Was out shopping at Sainsbury’s today and picked up a Railway Modeller magazine, volume 72. I can see me picking stuff up like this regularly, there is so much useful information inside and all of the product codes and prices is such a big help.

I’ve got the R3865 BR, Standard 7 ‘Britannia’ Class, 4-6-2, 70013 ‘Oliver Cromwell’ on its way. I wanted a big main loco for a passenger line, and I think the Britannia class is the best looking loco I’ve seen so far.

But I’m a little unsure about which carriages would be a good fit. I’ve done lots of googling and checking around websites that sell trains and carriages and found a few I like.

But from the information I was able to find, it looks like GWRcoachpackC - Hawkesworth 63’ 4-pack in BR crimson & cream (includes R4404B, R4405B, R4406B & R4407B) would be a good fit. I saw some colour images that looked like this loco pulled coaches similar to this. They are of the same era and I’m trying to keep my locos and coaches as close as possible in era and what they were paired with in real life. It seems maybe any of the Mk1 coaches will do?

Any suggestions on what would be a good fit for this loco?

Check out the Hornby Bundle packs of coaches. Some may suit your needs. Still a hefty outlay for 6 coaches though at just under £175.

Given that Hornby coaches go for upward of £40 and £50 each, £175 for 6 probably isn't that bad, though I think prices of coaches, (like almost everything else) have shot up quite a bit during this year.

Is that what a loco this size would normally pull? 6 coaches?

Or is this more down to what you want your loco to do, and the size of your layout, rather than a set in stone number?