Your first train set & layout

Choosing a train set

A train set is still the best value way in: the loco, coaches or wagons, track and controller usually cost less together than bought separately. When comparing sets, check:

• Scale – see our scale guide. Most UK starter sets are OO; Hornby also sells TT:120 sets.
• Track footprint – the box will show the size of the oval. Measure your table or floor first.
• Analogue or digital – most sets are analogue; a few are DCC or Bluetooth. Read DCC vs DC.
• Who it’s for – ranges like Hornby Playtrains are designed for young children; mainstream sets are for older children and adults.
• Steam or diesel, era and region – pick trains you actually like. It keeps you interested.

What’s in the box

A typical OO set has a locomotive, two or three coaches or wagons, enough sectional track for an oval (sometimes with a siding), a power connecting clip or track, a controller and a mains power supply. Some include a printed mat showing where expansion track packs go.

What to buy next

1. Track extension packs – add sidings and loops. Hornby’s OO packs are lettered A onwards and build up step by step.
2. A better controller – a quality analogue controller transforms slow running and shunting.
3. A second locomotive – a shunter like a Class 08 gives you something to do in the sidings.
4. A building or two – a station or signal box instantly makes it feel like a railway.

Building a baseboard

Running trains on carpet is fine for a week, but fluff gets into mechanisms and track gets knocked. A baseboard keeps everything level and lets you add scenery. For a first board:

• Use a frame of planed timber (around 69mm × 18mm) with a top of 9–12mm plywood or MDF. Brace it every 40–50cm.
• Keep any part you need to reach within about 60cm of an edge.
• Make it a size you can lift and store if it can’t stay up permanently; two smaller boards bolted together are easier than one big one.
• Paint the top an earthy brown or green before laying track, so any gaps in scenery don’t show white.

First scenery

Start simple: a ground cover mat or scatter material, a few trees, a road and a building. Ballast the track only once you’re happy with the track plan, because ballast glue makes track hard to move. Our scenery and buildings section lists popular items.

Beginner mistakes to avoid

• Buying lots of locos before you have somewhere to run them.
• Using the tightest curves everywhere – many longer locos and coaches look and run better on larger radii.
• Not cleaning track – most “my train stutters” problems are dirty track or wheels.
• Mixing scales by accident – HO, OO and TT:120 items are easy to confuse in listings. Always check the scale and catalogue code.

Popular starter sets