last night before i went to bed i had i thought about trying two rail o scale
my question is
is there two rail starter sets with modern era equipment and what would they cost
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No, there is not.
Not currently. Years ago, Atlas and AHM had put a few 2-rail O starter sets out, locos and cars made by Lima or Rivarossi.
Those were out in the 1970's and 1980's, but no one's put out a starter-level set like that since to my knowledge, either.
No.
Generally speaking, most 2 railers and model railroaders in other scales, don't think in terms of sets, starter or otherwise. 2-Rail stuff tends to be sold as individual pieces, such as locos, cars, buildings, track etc. Since most scale mfgs follow NMRA standards and recommendations, it is all compatible and works together.
A way to get some ideas might be to go to the Website for "O Scale Trains" magazine. I think they published a book called something like "modern O Scale". It might be a good way to get an introduction to what is there and how it works.
As a "modern" small starter engine, Atlas O mfg a GP-15 a few years back. These are still around at shows and some dealers may still have them.
If you attend some O Scale (2-rail) only shows, you should be able to find new and used freight cars at pretty decent prices.
the website is
http://oscalemag.com/wordpress/
the book is called "A Guide to Modern O Scale".
I have not read it, but others have complimented it.
The last train sets I have seen were done Atlas O in 2006 and 2007. They consisted of an Trainman Locomotive, 2 Trainman Freight Cars, Trainman Caboose, plus a circle of O36 2 rail track. There a number of resources and several magazines devoted to O Scale 2 rail. OGM has a 2 rail forum and has done several articles on 2 rail layouts. You can built your own small set. I do agree with reading A Guide to Modern O Scale.
Actually Atlas offered a starter set, available either 3-rail or 2-rail, with the gp15-1 about 10 years ago. I've seen it for sale on ebay. Here is the flyer from Atlas.
With a little patience, you could probably source a gp15-1 and similar number of cars from the secondary market. Combined with track, I think the price would be comparable to that listed in the flyer.
To get a good feel for it, it's worth picking up a few pieces on the auction sites if you can. The Atlas Plymouth switcher is reasonably modern, and maybe a few Weaver cars from around the 80s. The switcher is a good base for kit-bashing too, as there's a good group of wheels, gears and axles to play with. I did this years ago, and still have the cars.
As for fully modern outline, MTH and Atlas O are possibilities, but starter sets not so much.
Lenz offer a really good starter set including small switcher, wagons, track and controller. All Lenz equipment is fully DCC which means sound, couplings, lights etc. Lenz has a sustaintial product base in the US as they defined the original DCC standards and their DCC equipment is really solid but they also sell a range of locomotives and stock which is second to none in terms of quality and cost.
Tim
I wonder if MTH has released one?
The complete sets with the F9 show up on ebay from time to time. The Atlas/Roco F9 runs smooth and quiet, a minor mod to keep the trucks from lifting from torque under heavy loads is about the only mod unless you want to upgrade the lighting ect. They are also affordable. I had one before I got my diecast metal All Nation F units. Ebay and O scale yard sale over on yahoo are your friends. Just post up what your looking for and let them come to you. Mike
the Atlas/Roco F9 had one minor, split gears
if youy are lucky the gears are replaced, NWSL has replacement parts
for starter sets: http://www.ets.cz/en/sets/
maybe not as detailed as LENZ , but it is a starter set
Cor
While "2 rail sets" my not be available today, there are lots of options for building your own starter roster. My vote for a starter locomotive would be for any of AtlasO's EMD diesel switchers (SW7, SW9, SW1200) available in a wide range of road names. IMO they are the smoothest running out of the box mass produced 2 rail O scale locomotive ever offered. First introduced in the 1990's, the single motor, 2 flywheel, all wheel drive followed the architecture successfully used in Atlas's HO product line. AtlasO's EMD switcher was produced in 2 and 3 rail versions, however reception in the 3 rail market was lukewarm. Responding to 3 rail market preferences, all AtlasO diesels (other than EMD switchers) since imported have traditional 2 vertical motor (a.k.a "China Drives") which do not run as smoothly in the low speed range as the single motor drive. There have been several AtlasO EMD switcher production runs over the years, and both new and used models are widely available on the internet and at 2 rail train shows.
Note that the components in the AtlasO switcher drive are totally different from those in the 1970's era Atlas/Roco F9. The F9 does not have flywheels, and is known to have issues with split gears, worn plated wheel treads, and fat flanges that sometimes have issues passing through turnouts laid to NMRA flange way specifications. Comparing the two offerings, you will pay more for an AtlasO switcher but IMO it will be money well spent. If on a really tight budget the F9 is a viable starting point - but be prepared to upgrade it with replacement NWSL geared wheel sets ($44.95).
