New to hobby, inhereted collection.

O and O-27 look good mixed together for the most part, but it's a personal preference. You'll really only see a noticeable difference when you have scale equipment paired with O-27.

Zach K posted:

O and O-27 look good mixed together for the most part, but it's a personal preference. You'll really only see a noticeable difference when you have scale equipment paired with O-27.

Scale is 2-Rail O gauge, correct?

Scale meaning true 1:48 sizes, the Atlas O/MTH Premier/weaver stuff is considered 'scale'

Ok, so if I stick to Railking and Lionel the sizes should be comperable? 

Basically, the main difference between 027 and 0 is the diameter of the circles. 27 inch diameter, 31 inch diameters....Yes, its toy.  The size of the cars are also different....If you would, describe your engines and cars, and we can better give you a favorable direction to travel. This is a wonderful Hobby, very Diversified, where there are many Choices You may consider to meet your needs.

By inheriting these trains, You know the Price was Right.  Welcome to our Forum. If you are near Tennessee, come See Me.....

leapinlarry posted:

Basically, the main difference between 027 and 0 is the diameter of the circles. 27 inch diameter, 31 inch diameters....Yes, its toy.  The size of the cars are also different....If you would, describe your engines and cars, and we can better give you a favorable direction to travel. This is a wonderful Hobby, very Diversified, where there are many Choices You may consider to meet your needs.

By inheriting these trains, You know the Price was Right.  Welcome to our Forum. If you are near Tennessee, come See Me.....

Here is what I have for motive power and passenger sets:

• Lionel Union Pacific RS-3 http://www.lionel.com/products...s-rs-3-1292-6-31924/
• Lionel NYC 4-4-2http://www.lionel.com/products...motive-8637-6-28694/
• Railking T&P 4-8-2L3 Mohawk with Protosound 2.0 http://mthtrains.com/30-1114-1 
  • 4 car madison passenger set
• Railking Southern Pacific Daylight GS-4 with Protosound 2.0 http://mthtrains.com/30-1119-1 
  • 4 car streamlined passenger set
• W.&.A.R.R. TEXAS 4-4-0 19th century with Protosound 2.0 http://mthtrains.com/30-1135-1
  • 4 car overton passenger set

The above 3 are all from the 1997 RK catalogue

• Lionel Pensylvania GG-1 (1977 version) http://www.collector-modeltrai...log_item/MT-0607107/ 
  • 3 car pullman passenger set
• Lionel United States Army GP-7 http://www.collector-modeltrai...log_item/MT-0264553/ 
• Lionel Denver & Rio Grande Industrial Switcher http://www.collector-modeltrai...log_item/MT-0460877/ 
• Lionel Pennsylvania 6-8-6 Turbine #671 http://www.tandem-associates.c..._trains_671_loco.htm 

I also have a hand-car, a street trolly, and a whole bunch of freight, 3 of which are operating. 

rattler21 posted:

You may consider putting an Internet address in your profile.  You may receive longer, detailed answers in a direct message rather thank on a public forum.  John

An internet address in my profile...? Could you elaborate, I do not understand. 

STARDAR1,

I hope this provides some clarification.  

What you are referring to as "O 27" is typically the smaller.  It's also sometimes referred to as "Traditional".  "O" (also called "Scale") refers to anything that is 1/48th the size of the real life equipment.  

Most anything that is labeled "O" or "O 27" can be run on O Gauge 3 rail track.  The big difference between the 2 is the size and that can limit if it can be run or not.  That limit is caused by and related to the diameter of the curves.  O 27 can be run on pretty much anything (the "27" refers to the diameter of the curve - 27 inch diameter).  "O Scale" will typically be more intolerant of tighter curves and will derail if the curve is not wide enough.  If you look at a Lionel signature catalog for example.  Most of the locomotives have a "minimum curve" in the description (the SD45 in the newest catalog has listed a minimum curve 054...that means the smallest track curve needs to be 054 (54 inch diameter)).  Looking at the list of things you have inherited, you shouldn't have any issues.

One suggestion...don't sell anything quite yet.  Wait until you have had an opportunity to see stuff running and then decide.  Like people have mentioned, it's all personal preference.  If you like it, keep it.  If not sell it.  The only important detail is to have fun.  

Oh...and ps.  Welcome to the hobby!!!

Wanderer posted:

STARDAR1,

I hope this provides some clarification.  

What you are referring to as "O 27" is typically the smaller.  It's also sometimes referred to as "Traditional".  "O" (also called "Scale") refers to anything that is 1/48th the size of the real life equipment.  

Most anything that is labeled "O" or "O 27" can be run on O Gauge 3 rail track.  The big difference between the 2 is the size and that can limit if it can be run or not.  That limit is caused by and related to the diameter of the curves.  O 27 can be run on pretty much anything (the "27" refers to the diameter of the curve - 27 inch diameter).  "O Scale" will typically be more intolerant of tighter curves and will derail if the curve is not wide enough.  If you look at a Lionel signature catalog for example.  Most of the locomotives have a "minimum curve" in the description (the SD45 in the newest catalog has listed a minimum curve 054...that means the smallest track curve needs to be 054 (54 inch diameter)).  Looking at the list of things you have inherited, you shouldn't have any issues.

One suggestion...don't sell anything quite yet.  Wait until you have had an opportunity to see stuff running and then decide.  Like people have mentioned, it's all personal preference.  If you like it, keep it.  If not sell it.  The only important detail is to have fun.  

Oh...and ps.  Welcome to the hobby!!!

Thank you for the clarification. 

I have already had a chance to run pretty much all of it, and looking closer, it looks to be nearly completely traditional scale. If I were to sell any of it, I would probably sell the 19th century set and the GG-1. I should also note that I have 2 Lionel Post-War ZWs, but I know that a lot of newer trains coming out benefit a lot from command control. I know my protosound 2 equiped engines have access to DCS, and I know i can buy commander boards fo my other engines, but is it really worth going to command-control over a transformer?

You can do both.  Everything you have should run with a conventional transformer.  Start there.  Then if you have that itch to do command, add it.  Even with command, you will still need to power the track.  The transformer can allow you to run conventionally when you want and can provide the needed track power for command if you decide to add it.  The only limitation is you cannot run a conventional locomotive and a command locomotive at the same time. 

Is it worth the $400 to get a DCS/TIU if I only have 3 engines (one of which I probably want to sell) that can use it? 

Also, is a TMCC commander board for one of my other engines worth $100?

Now your asking the million dollar question.  

For me, it was.  For you, it may or may not be.  This is another part of the hobby that is all about personal preference.  It is something I would definitely suggest trying before buying (maybe a local club or local hobby shop).  If you decide you want it, research it and wait until one of the hobby stores has a sale (either local or online).  They frequently do and I bet you can get a DCS/TIU for less than $300.00.  

Stardar1 posted:

Scale is 2-Rail O gauge, correct?

 

no. 

you can get scale in 3-rail

Stardar1 posted:

rattler21 posted:

You may consider putting an Internet address in your profile.  You may receive longer, detailed answers in a direct message rather thank on a public forum.  John

An internet address in my profile...? Could you elaborate, I do not understand. 

I believe they meant email address.

Stardar1 posted:

Hi, I am relatively new to model railroading, and have inhereted my grandfather's O and O27 collection. 

I would like to get more into model railroading, but I am hesitant to expand the collection because of the mixed scales, so my question is this: Is it considered OK to mix O and O27 trains? I do not care about things being incredibly proto-typical, but I still want it all to look good together. 

The collection was more O27 than O, does it make sense to sell the O and buy more O27? (The collection is mostly Railking). 

 

Thanks,

Stardar1

 

next time you are out and about watching real trains look at the different size of all the cars.  yet they are all scale.

Stardar1 posted:

Ok, so if I stick to Railking and Lionel the sizes should be comperable? 

RailKing and MTH Rugged Rail, steer clear of Premier if you want traditional sized.

some Lionel, there is scale sized Lionel too. 

If you want to give DCS a try, I'd suggest starting with the DCS Remote Commander.

That MTH RailKing W.&.A.R.R. 4-4-0 is oversized, by the way. Based on scale drawings of similar 19th-century Civil War-period Americans and using Mantua's HO scale General (on which MTH's model was based) as a comparison, I once estimated that the MTH model is about 1:38 scale. Lionel's General is similarly oversized. Nineteenth-century locomotives were pretty small locomotives compared to their 20th-century counterparts.

Jim R. posted:

That MTH RailKing W.&.A.R.R. 4-4-0 is oversized, by the way. Based on scale drawings of similar 19th-century Civil War-period Americans and using Mantua's HO scale General (on which MTH's model was based) as a comparison, I once estimated that the MTH model is about 1:38 scale. Lionel's General is similarly oversized. Nineteenth-century locomotives were pretty small locomotives compared to their 20th-century counterparts.

TBH, I'm not a huge fan of 19th century trains anyways, and planned to sell that locomotive and my overton passenger cars. 

FYI, the engines you listed by MTH being 1997 era are all Protosound 1 (PS1) not 2.0 (unless they have been upgraded).  PS1 can only been run in command via conventional mode, so it everything is truly original PS1 equipment, there is no advantage to getting a DCS system right now.