Seeking recommendations on additional items for starter set gift

How about the Lionel Plug 'n Play Santa Gateman accessory. Fun for kids as the Santa figure emerges from the house when a train passes. Note that you would also need a FasTrak activator section to plug the accessory into.

This one:

http://www.lionel.com/products...uto-gateman-6-82744/

I would not recommend Santa-themed accessories unless he will be restricted to using it only around Christmas.  However, a regular Gateman would be a year-round hit.

Thanks for those suggestions.  The Gateman sounds like a good idea.  It has always been Lionel's most popular accessory.  He loves my old 145.  Additional track?  Optional "Lionchief Universal Remote (sold separately)"?  Not sure what it is or if it is necessary.   It comes with the regular remote.

John

The universal remote is for more than one engine, so you don't need three remotes to run three engines. Also good if you lose/break the remote, but if all he has is one engine then I wouldn't worry about that yet.

Some other buildings like a train station or something.

Thanks Bill.  Train station sounds like a good idea.  Are they still made well?

Some additional track would be a good idea if they have enough space. A Fastrack girder and simple train station (like Plasticville that he can help assemble) and some people/cars are also suggestions.

I looked into some additional track, but am not sure which "bundles" to get.  Lionel says minimum curve for that set is 031.

Any ideas?

And with the girder suggestion do you mean one to be used at ground level or a raised section with ramps, etc?

@Craftech posted:

I looked into some additional track, but am not sure which "bundles" to get.  Lionel says minimum curve for that set is 031.

Any ideas?

And with the girder suggestion do you mean one to be used at ground level or a raised section with ramps, etc?

There are some FasTrak "expansion packs" out there. A good, yet simple, example is one that will expand your loop into a figure 8. Probably good for a 5 year old. There are also a few others. It's really dependent on the amount of  available space.

If it were me, I'd go fairly small at this point. If the trains continue to be a hit then expand the empire!

Edit: Meant to add that the Plasticville idea noted above is a great idea. Simple, snap together structures, no glue. And the right size to stick around the inside of a layout loop.

Small freight cars?

Can't go wrong with the gate man.

You are probably right about that John.  They don't have a lot of room. 

A few additional straight pieces probably wouldn't hurt. Beyond a certain size, the layout need not occupy the middle of an open space (like in one of the videos accompanying the Amazon listing), but run around a free-standing piece of furniture.

---PCJ

Great ideas.  Much appreciated.

John

How about an engineer's cap and some bib overalls?

A good 5-year old engineer worth his salt should not be running a train if not properly attired.

I started my grandson with more track for his FasTrack set. That was a hit!

Ed Boyle

I would skip the universal remote.  The engine you listed can be run with a free app so even if the remote gets run over by a truck it can still be controlled with nearly any blue tooth enabled device

@jhz563 posted:

I would skip the universal remote.  The engine you listed can be run with a free app so even if the remote gets run over by a truck it can still be controlled with nearly any blue tooth enabled device

And the engineer's cap is a must have!  I also think the gatemen is a great idea, with the news-stand a close second.  And track is great as long as there is room to set it up

Do the BlueTooth controls actually work?  Doesn't the sound then come from the phone or other BlueTooth dev ice?

My kids love the Fastrack Grade crossing. It replaces a 10" section (or you can add another 10" section to the other side of your loop). It will allow for your son to play with his cars as well as the train.

https://www.trainworld.com/man...k-10-grade-crossing/

@Craftech posted:

Do the BlueTooth controls actually work?  Doesn't the sound then come from the phone or other BlueTooth dev ice?

sounds comes from the engine, just like the remote it is equipped with.  The app is free.  It actually gives you the ability to modify the sounds a little bit.  Kids who are used to smart phone screens have no problem with it.

I highly recommend a Gondola so the child and friends can take toys or small stuffed animals for a ride.  I have trains around the tree at Christmas and a garden railroad and younger kids love to be able to haul some sort of load.  

If you have room and are wanting more track, I would suggest the figure 8 expansion set.  It adds a lot of variety as the trains runs around the track.

Happy railroading and Merry Christmas!

Don

@Craftech posted:

I looked into some additional track, but am not sure which "bundles" to get.  Lionel says minimum curve for that set is 031.

Any ideas?

And with the girder suggestion do you mean one to be used at ground level or a raised section with ramps, etc?

I meant the ground level FT girder to add some visual interest.

Lionel also makes illuminated FT sections (straights and curves) now.

Thank you everyone for your thoughtful suggestions.  I forwarded all of them to my daughter.  Her boy is in for one very special Christmas thanks to all of you.

Happy Thanksgiving.

John

Believe it or not, a Lincoln Log set.  Build buildings, left over parts to build a fence, and loads for trucks, boxcars, flatcars and gons.

@DGJONES posted:

I highly recommend a Gondola so the child and friends can take toys or small stuffed animals for a ride.  I have trains around the tree at Christmas and a garden railroad and younger kids love to be able to haul some sort of load.  

If you have room and are wanting more track, I would suggest the figure 8 expansion set.  It adds a lot of variety as the trains runs around the track.

Happy railroading and Merry Christmas!

Don

I agree with Doug on both the figure eight and Gondola.  I'm 51 and I still like to send stuff for a ride in a Gondola!

Good luck! Let us know how it turns out. Post pics.

How about a small tunnel that can be placed where he wants it? Fun to see the train go in and out of tunnels....

@Michael Hokkanen posted:

How about a small tunnel that can be placed where he wants it? Fun to see the train go in and out of tunnels....

Also fun to build tunnels!! Shoe boxes, books, and especially empty train boxes always worked well if memory serves!

Tunnel idea is great.  Thanks

John

+1 on the Lincoln log idea

+1 on adding a gondola

+1 on gateman

+1 on more track

Also think about getting him a subscription to O Gauge Railroading Magazine, or a few old issues for future inspiration.  I received a few of these when I was growing up (in the 1990s) and remember looking through them to get ideas, read through the advertisements, see different products, and to read about different topics such as wiring that didn't make sense then, but over time it helped me learn that facet of the hobby.

As far as other things to complement his new set, consider adding some of their favorite characters (example Mickey Mouse, Ninja Turtles, Paw Patrol, etc) for passengers/engineers/damsels in distress/conductors, etc:

Also consider the Lionel Barrel Loader accessory.  It is a fun accessory, easy to use, isn't complicated, and is pretty tough.  It does require AC voltage to vibrate, so he may need a different transformer than the wall wart included in the set.  An additional small transformer could be had for a small amount of money to drive this accessory and others.

Another classic accessory is the Lionel Milk car.  Always fun and generally easy to navigate for a 5 year old.

To use the milk car, you will need one of these fastrack operating tracks, which allow you to remotely control the operating car and also uncouple:

If you have an operating track, you may as well get one of these dump cars too.

I forgot to mention the logging cars, lumber loaders, sawmills, etc.  As you can see, it's a slippery slope!!!

Kohl’s will practically give away track on Black Friday. Honestly I wouldn’t load up on “stuff” if it’s an apartment because it’ll all need to eventually be put away in a very limited space.  5 year olds have a way of repurposing all of their other toys anyways, I’m sure town will be populated with whatever other Legos and cars are laying around.

@Boilermaker1 posted:

Kohl’s will practically give away track on Black Friday. Honestly I wouldn’t load up on “stuff” if it’s an apartment because it’ll all need to eventually be put away in a very limited space.  5 year olds have a way of repurposing all of their other toys anyways, I’m sure town will be populated with whatever other Legos and cars are laying around.

I had no idea that Kohl's sells track.

Sounds like he will have a GREAT Christmas! :-)

@fgnewton posted:

I had no idea that Kohl's sells track.

I don't think my local Kohl's sells any Lionel or other train products.  Nor much, if any, toy stuff at all, after checking one time several years ago.  Which leads me to believe that maybe not all Kohl's stores do.

Maybe just a regional thing?

Grandpa (me) already picked up the Figure 8 expansion pack, FasTrack Girder bridge, JT's Smoke Fluid, and the straight track with the road crossing built into it.

My daughter said he already has Lincoln Logs.  The tunnels will be shipping boxes for now.  Someone else will get the gondola and a few other things.  There is (as Boilermaker1 pointed out) a space factor with the apartment.  When and if they ever get a house - Look out!

The kid has been obsessed with trains since he was TWO and it never went away.  At a year old he watched nearly the entire hour of Mike Armstrong's "California Trains" on a desktop computer screen.  Since then he has been focused almost entirely on steam trains .  Then when I dug my O Gauge trains out of the attic and started restoring them he became obsessed with them.  And here we are.

John

Forgot Tinker Toys!

@Craftech posted:

Grandpa (me) already picked up the Figure 8 expansion pack, FasTrack Girder bridge, JT's Smoke Fluid, and the straight track with the road crossing built into it.

My daughter said he already has Lincoln Logs.  The tunnels will be shipping boxes for now.  Someone else will get the gondola and a few other things.  There is (as Boilermaker1 pointed out) a space factor with the apartment.  When and if they ever get a house - Look out!

The kid has been obsessed with trains since he was TWO and it never went away.  At a year old he watched nearly the entire hour of Mike Armstrong's "California Trains" on a desktop computer screen.  Since then he has been focused almost entirely on steam trains .  Then when I dug my O Gauge trains out of the attic and started restoring them he became obsessed with them.  And here we are.

John

Dang!  If your grandson needs any help playing with all that fun stuff, let me know, and I'll head on over!

one of those old fashioned wooden train whistles he can blow and make a good loud sound with!!

@Mixed Freight posted:

I don't think my local Kohl's sells any Lionel or other train products.  Nor much, if any, toy stuff at all, after checking one time several years ago.  Which leads me to believe that maybe not all Kohl's stores do.

Maybe just a regional thing?

It’s probably online only. I won’t set foot in the place. They must have a deal with Lionel direct for Black Friday to sell direct to people who won’t set foot in a train store.

Stuff usually just drop ships from Concord, but you can do real well, like 40-50% off. It’s just sets and track. Don’t expect to find anything high end.