Present advice OO gauge

[Keihflc]

Hi, first post. I wanted to ask some advice. My Dad's birthday is coming up and he has recently decided to get into model railway again. He is going with OO gauge and I don't think he has bought much so far. I was wondering if there were some sure-fire useful gifts to help get his hobby going? Thinking £30-£50. Thanks for your help, I hope this is the right forum to post.

[Phil Bullock]

Hi Keith

 

Are you thinking rolling stock - something like useful tools....or books??

 

And do you know what era he likes - his age might give us a clue if not!

 

Cheers

 

Phil

[Keihflc]

He's 62, from Fife in Scotland. He volunteers with the Fife heritage railway https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fife_Heritage_Railway

 

I was thinking something fun, like a locomotive or carriages, or maybe something useful track or control wise that he might not think of. He hasn't done this for 30 years, so I figure the technology has changed!

 

Thanks

[Phil Bullock]

OK! If thinking carriages Mark 1 stock has run on the main and preserved lines from the 1950s until the current date

 

Bachmann are the best IMHO....

 

Pretty well in the middle of your price range --- chose your livery, they were regional originally but once blue grey came along pretty universal .....and all the original regional liveries can still be seen, although paradoxically rarer in the 70s when blue grey was pretty well ubiquitous on the main line

 

If you can run to 1 a CK SK BSK or BCK all useful - or if two suggest a CK and BSK or SK and BCK

 

Hope that makes sense

 

Phil

Edited April 22, 2018 by Phil Bullock

[Phil Bullock]

Or for track something slightly different as a starter...

 

http://www.newmodellersshop.co.uk/images/kato/K3-115.jpg

 

Probably out of budget but includes controller

 

http://www.newmodellersshop.co.uk/images/kato/K3-104.jpg

 

Phil

[Nearholmer]

If you can find a copy on ebay or through one of the secondhand book systems, “The PSL Book of Track Plans” by C J Freezer.

 

A good clean copy should cost less than £20 including postage, and it will give him a vast numbe4 of ideas to work with.

 

Kevin

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

Or lash out on the Barclay 0-4-0ST recently introduced by Hattons. Double the top of your proposed budget, but this is the first decent model of an all-Scottish loco to be made available in ready to run OO.

[Keihflc]

Thanks so much! These are all great ideas, that Barclay 0-4-0ST looks amazing!

[Phil Bullock]

Thanks so much! These are all great ideas, that Barclay 0-4-0ST looks amazing!

 

Welcome - have fun choosing!

 

Phil

[Ian Kirk]

Thanks so much! These are all great ideas, that Barclay 0-4-0ST looks amazing!

Way over budget I know but if you or he could persuade Pete Westwater (who lined the original) to re livery one it could be Fife Heritage Railway's Forth. (recently returned to steam and re painted in Fife Coal Company livery) 

 

best wishes,

 

Ian

[Andy Mac]

How about a subscription with one of the model railway mags?

[jonny777]

You could mention his renewed interest, and subtly steer the conversation around to what he has bought already. I'm sure he would be delighted to talk about his hobby. From that you will be able to work out if he seems to be buying items in an ordered fashion, or whether he purchases them on impulse because he likes them. 

 

If that doesn't work, you could always ask him outright if he has a particular era/location in mind, without it appearing to be a hint for gift opportunities. 

[ianLMS]

Play safe - Get him a gift voucher from the local model railway shop and he can chose what he wants/needs, and get great advice at the same time.

 

Era, location, loco's, rolling stock, track, control method etc are such personal choices, probably the only safe bet as said before, would be a good book or a couple of DVD's on the subject - layout track plans, how to guides..... etc would be great and will bring him up to speed on the latest developments. Or if yo ucan find out what, where, when etc, a book on his chosen era, railways in the chosen location, the company he wants to model (BR area), Digital Command Control (if he wants to go down that road), Model Railway Electronics, etc, etc

[Skinnylinny]

Depending on where in Fife he's based, he might like to pop over the Forth to Edinburgh and visit the Edinburgh and Lothians Miniature Railway Club. Edinburgh also has a very helpful model shop (Harburn Hobbies - no connection except as a satisfied customer) who'll be able to help him out with picking things of use for whatever he plans to do. They do gift vouchers, too!

[The Johnster]

If you want to buy stock for him, find out his intended period and location for the putative layout and stick within that.  Are you a modeller yourself?  If so, this is a much shallower learning curve as you will already know where to look for suitable stuff.  

 

But I have to say the magazine subscription sounds the best idea yet; he can develop enthusiasm in a way that suits him by reading articles and seeing what sort of layouts and technology are around these days; things have indeed changed since he was last involved with the hobby but of course some fundamentals have not; space is still limited and curves are still to sharp...

[Keihflc]

Thanks for all these comments. They are really helpful!

 

I'm no modeller, so I agree I should play it safe. Part of the enjoyment of modelling is choosing everything yourself, so I think I will get some vouchers and maybe some books/magazine subscription. 

 

I'm sure I'll be back in the future, when his track is in a more advanced stage!