If you’ve read Model Railroader magazine for any length of time, you’ve probably noticed the hobby journey for many of our authors started with a train set. For baby boomers, born between 1946 and 1964, the set was often produced by Lionel or American Flyer. Fast forward a generation or two, and those sets were more likely HO or N scale. With gift-giving season just around the corner, it’s a great time to look at 12 train sets for the holidays.
Why are train sets such a great way to get people into the hobby? You get everything you need in one box. A locomotive? Check. Freight or passenger cars? Yep. Track, a power supply, and controller? You bet! Depending on the set, you can set up the track on a sheet of plywood, Ping-Pong table, or on the floor.
Though direct current is still commonly used in train sets, some use Digital Command Control, batteries, or even Bluetooth to control the locomotive. The type of control is usually listed on the packaging. When in doubt, contact the manufacturer or ask the hobby shop owner.
Train sets are available from a variety of sources. Some companies, such as Bachmann Trains, have a robust lineup of sets covering multiple scales and eras. Other manufacturers focus their efforts on sets in one or two scales. The list presented here is just a small sampling of what’s available today.
N scale
Name: Durango & Silverton
Product number: 24020
Price: $263
Manufacturer
Bachmann Trains
1400 E. Erie Ave.
Philadelphia, PA 19124
Features
- 0-6-0 steam locomotive and tender
- Old-time combine
- Two old-time coaches
- 24” x 34” oval of E-Z Track (11 pieces of curved track, four pieces of straight track, and one curved plug-in terminal rerailer)
- Power pack and speed controller
Name: Silver Streak Zephyr Starter Set
Product number: 106-0041
Price: $350
Manufacturer
Kato USA Inc.
100 Remington Rd.
Schaumburg, IL 60173
Features
- Electro-Motive Division E5A diesel locomotive
- Five Budd-built lightweight passenger cars
- Bookcase packaging with room for two additional locomotives
- Oval of track (12-3/8” radius)
- Grade crossing/rerailer track
- Storage drawer for locomotives/accessories
- Kato power pack
HO scale
Name: Trainkids Passenger Train Set
Product number: 15000000
Price: $109.95
Manufacturer
Atlas Model Railroad Co.
378 Florence Ave.
Hillside, NJ 07205
Features
- Amtrak Acela powered locomotive with First Class battery car
- Cafe car, Business Class car, and unpowered locomotive
- 38” x 56” oval of track with plastic rails (12 curved pieces, four straight sections)
- Remote-control operated headlight, horn, bell, and “welcome aboard” announcement
- Requires four AA batteries for train and two AAA batteries for remote control, not included
Read a review of the Atlas Trainkids Passenger Train Set on Trains.com.
Name: Daylight Special
Product number: 00776
Price: $549
Manufacturer
Bachmann Trains
1400 E. Erie Ave.
Philadelphia, PA 19124
Features
- Southern Pacific class GS-4 4-8-4 with smoke and operating headlight
- 72-foot smooth-side baggage car
- 85-foot smooth-side coach with illuminated interior
- 85-foot smooth-side observation car with illuminated interior
- 45” x 81” oval of E-Z Track (16 pieces of 22” radius curved track, seven pieces of straight track, and one plug-in rerailer)
- Power pack and speed controller
Name: Branch Line Passenger Starter Set
Product number: 29243
Price: $460
Manufacturer
Märklin Inc.
1406 Creek Trail Dr.
Jefferson City, MO 65109
Features
- Class 24 steam locomotive with tender and factory-installed mfx digital decoder with sound and light functions
- Three passenger cars
- 30” x 73” oval of Märklin C track
- Track connector box
- 120V/36VA switched mode power pack
- Märklin Mobile Station
Name: Amtrak ICE 3 Starter Set
Product number: 57197
Price: $219.99
Manufacturer
PIKO America LLC
4610 Alvarado Canyon Rd., Ste. 5
San Diego, CA 92120
Features
- Amtrak ICE 3 with two end units and two cars
- 12 pieces of 55412 curved roadbed track R2
- Five pieces of 55401 roadbed straight track
- One each 55406 straight track for connection clip, 55270 connection clip, and 55447 socket for connection clip
- Speed controller
- Power supply
Name: WalthersTrainline Flyer Express Fast-Freight
Product numbers: 931-1210 (BNSF), 931-1211 (Canadian Pacific), and 931-1212 (CSX)
Price: $199.98
Manufacturer
Wm. K. Walthers Inc.
5601 W. Florist Ave.
Milwaukee, WI 53218
Features
- Electro-Motive Division GP15-1 diesel locomotive
- Matching wide-cupola caboose
- Norfolk Southern 53-foot gondola
- Conrail 50-foot insulated boxcar
- Power pack and speed/direction controller
- 31” x 54” oval of Power-Loc track
- Walthers Getting Started Guide for new modelers
S scale
Name: Pennsylvania RR Docksider FlyerChief Set
Product number: 2217030
Price: $349.99
Manufacturer
Lionel LLC
6301 Performance Dr.
Concord, NC 28027
Features
- 0-6-0 Dockside switcher with RailSounds RC sound system and user-selected operational mode (conventional AC transformer or FlyerChief wireless remote or app with AC or DC power).
- Boxcar with positionable door and coal hopper with removable load
- Caboose with illuminated interior
- Track (12 FasTrack R20 curves, one 10” FasTrack straight section, and one 10” FasTrack FlyerChief terminal track)
- Wall pack power supply
- FlyerChief remote for locomotive (speed, direction, whistle, bell, and announcements). Requires three AAA batteries, not included
- Locomotive and rolling stock do not have provisions for scale couplers or wheels
O scale
Name: East Broad Top – Freight (On30)
Product number: 25025
Price: $489
Manufacturer
Bachmann Trains
1400 E. Erie Ave.
Philadelphia, PA 19124
Features
- 2-6-0 locomotive with tender
- Tank car
- Two-bay steel hopper
- Caboose
- 38” x 56” oval of E-Z Track
- Power pack and speed controller
Large scale
Name: Cowcatcher
Product number: 90040
Price: $675
Manufacturer
Bachmann Trains
1400 E. Erie Ave.
Philadelphia, PA 19124
Features
- Baldwin 4-6-0 steam locomotive and tender with smoke unit and speed-synchronized chuff sound (sound system requires 9V battery for operation, not included)
- Stockcar with animated cattle
- Bobber caboose
- 4’-3” x 5’-4” oval of track
- Power pack and speed controller
Name: Christmas Train Starter Set
Product number: 72308
Price: $410
Manufacturer
Märklin Inc.
1406 Creek Trail Dr.
Jefferson City, MO 65109
Features
- Tank locomotive with smoke unit, headlight, and ball-bearing-mounted Bühler motor
- Two passenger cars
- 48” circle of track
- 120V power supply
- Locomotive controller
- Smoke fluid
- Santa figure
- Starter set can be expanded with annual LGB Christmas cars
Name: Building Block Battery R/C Starter Set
Product number: 37155
Price: $529.99
Manufacturer
PIKO America LLC
4610 Alvarado Canyon Rd., Ste. 5
San Diego, CA 92120
Features
- 1:24-proporition General Electric 25-ton diesel locomotive (requires six AAA batteries, not included)
- Two flatcars with building block studs on deck (compatible with LEGO, DUPLO, and other popular brands of plastic building blocks)
- 12 pieces of R1 track (makes 51” diameter circle)
- Track clips
- R/C pocket remote for switcher
- Uncoupling wand
Read a review of the PIKO America Building Block Battery R/C Starter Set on Trains.com.
You missed USA trains large scale train sets
http://www.usatrains.com/usatrainsets.html which come with a better power pack and brass track and the owner can consider putting the track outside. Bachmann’s track will rust in the rain in a month. The 10th anniversary 4-6-0 will last for years, not so with the train set engines.
Cheers,
Jeff