FAQ1

1.Who plays with toy trains?

Just about everybody since their “invention”. Toy train operating and collecting have been extremely popular hobbies for over a century and many famous people have been high-profile enthusiasts. Toy trains were often featured in TV and movies in the “Golden Era” of the 40’s and 50’s as being part of everyday life and recreation. Even today you would be surprised at how often toy trains appear in the media, especially if you are looking for them. Chances are you know more people than you might think that play with toy trains.

Different aspects of the hobby can lead in all different directions such as fine scale modeling for the detail minded, real railroad history and modern evolution and technology, classic train collecting and just plain old playin’ with my trains for relaxation.

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2.How old should your child (or you) be?

There is no exact answer to this one. First of all, toy trains are “electric” trains. There is NO ELECTRICAL DANGER at the track. The voltage and current at the track are minimal and pose no danger of shock. However, the transformer (train control/power supply) is an electrical appliance that plugs in the wall socket. Therefore all electric trains in the US carry the disclaimer “Not Recommended For Children Under 8 Years Old”. As long as used with proper supervision this should pose no problem.

With that out of the way, toy trains can be used and enjoyed by children of all ages. There is a catch here though. Up until a certain age most kids like to pick up and move their toys. This is of course normal and natural.

An electric train however isn’t made for that kind of play. The train must have all wheels properly on the track and all cars coupled together correctly. The train follows the track without little hands “helping” it along. And also the speed must be controlled or it will derail.

In other words, you might say that you “OPERATE” a train rather than “PLAYING” with it.

But what IS the right age? It varies greatly but in general somewhere around 5-6 years old they start to be able to understand the difference between “playing” and “operating”. It can easily be earlier if they have the right guidance and examples to follow.

One thing is certain. The larger O-Gauge trains are much better suited for small hands than the smaller HO size model trains. The O-Gauge trains are MUCH more durable, they stay on the track MUCH better, they have MUCH more “play value” and in addition there is a greater variety of action accessories available.

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3.What should I buy first?

A “Starter Set” which comes complete with locomotive, an assortment of cars, a simple layout of track and the power supply to control the train. There are many to choose from in the O-Gauge size and range in price from about $150 up to $500 for a more sophisticated or detailed or extensive set. They are all quite expandable by the addition of more cars, track and accessories (with a few unique specialty exceptions).

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4.Do I need to stay with a particular brand?

Not at all (with the exception of track explained below). Today virtually all 3-Rail O-Gauge trains will interchange seamlessly. There are many 3-Rail O-Gauge manufacturers but they are almost all made to be compatible with each other. There can be some differences in physical size however. Some trains are made to be “scale size” (called different things by each maker) and these items can often look very large compared to the “traditional size” O-Gauge. In addition, in real life train units can vary greatly in size. We often don’t perceive that difference when waiting for the train to pass but it is much more evident in model size.

In the end it is up to you “what looks right” and any brand loyalty you might have. After all, it’s your Railroad.

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5.What about compatibility between brands of track?

There isn’t much but…. The good news is, the trains mostly don’t care. They will all run on anyone’s track. However before committing to an extensive layout it is best to decide on which one works best for your situation.

In “the old days” it was easier. There were primarily just Lionel type “O” and “O-27” gauge track. Both were 3-Rail, the O-27 track was a lighter weight and therefore cheaper version of O-Gauge track. The kind of track you had mainly depended on the cost of the set. Most trains would work on either. These days it is more complicated at the track level. Each manufacturer has their own proprietary type of 3-Rail Track, sometimes more than one type. Most are not at all compatible with each other but again, the trains will all work on anyone’s 3-Rail track.

See the Track & Power F.A.Q. for additional information.

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6.Can old trains work with new trains?

Yes in most cases. Since 1945 Lionel has used a standard 3-rail O- gauge track system and a standard “Knuckle-Type” coupler. With few exceptions over the years most toy train manufacturers made their trains to be compatible.

Today virtually all modern 3-rail American production from every manufacturer is compatible and will interchange seamlessly. The most notable exceptions in the past were trains made by the Louis Marx Company. They ran on Lionel type 3-rail track but the couplers between cars were very different than Lionel. As a matter of fact throughout their production not all of the various Marx couplers would even work with each other. From 1945 to the present (but particularly in the late 1940s and 1950s) American Flyer was another well known Lionel competitor but they were a bit smaller size and gauge and were called S-Gauge. They used a 2-rail track system and another coupler design altogether.

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7.What are the different sound systems in toy trains today?

The most notable development in toy train design in the last 20 years has been the evolution of the on-board sound system. Electronic technology, especially the digital recording revolution, has led to the ability to provide dramatic “Real-Life” sound even in entry level trains.

Each manufacturer has a name for their own system and there are some differences. The most well known are Lionel’s TrainSounds© and RailSounds© systems and MTH’s ProtoSounds© Systems. As with all modern technologies, they are constantly evolving and improving. It seems every release has new features available. At the entry level all systems work with conventional NEW transformers. Whitles and horns are activated by the “Whistle/Horn” control on the transformer. Modern transformers also have a “Bell” button for activating secondary features. Older power supplies may not have one or both controls.

At the advanced level, basic features (chuff, roar, whistle and horn) will still work but many of the additional dramatic sounds can only accessed through advanced control systems.

Lionel has essentially divided their system into 4 levels:

     1. Traditional mechanical Air Chime whistles, much like have been available since the 1930s. These are in their lowest priced steam locomotives.
     2. Electronic whistles and horns. An electronically generated representation of the real sound.
     3. TrainSounds (also SignalSounds). A full digitally recorded sound system with authentic whistle or horn and bell. Very often the engine will also have “chatter”, recorded radio communication that adds much to the realism. This system is most often found in Starter Sets and entry level locos.
     4. RailSounds in various progressions. Lionel is currently featuring RailSounds 5.0 and Legacy Railsounds in their top of the line offerings. These sound systems (and state-of-the-art speakers) deliver an astounding degree of realism. In addition most trains come with sounds specific the that particular locomotive. Multiple engines on a layout will all have their own unique sound. Some of the more advanced and subtle features are only accessible when operated with their sophisticated TMCC or Legacy Digital Control Systems.

MTH has developed their own sound system over the years starting with a QSI design (Called ProtoSound – usually referred to today as Proto-1) and they now feature their own advanced design called ProtoSounds-2. Like Lionel they have 2 levels of sound.

     1. Loco-Sound. A full sound system featured in virtually all their entry level trains. This system has the basic electronic chuff/roar plus a steam whistle or diesel horn and bell.
     2. ProtoSounds-2. Their “full-service” sound system that includes about every feature you can think of including the ability to record your own sounds or custom announcements through the train. Again many of the advanced features are only accessible through their advanced control system called MTH DCS, Digital Command System.

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8.What do TMCC©, Legacy© and DCS© mean?

Without going into much too much technical detail these terms refer to controlling trains through a technique generically called Digital Command Control. The Lionel Systems are called TMCC and Legacy Train Control Systems. The MTH System is called DCS or Digital Command System.

In a “Conventional” (or traditional) toy train layout, trains speed up and slow down because the electrical voltage to the track goes up or down. They change direction usually through an onboard mechanism that reverses the motor when power to the track is interrupted for a moment. If more than one train is on the track they will all speed up, slow down or change direction at the same time. Because no two trains can run at the same speed reliably, eventually one catches up to another. In short, it has not been practical to try to run more than one train on a single track without a complex track blocking system.

In a “Digital” layout however, the track is supplied with full power all the time. Each loco that is useable on this type of layout has built into it a “Decoder” that is assigned a unique address, such as Train 22 for instance. The track is connected to a controller through which you can communicate with each engine through a signal sent over the track.

If there are multiple trains on the track, each with their own address, only Train 22 will respond to the signal sent to that address. That signal will give the basic information of speed and direction plus many other commands specific to that engine. All the rest of the locos wait for their own signal. In this way, an engineer can exercise complete control over multiple locos on the same track individually. However in the basic digital layout each loco still is not aware of the other trains. It is up to the engineer to prevent collisions.

The biggest down side to the digital control option is that once a track system is converted to run Digital Trains, the “Conventional” or non-digital locos will not function on the layout. Because the track is fully powered at all times, these non-digital engines would operate at full speed with no control.

Digitally equipped trains WILL operate on a conventional layout with no modification. Most are probably used this way.

Only Trains that are Lionel TMCC, Legacy or MTH DCS ProtoSound-2 equipped are able to run on a Command Control Layout.

In addition, while Lionel makes their TMCC System available to other manufacturers (and several incorporate it into their lines), the MTH DCS system is currently limited to the MTH brand only. Both companies provide a limited ability to retro-fit digital components into some non-digital engines. Lionel TMCC/Legacy CANNOT operate MTH DCS trains in the Command Control Mode.

The MTH DCS system CAN BE CONFIGURED to operate Lionel TMCC trains with the incorporation of additional components.

Admittedly the whole O-Gauge Digital Command Control seems more than a little complicated. Also there are quite a few aspects of “Command and Control” variations that have been left out of this description. No one is going to learn everything there is to know by reading articles and visiting websites but those are sometimes good places to learn about the more advanced aspects of this branch of the hobby.

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