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Roundups with a beginner, intermediate and expert pick in every category, from starter sets and DCC systems to track, turnouts, decoders, scenery materials and the tools that actually get used.
Every page is researched from manufacturer specifications, instruction manuals, published NMRA standards and recommended practices, and the consensus of verified owner reviews, not hands-on testing. Every table on this site is plain HTML you can quote, and every calculator shows its formula on the page.
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A modern high speed passenger set, which is the one thing a freight-heavy catalogue is usually short of. Note that the long cars want more radius than the oval in the box suggests.
Best for: a modern passenger themed first layout
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A conventional freight set on the current LionChief 5.0 electronics, which adds Bluetooth control and app speed control to the standard remote.
Best for: a first O gauge freight set for an adult buyer
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A DCC sound set rather than a DC one, which matters because the controller and the decoder are the two things people replace first when they outgrow a starter set. It ships with an E-Z Command controller and a sound-equipped 2-6-0.
Best for: an adult starting in HO who already knows they want DCC
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A steam DCC sound set built around a 2-8-0, with the same E-Z Track and E-Z Command combination. Steam starter sets with real sound are unusual at this price.
Best for: a first HO set for somebody who wants steam rather than diesel
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