30 pages
The largest radius that fits a 4 by 8, a door, a shelf or a spare room, what will run on it in each scale, and what to build when a continuous loop does not fit.
Every page here is computed rather than written, so the figures match the calculator that produced them exactly. Where a figure is a hobby rule of thumb rather than a published NMRA standard, the page says so. Every table is plain HTML you can quote.
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Takes one layout from bare benchwork to running, which is more useful to a beginner than a book of plans with no construction guidance.
Best for: a first layout, start to finish
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The most widely owned track plan book in the hobby. The plans are old and some of the geometry is tight by modern standards, and it remains the best value starting point there is.
Best for: a first look at what fits in a given space
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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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