Are you looking to get into model trains, but unsure where to start? We had the same! A lot about this hobby can come across as expensive, but don’t worry. We’ve listed a few brands and sets below that will get you well on your way with this hobby, while not completely breaking the bank!
Lionel Polar Express set
We, and our kids, really love this set and it’s also very realistic looking and great quality! Especially around the Christmas holiday, your kids will love riding this train, along with the signature sounds (including several of Tom Hanks’ famous lines from the film), while having the polar express movie up on your screen.
The set does require quite some batteries (several C batteries in the locomotive and another few AAAs in the remote, but the durability and the amount of pleasure it gives to the kids (and their parents alike by the way), makes it all worth it.
What is also really nice about this set is that you can expand on the investment you make in the basic set, as all kinds of expansion kits and pieces are available. Again, all in the recognizable style of the classic movie.
Our top pick as a Christmas gift!! 😊
Looking for non-Christmas Lionel train sets to get into model trains?
What is really amazing about the Lionel Pennsylvania Flyer set, is that it allows for remote controlling from your phone and has many working parts, including lights, sounds, and even puffs of smoke. With 2 dozen curved pieces and 8 straight ones, the set has a lot to offer and your train a lot of ground to cover.
This set is highly durable and can be a great pick when you have younger children in the house as well.
Finally, the sheer iconic factor of the Pennsylvania Flyer train, only adds to the fun!
Bachmann Chief Ready-To-Run Electric Train
The number of attributes included in this HO scale (1:87) set make it a no-brainer for us to mention it as a great set to get into model trains. The set has a very nice and realistic locomotive (EMD GP40) with a functioning headlight and comes with several other cars, including a gondola and a caboose.
Though the number of track pieces is not enormous, Bachmann does deliver this set with several dozen miniature people, telephone poles and an assortment of signs for railroad and street.
This set offers a great quality for its price and a whopping 130 pieces!
As an alternative for the Chief Ready-To-Run set, there is also the Super Chief Ready-To-Run electric train
set. At the smaller N scale (1:160), this set comes with an F7-A locomotive instead of the EMD GP40.
This set is delivered with a circle track, whereas the Chief set comes with a more oval-shaped track that includes a terminal rerailer and signal bridge. Still a great quality product for the price it is offered at.
Kato USA New York Central
Kato did it again with this amazingly realistic and well-crafted miniature version of the New York Central 20th century trains. The detailing is incredible from the outside design to the interior, as well as the size and placement of the windows. The EMD E7A locomotive is equally fitting of the 1950s styling of the rest of the set.
The set, as the Bachmann and Lionel ones come fully ready to run, but at a bit more premium price than the Bachmanns. In terms of size, this set clocks in at the N scale (1:160). High durability on this set and many years of fun ahead!