aside $170 for that, leaving a nice round $330 for the rest of the
project. (I’m also going to assume, for beginners – and this may
seem heresy to some – we’ll go with simple DC operation, on
the assumption that this layout is for single-train operation. DCC
is nice, but an added complexity, and added cost. I’d rather not
discourage new modelers with the complexity and cost of DCC.
Remember, we’ve sworn off be-all and end-all for this enterprise;
it’s all about experimentation on a budget!
The track plan, too, has a lot of flexibility. A simple roundy-
roundy loop that fits on a tabletop (okay, maybe the dining
room table, with the extensions put in) might consist of eight
single modules and four corner modules at a cost of around
$28 for the modules, and another $23 for the track. Of course,
that’s not very interesting for most, so tossing in four switches
for some switching activity brings this price up by around $100.
(That’s assuming the more-expensive #4 switches; #6 switches
don’t fit as neatly onto the standard module size.) If, point-
to-point is where your curiosity lies, keep the eight regular
modules, and trade two or three corner modules for three or
four more simple straight modules. That’s a not-too-shabby
shelf-top situation, again for the same money. Let’s put aside
another $173 for the track, regardless of what you pick, real-
izing that you can substitute standard modules, or even insert
new ones later, as you get a better sense of what you want.
When it comes to laying track, you have choices, too. You can
buy the electrical leads (KATO 24-828) and place them on sev-
eral modules. If you have switches, you’ll generally need power
on all sides of the switch, but these quickly become pricey. If
you’re up on your soldering (really, a simple skill to learn if you
follow a few basic tips), you can solder leads to the outside of
the rails where you want to put power, and spare the expense
of buying those rail leads. Another point: going with Kato parts
