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Written by Paul D. Race for Family Garden Trains(tm) 
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Written by Paul D. Race for Family Garden Trains(tm)
This page describes Large Scale train sets you buy in a box. Each starter set includes a loop of track and a power supply so you can it them up around the Christmas tree or whatever as soon as you open the box (although you generally need to buy larger track circles to use them effectively outside). You will almost certainly "outgrow" any of these sets as you get more into the hobby, but in the meantime, they give you something to experiment with and to let the kids or grandkids run when they come over. That said, each set on this page is chosen for its value and quality, and the fact that an investment in a reliable, attractive starter set will probably get you even more excited about the possibilities of a Large Scale or Garden Railroad
The starter sets on this page are divided into two major types:
More accessories are made to match the scale of the Narrow Gauge trains than to match the Standard Gauge trains, but both choices are well-supported. Which you choose depends more on what kind of train you like than anything else.
Note about Availability and Pricing: Although I try to keep an eye on things and to recommend products that are reasonably available, the model train market does fluctuate, and any product on this page may change price or become unavailable without prior notice. (In fact, I've inadvertently caused a "rush" on several products just by listing them on these pages.) When I have access to more than one source, I have provided multiple supplier buttons to give you a better chance of getting the trains you want (as long as you don't wait until mid-December to make your choice, in which case all bets are off). For more detailed information about why Large Scale railroad products seem to come and go and why I have stopped listing prices for certain products, please see my article "About Pricing and Availability."
Note about Suppliers: While we try to help you get the products you want by recommending suppliers with a good record of customer service, all transactions between you and the supplier you chose to provide your trains or other purchases are governed by the published policies on the supplier's web site. So please print off any order confirmation screens and save copies of invoices, etc., so you can contact the appropriate supplier should any problems occur. (They almost never do, but you want to be on the safe side.)
Notes for 2007! The good news is that:
So if you click on an Amazon button you may have your choice of several providers, so you can do a little price comparison, just on that page. On the other hand, if you choose a TrainDiscounts link, you'll need to add the product to your shopping cart to see the final discount, which is often less than the folks selling through Amazon. We hope that's not TOO confusing. If you have a question about vendors, or availability, or the quality of any product listed on this page, please contact us.
 AristoCraft Freight Set - This cheerful, well-detailed and very solid little train includes a Crest Train Engineer remote control that you can use to speed up, slow down, or stop your train from across the room or across the garden. No having to run to the power pack when you need to stop the train in a hurry. And you can use this system to run ANY train on this page, even in the garden (providing you don't get over 30' or so away from your railroad).
The 0-4-0T locomotive is based on a real Pennsylvania Railroad prototype, the A-5. This version of the model has been reengineered to provide years of trouble-free service indoors and out. If it sounds like I'm a little prejudiced toward this train, you should know that I've owned several different versions of this locomotive, gondola, and caboose, and have been quite pleased with each of them. To check on availability, please click on a "check stock" button. 
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 Click this button to check stock on an AristoCraft Freight Train starter set that is painted for Santa Fe railroad:
 
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 Click this button to check stock on an AristoCraft Freight Train starter set that is painted with AristoCraft's Teddy Bear logo. (By the way the first AristoCraft Teddy Bear train was orange - this is better.)
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 | AristoCraft Passenger Train - The same sturdy locomotive also pulls a delightful passenger train. This train comes with the same loop of weatherproof track, the same remote control and power supply. This train is available in several road names, including Pennsylvania (shown), Santa Fe, and Christmas. To check on price and availability, please click on a "check stock" button. To check on availability, please click on a "check stock" button. |
Click this button to check stock on an AristoCraft Passenger Train starter set that is painted for Santa Fe:
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Bachmann's Large Scale trains are accurately detailed models of real narrow-gauge trains that used to run in North America. Most narrow-gauge trains in this country ran on tracks that had the rails 36" apart. Models of narrow-gauge trains tend to be charming and to look old-fashioned compared to models of standard-gauge trains. They also tend to be larger in scale, so the figurines and accessories that go with them are larger and less likely to get lost in the undergrowth. (If you want to know all there is to know about garden train scales, refer to the article Which Scale Should I Model on the Family Garden Train's Primer page.)
Bachmann Starter Sets include a power pack, a speed controller, and an illustrated Bach Man instruction manual. Many include a "how-to" video as well. They also include an oval of track (14-20 pieces) useful for running indoors, but not solid enough for outside use. Frankly, you want bigger curves outside anyway, so this shouldn't be a problem.
Several of Bachmann's recent and most popular sets are shown below, including popular sets that were just reintroduced. For more information or to purchase from one of our suppliers, please click on a "Check Stock" button.
| The Durango and Silverton Freight Set - This is a classic model of a classic train. The last issue of this product has been unavailable for about 3 years. Now it has been brought back so a new "generation" of garden railroaders and "Rio Grande" fans can enjoy it.
The Denver & Rio Grande Western (D&RGW) started as the Denver and Rio Grande, a narrow gauge railroad with small equipment and big ambitions. The D&RGW eventually became the largest and one of the longest-lasting narrow gauge railroads in the world.
This train represents the Silverton Branch line, which was carved out of sheer canyon face high in the Rocky Mountains. This train is pulled by the popular Baldwin 4-6-0 steam locomotive (with operating headlight, smoke and speed-synchronized sound). The yellow and black "bumblebee" paint scheme became popular in the twentieth century. The locomotive pulls a boxcar and caboose that represent typical narrow gauge consists 1860 and 1920. By the way, I own the previous version of this and it's a pleasure to look at and a pleasure to run. This locomotive has been substantially reengineered since I bought mine, so I know you'll enjoy it. |
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| To check availability of this train, please click the "check stock" button. | |
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| ET&WNC Passenger Set - The East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railroad Company ("Tweetsie" for sort) ran from 1881 to about 1940, after which the line's assets changed hands many times. Today the "Tweetsie" is one of North Carolina's favorite travel attractions. This passenger set comes complete with a 4-6-0 steam locomotive (with operating headlight, smoke, and speed-synchronized sound), coal tender, coach with lighted interior, and observation car with lighted interior. |  |
| To check availability of this train, please click the "check stock" button. | |
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| ET&WNC Freight Set - Unlike large mainlines, narrow gauge trains often served double-duty hauling freight and passengers together on light routes. For this set, a baggage/passenger combine with metal wheels and interior lighting has been substituted for a caboose, so the handful of passengers the line expects can ride in comfort. |  |
| To check availability of this train, please click the "check stock" button. | |
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Bachmann makes many other Large Scale products. The Bachmann Garden Trains page lists many other products from Bachmann.
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Note: Family Garden Trains(tm), Garden Train Store(tm), and Big Christmas Trains(tm) are trademarks of Breakthrough Communications (www.btcomm.com). All information, data, text, and illustrations on this web site are
Copyright (c) 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 by Paul D. Race.
Reuse or republication without prior written permission is specifically
forbidden.
For more information, please contact
me