I would certainly take him up on the free books, BUT there have been drastic improvements and complexity in parts of model railroading. So some of the info in older books is outdated as written below.

The following applies only if you want to run trains. For a static diorama, you can ignore the following. Newer equipment is generally much better. Locos run better, and plastic models are terrific now, where brass used to be much better (better details, but much more expensive). Now plastic is just as good, while brass often does not run well--it looks good, but may not run well.

The biggest improvement is in the power. The standard is now DCC (Digital Command and Control). Google for details, but simply put, DCC allows you to control the locomotive instead of controlling the track. The original DC (direct current) powered the track, and the loco(s) on that section of track all did the same thing with a track power change--all ran the same speeds (neglecting minor performance differences), ran the same direction, and it was entirely up to you as the operator to slowly increase or decrease speeds so the locos movements seemed realistic.

DCC requires a tiny computer inside each device (usually locos, although many other devices may be DCC equipped). This "decoder" reads the DCC pulsed power it picks up from the track, but only responds to a "word" at the beginning of a segment of power. That coded word is the address of the loco, and it is sent by the hand held controller which was preset to the loco's address. If the decoder detects another address (from another controller), it ignores the instruction that follows (speed up/slow down, start/stop, reverse direction, etc.) and it continues to move or stay stopped as if the instruction was never sent--indeed it was never received. This means that the operator's portable controller (similar to a TV remote) controls only the loco it is set to control. This makes the train (loco) independent of the track (except as a source of power), that is, dependent upon only the commands addressed to it. Thus, two or more trains on the same electrical section of track can change their movements independent of each other.

DCC is great, and absolutely necessary for a fine contemporary model RR that is built to run trains, even if just for occasional running. But it adds greatly to the cost, and to the complexity of setting up a loco (speed adjustment to match other locos so they may be consisted together), but it adds sounds such as bell, whistle, steam chugging and hissing, diesel sounds, whistles or horns, rail/wheel squeaks, automatically increase/decrease the speed for realism, and more. Each loco requires a $100+ decoder, and the controllers and power supply and control units are a few hundred more. The track is still divided into electrical blocks, but not for DC control, but for DCC convenience; a short (like a derailment) within a block will effect all locos within the block, so you want multiple blocks pretty soon as the railroad grows--so one derailment does not shut down the whole layout, but just that one block. And each block requires a circuit breaker to protect the locos within that block--more expense.

A separate need for multiple blocks for DCC is that the voltage to the track is a bipolar alternating current (AC) square wave signal. A separate "command station" quickly switches the direction of the DC voltage and adds the address for each command (a "command" meaning each change of a hand held controller, or throttle). This varying DC results in a modulated pulse wave. The frequency is about 17.5kHz, and this limits the distance the signal can be effectively be sent along the wiring plus track to 50 or 60 feet. Only a single command station is needed for the whole layout, but a "booster" (the power supply) is needed for each of these electrical blocks. Thus beyond each 50 feet or so (100 feet counting both directions if the booster is centered), another booster (more $) is required for a new electrically isolated electrical block. So separate electrical blocks are required, just as with a DC powered model.

A real advantage of DCC is the simplicity of the original wiring compared to DC, strange as that seems.

You have a good chance of damaging a DCC decoder ($100+) running it on DC. You can install a DCC decoder in most locos or their tenders if there is room in it, and if you can non-destructively get the shell off to get inside it.

So the books you receive may be old enough not to cover these advances, but all topics but DCC will be useful.

Verryl
http://www.wyomingdivision.org/

Daughter in law gave me her childhood HO train set from when she was a young girl. Her Dad bought it and would set it up to run under the Christmas tree. It has been stored away for years and it still runs.
I'm thinking about getting into this hobby.
I have a long way to go before laying the first section of track.
I still have to clean out a room and do some remodeling.
I have been looking at attempting to do custom scenery, now or sometime in the near future.
I thought I could never do scenes.
After viewing Youtube, maybe so.
My confidence meter is slowly going up.
Looking like a fall project for an official groundbreaking date.
If I ever get started......It is still up in the air to do this.
I already have in mind how I want the overall scene to look like (big step forward).

If you are already into this, please post some images (start a new thread)!

Thanks, Pat

I have been a model railroader since childhood. I have 3 videos on youtube of my present railroad. If you go to youtube and look for Chinook Southern RR. you should find 2 HO standard gauge ( both upper and lower decks), and Poudre Valley RR should get you the HOn3 narrow gauge run. I can probably post some pics as well if you tell me how to do that. It's a great hobby. Contact the local club and I'm sure they can help you. Also, contact the local division of the NMRA, or look up NMRA.org. N scale gets you more trains in less space, but if you want operation ( switching cars at industries, etc. HO is larger and more reliable. ( In my opinion.)Good luck and enjoy.

I still have my original Lionel 027 set from the early 50s, and my Lionel HO set from the later 50s and road racing cars from the early 60s. Also tracks, plastic houses, transformers, gate crossings, all the original boxes for each train car, and more.

This is all thanks to my mother. In the 60s when I went in the service my mother packed them up in boxes and kept them even when they moved from PA to FL. I forgot all about them. After my discharge and I had purchased my first house (early 70s), she asked if I wanted them. I was shocked she had them. I've treasured them ever since. But no room to set them up. I display the trains and cars in our rec room where I see them every day.