A few questions

[YmeBP]

Where is money best spent?
On some decent quality, sturdy basics.
A control system that can deliver power and also provide low speed control. (Problem if you plan to convert to DCC in the near future.)
A couple of nice solid locomotives. Some that don't have lots of fragile detail, but have mechanisms that will keep going.
A set of books: you might fiind a single book that covers most of the topics, something like "Building the Santa Fe in 4'x8' in HO Scale", but you probably should buy a book on benchwork, wiring, track planning, and scenery.
Assume that your first few layouts will be learning -- one of the joys for a youngster is taking the track apart and re-arranging it. You canchange the layout on a flat table quite easily, but building bechwork with cut-out roadbed locks you into your plan a bit more.

O.k. i have a couple of good solid loco's on the way
I plan to buy a dcc system after xmas in a few weeks
I ordered 2 books from amazon, and plan to hit the local library
I am actuallually on my way up to the attic now to get my xmas lights and measuer the space and figure out what i need to get to make it habitable in hot and cold.
I plan to use that pink foam from home depot another forum member turned me on to and nails/pins for the first couple layouts.

So right now i have a shopping list of
3 4x8 sheets of the pink foam for underlayment on my current track.
2 heavy weight loco's suggested by another forum member
Track spikes and pins.
Digitrax super empire builder standard w/ dt400 throttle.
Various mobile and stationary decoders. <== i have to do more research on these.
Track cleaning solution
couplers
Trucks/wheels misc parts for engines.

 

[60103]

On locos: there've been a lot of complaints on the British forums lately about the new super detailed locos that are being supplied. Some of the foam packing is made extremely tight. A lot of modellers are finding the detail so fine that it stays in the packing when the loco is lifted out.