Compatibility between brands
- Thread starter DeeDee
- Start date
Hi DeeDee! welcome.
All HO trains are supposed to be compatible (Exception: Markin and stuff made for the British market). They will all run on the same tracks and work with the same power supplies.
However, there are a couple of complications.
There are 2 types of coupling in common use on train sets: the horn-hook/X2f/NMRA coupling and the knuckle coupling (Kadee/McHenry/something else). These can be changed over to make new cars work with the trainset ones. Most of use prefer the knuckle couplings.
The track that comes with trains sets has, in the last decade, become incompatible. Bachman, LifeLike and Atlas have brought out tracks with roadbed (raised base) and made all the ends different. Rolling stock still runs fine on them, but you can't join them together. Easily.
The track without roadbed is pretty well compatible, although there are different rail sizes or "codes" -- these are usually marked on the package.
If you bought your train from a hobby shop, they should be able to show you what's compatible. If you bought from a department store, there probably isn't any choice, although I have seen them sell train sets with one vrand of track and extra track that doesn't match it.
All HO trains are supposed to be compatible (Exception: Markin and stuff made for the British market). They will all run on the same tracks and work with the same power supplies.
However, there are a couple of complications.
There are 2 types of coupling in common use on train sets: the horn-hook/X2f/NMRA coupling and the knuckle coupling (Kadee/McHenry/something else). These can be changed over to make new cars work with the trainset ones. Most of use prefer the knuckle couplings.
The track that comes with trains sets has, in the last decade, become incompatible. Bachman, LifeLike and Atlas have brought out tracks with roadbed (raised base) and made all the ends different. Rolling stock still runs fine on them, but you can't join them together. Easily.
The track without roadbed is pretty well compatible, although there are different rail sizes or "codes" -- these are usually marked on the package.
If you bought your train from a hobby shop, they should be able to show you what's compatible. If you bought from a department store, there probably isn't any choice, although I have seen them sell train sets with one vrand of track and extra track that doesn't match it.
welcome to the gauge