Wow. You guys are certainly experts! Thanks very much for your advice. The reason I am going 027 is that when you create a layout for child, you want him to be able to reach all of the places on the track, in the event of a derail or putting in a small accessory. This makes sure that the child can actually be involved in the set, rather than just being propped up on a stool with a throttle, hat and whistle. So, I want to keep this particular layout very small, max would be 4 feet by 8 feet. To do this and be interesting, I think I want to stay with 027 curves and maybe a few 031 curves.
I also want a very small , cheap, switcher engine, that they can easily handle and attach a few cars to by hand. I am looking at the 1970s Lionel 8209 switcher. But, I cannot find out anywhere whether this little locomotive is AC or DC.
Thanks in advance.
Mannyrock