Beginner Train Set

MTH Starter sets all come with PS-3 so you get the smoke, sounds and command control and can be run conventionally also. No you can not easily combine Lionel and MTH track it would look really bad also, but all three manufacturers engines will run on any 3 rail track.

Although I'm an avowed postwar Lionel fan, and have had no bad luck whatsoever with modern Lionel starter sets, I recommend you get an MTH starter set from OGR sponsor Jason's Train Shop.

 

Pete

A couple of years ago I was looking at a G scale Lionel Polar Express for my son.

Looked like fun but decided to try and make my old MPC diesel run on some tubular track and give that to him.  3 days before Christmas I ended up getting a new Santa Fe flyer from Lionel and was amazed how nice it was compared to the MPC era trains that I was used to.  My son loved it, wanted to see my old trains and run them too. 

 

 Either Lionel or MTH (we have both) will be a nice way to introduce him to the hobby.

Get an MTH with PS2 or PS3.  You will have more options down the road. 

If neither of you has handled trains for a long while, you might want to start with a diesel set because there are fewer moving parts at first. It won't take him long to get the hang of how to pick up and set down equipment, so that doesn't have to be the deciding factor, but less breakables might be good to begin with. This one might work for you (scroll down to the Santa Fe F-3 passenger set, no handrails to deal with either

http://www.patstrains.com/Find_Fast/?Manufacturer_ID=1&Product_Type_ID=5&go=Find+Fast

 

Freight sets or a few cars ought to go with your locomotive tend to have better play value than passenger cars alone because you can haul stuff in them. Either track system is much easier to tackle at first than tubular track is.

 

We've had no problems with starter sets. Once you start dealing with cranky postwar pieces, your mileage will vary a whole lot ...but the basic sets we've dealt with, from whatever company, have been reliable.

Although you asked for an on-line dealer, and there are many good ones (personally I like Charles Ro, Nassau Trains, Legacy Station and Trainworld for selection and price), if possible, I'd find yourself a local dealer and have him or her show you what they've got.  That's the ideal approach if your dealer is a good one.  You'll find that no one manufacturer has everything that's ideal for you.  Most people find Lionel's Fastrack superior to MTH's Realtrax, and most people who like smoke, prefer the MTH loco's smoke production better than the Lionel, for two examples. 

 

Lionel's new LionChief remote sets are less expensive, and may be more flexible overall than MTH's set locos. The MTH have many more features in some ways, including full command capability via PS3 if you buy MTH's DCS system.  The MTH rolling stock in their sets, while more expensive, tends to be more robust and nicer than that in the cheaper Lionel low end sets.  But the devil's in the details.  Hopefully you can find a local dealer.  If not, you've got to do your homework by reading about the strengths and weaknesses of the different sets, and assess what you're getting for your money and figure out what your priorities are.

 

An example.  If you want full command control capability, you probably are going to spring for the more expensive PS3 MTH set.  It's command ready.  The LionChief sets can co-exist with command locos on a layout, but cannot be operated by the Lionel command system (Legacy). They require the remote that comes with the set.  However, the LionChief loco will work just fine on a layout that is MTH command equipped, so if you start with Lionel and find out you prefer MTH's system, you haven't lost anything.  Lots of folks operate MTH trains on Lionel track (and vice versa). 

 

If cost is a major factor, or you'd rather spend money on additional track and rolling stock, scenery, buildings, whatever, one of the Lionel LionChief sets may be better value and more appropriate.  But LionChief is new and hasn't really been user tested extensively, so that's perhaps a little riskier.

 

Another example. You like one of the track systems a lot better. Buy that manufacturer's set.

 

Finally, your assumption that buying Lionel or MTH restricts you to that manufacturer in the future is not really true.  You are stuck with that track, but locos from both manufacturers can co-exist on layouts in many configurations.  Both MTH PS3 and Lionel LionChief locos will operate fine simultaneously at a fixed 16-18 volts on a command layout using DCS (for MTH), or the MTH set handheld remote, and the LionChief remote (Lionel) respectively.  Almost all of the rolling stock will play nicely together regardless of manufacturer.  Let your personal gut feeling and aesthetic preferences guide your decision.  Certainly calling a smaller on-line shop like Jason's is a good idea, but realize that they are primarily an MTH dealer who carry some Lionel, but do not inventory many Lionel sets as far as I know.  If you decide to look at the current Lionel sets, I'd call one of the dealers mentioned above, who carry the full Lionel line of sets.

 

Happy railroading to you and your family.

I don't think you can go wrong with MTH's starter sets. I have 2 of the SD70ACE sets, UP (PS2) & BNSF (PS3) and they are great sets. That's what got me started a couple years ago. The engines have all the command/control features of the more expensive ones. If you wish to expand later on you can get the full DCS system and still use the sets you already have with it, they are fully compatible.

 

3 rail, O gauge MTH, Lionel or Atlas can all use the same track whether it's MTH, Lionel or Atlas. You are not limited to one manufacturer's products because of track. Mixing the different types of track can be done also, but that can get a little ugly depending on what you are trying to mix. Some track types work well together, others not so much.

 

I didn't really care for the MTH Realtrax after having it for a while and learning more about everything. I have now switched to Atlas track. For a time while switching out my track, I had one loop of Realtrax and one loop of Atlas track, everything worked just fine. Should you decide to change track type, you can always sell your old track. For everyone that uses the track you like, there is someone else that uses the track you don't like. Everyone has a different preference and there is a lot off good track available.

 

 

I think the MTH starter sets are your best bet. The SD70ACE sets give you a heck of a starter engine with excellent sounds and you also get command control. That's a win in my book. 

 

We bought a MTH BNSF set last year for my father in law.  He loves it.

MTH starter Sets come with a reduced function Command control system but the engines have the full deal so you can upgrade painlessly.

Lionels LionChief sets come with a control and engine that will not work with any other unit. Not much upgrade path there.My LHS also pointed out the Lionchief sets have pretty small engines. Apparently very old traditional sized Engine and cars, (almost S scale to my eyes).

 

Note for the new folks:

To assemble MTH RealTrax, Hold 2 pieces in a shallow V and touch the rail tops, then rotate them flat while pressing together.

They do not go together well if you push straight in like pinned track.

To separate, Hold one piece down and lift the other end of the next piece, they come right apart.

The first timew they are pretty tight, but they loosen a bit with use.

If they get too loose, Use the Clips MTH sells in packs of 24 or so.

With the clips on you can do ANYTHING reasonable with the track and it won't separate.

I used to stand a loop against the wall when not in use. It had 4 clips on it at the corners.

All good suggestions.  I would recommend the Polar Express for $220 on Amazon.  Can't get started for much less than that.  The MTH starter sets are a good deal too. Don't sweat the decision, he is only 5 and it's not like deciding which college he should attend.  A train going around a small loop gets boring quickly so be prepared.  I have been back in O gauge over 10 yrs and my likes and wants are still solidifying or changing.  Yours will too as you 'grow' in the hobby with your son.  Best of luck and hope he enjoys that train!!

I'll sing with the choir and say that either MTH or Lionel will be a great bet.  I will also say that if you can find a hobby shop in your area that will be much more beneficial to you than simply buying online.  

 

MTH and Lionel have about the same price range, and the quality is about equal.  I do lean towards MTH however due to their command control system that they use.  

 

good luck with your purchase!  Wishing you and your family a merry Christmas and a happy holiday!

 

--James

I could not recommend the MTH RTR sets.  I have bought three in the last two years.  Something in every one of the three failed: but it was different in every one of the sets - a loco, a controller, and receiver. I was able to piece together two complete working sets from what still worked, so the grand kids were happy enough, but then, I had three to begin with and I had a pretty good understanding of toy trains and what could go wrong and how to fix it.  

 

I don't really like the Lionel RTR sets, either: they don't offer as much "value" but then what I have bought (mostly remote Thomas) hasn't failed, either, apoint I consider important.  Regardless, my recommendation is not to buy the lower priced sets but move up to the mid range, and buy for quality, regardless of what brand you buy.

Lee's experiences also argue for a local dealer if at all possible.  A good dealer will back up the product, so if you're one of the 5% or so with a defect or early failure, he or she

will exchange or repair the item.  There are few things more disheartening than having a child with a defective product that has to go back to East Elsewhere by UPS for a week for exchange or repair.

Im typically a Lionel Man!

But Lionel, MTH and/or Atlas all work well.

 

There are also connector tracks you can purchase

that will allow you to couple Lionel, MTH and

Atlas track all together.

 

we got our son his 1rst starter set at the age

of 5, and O gauge is the way to go, because

he could hold onto the big locos and cars and

put everything on the track.

Now 22 yrs later we are now getting our 5

yr old grandson into it.

The circle continues.

All the brands of O gauge trains can run on any brand of 3-rail track...however, most of the brands of track cannot be easily attached to each other. I feel that Lionel FasTrack is the best choice for starting out, hence I would recommend a Lionel starter set. In general, a "starter set" in "O" is good quality...unlike the poor quality of "N" and "HO" starter sets. The Lionel Polar Express may be a good choice, or you could give him the Strasburg RR set and promise him a visit to the Strasburg RR in the Spring (not sure where in NY you live). Except for the track, MTH is very good as well.

There are two different people selling nice starter sets in the classifieds. One has two different mth starter sets and another with a lionel starter set. I would look at those. I would probably lean towards the mth sets as I think they have a remote. My 4 year old runs our legacy set just fine and the remote allows them better control to load the cars and connect the trains without being tethered to the transformer.

No question about it!  I have bought many MTH starter sets over the years and have had zero problems with any of them.

 

Ditto for starter sets from other manufacturers.  I often recommend that those just beginning to explore the hobby go with a starter set because of the overall value such a set provides (unless one already has some specific road/motive power/etc. in mind), and even though one maker's sets can't be all things to all people in many cases, they still represent the very best bang for the buck.

 

I'm not sure why it is so, but I seem to have far less problems with ANY make of trains than some folks here.  Just very lucky, I guess, or very careful in how I handle my trains.

Which ever you go with MTH or Lionel I'd agree that a local hobby shop would be your best bet simply because if there is an issue you can easily take it back and either get it replaced or they can help you thru what ever the issue might be. Also, most LHS will test run it for you before you buy it to make sure your set is working properly.

 

Jerry

I agree 100% if it's at all possible!  This is especially true for folks who are new to toy trains.  For those fortunate enough to still have one within a reasonable commuting distance, there absolutely is no substitute for a decently stocked and friendly local hobby shop.

My recommendation is to choose one of the Lionel Lionchief starter sets.   The Lionchief remote helps make these fun and easy to use sets.   Lionel Fastrack is easier to use than the MTH track, with fewer connections failures.   The wider diameter track loop is a small advantage for Fastrack.

 

The MTH sets are also good, just not as good as the new Lionchief sets in my opinion.

 

The Atlas sets are somewhat more expensive, the track is very limited in curves and switches.   The little steamer in the sets is very small, but nice.  No remote control.

 

-Ken

As baltimoretrainworks and others have already said, I would also recommend purchasing from your LHS (local hobby shop) if you have one. It will help you in the long run with any problems or questions you might have. And it will help keep them in business so you will have a place to go when you need something in the future, or just want to go look at some new trains! I now purchase almost everything I get from my LHS and I visit just about every week, and really enjoy it. May be a little more expensive, but worth it!

Thanks everyone for the help.  This weekend I will probably head over to the LHS and see what they have

 

Thanks  again

 

 

Lionel LionChief video:

http://www.lionel.com/Customer....cfm?documentID=6568

 

MTH video (select category, then the video icon in lower left):

http://www.mthtrains.com/start/sets

 

One caution. Don't be fooled by the ability to run multiple trains on the same track with LionChief. You can do the same thing with MTH, though it is a little easier in some respects with the LionChief setup. The big advantage I see for LionChief is the remote appears to be RF whereas the starter MTH remote is IR and has to be aimed at the control module. The upgraded remote is RF, so that is no longer any problem for me.

 

I'm naturally biased toward future expansion because I bought my set for myself, not for a son, but some questions I asked myself were:

- How many remotes do I want to carry around, especially once I get past the toy train phase? With both brands, I'd have to carry multiple remotes with the starters sets, but MTH had an upgrade path to a single remote, so the advantage went to MTH.

- How many trains would I even run on a starter set? I couldn't imagine more than 1.

- Once I moved past the starter set, what is the upgrade path? Remember, AFAIK each LionChief engine only works with the remote it comes with, therefore there is no upgrade path to TMCC, DCS, etc. If you want to eventually run 4 trains, you'll either have to use 4 remotes or move to a different system.

- If I bought an MTH set with the minimum loop of RealTrax and wanted to switch to FasTrack, how much would it cost in the long run? I found most R-T-R sets are designed to basically include a minimal set of tracks for free vs buying things individually. So, even if it was cheaper in the short term, would it be better for me to just buy the engine, rolling stock and track I want rather that limit myself to what is included with the set. Had I to do it over, I would have done the latter only because I now know I want to expand my involvement in the hobby. Starter sets are good if you don't know yet how involved you might get or if you want RealTrax or FasTrack for the annual Christmas layout under the tree. That is mostly why I decided to go with the R-T-R set. Plus, the starter set I chose was a passenger train, so I saved money not buying it as individual pieces.

 

I guess my point is that if you're just getting a train set for your son and don't care about any future interest at this point, then just about any set will do. They are all fine sets that will give your son hours of enjoyment and the LionChief seems priced right to do just that. Unfortunately, none of them include enough track to keep anyone's interest, so you will invariably be buying at least some additional track. They do sell expansion packs that can also save you some money over buying each piece separately. In any event, prepare yourself right now for that additional cost.

 

Not having seen a LionChief in person, I don't know if there is a quality difference between it and a starter MTH train. All I know for sure is that I'm more than satisfied with my MTH decision and expect to expand to another engine (or 3) next year as I get my layout built.

If I were buying a starter set I would go with an MTH set hands down.

"Not having seen a LionChief in person, I don't know if there is a quality difference between it and a starter MTH train."

 

I think there is a modest but real quality advantage,  in terms of materials and detail to the MTH set on average.  On the other hand, there's a $100 or more price advantage to the LionChief set,  on average.  That $100 can go towards a bunch of additional track, or some rolling stock or another LionChief loco.  Thus like everything else in life, it's a trade-off.  Different strokes and all that .

Lots of decent recommendations regarding starter sets. Our first grandchild is due any day now. Rather than buy a prepackaged RTR set, I picked up what I regard as the best of the best for a starter set.

 

This Christmas she will be receiving a Williams by Bachmann Girl's GG1 Freight set with a 40"x60" loop of Lionel FasTrack and a MTH Z1000 transformer.

 

Command control is neat and the bulk of my high end engines are command control. However, experience running on our club modular layout has proven time and again that for rugged simplicity, WbB is the way to go. WbB engines don't have a lot of add-on detail parts. For a child's train I see that as a major plus.

 

FasTrack looks nice, easy to assemble/disassemble and runs well. The MTH Z1000 has all the power you need for a small to mid sized layout, simple for a child to operate, and is has a good fast breaker.

  

OGR sponsor Western Depot has a has five WbB sets on sale now. All of these are great deals and IMHO would be an excellent choice for a first set. http://www.westerndepot.com/advanced_search_result.php?search_in_description=1&keywords=&categories_id=&manufacturers_id=158&ptype=12&extra_value_id6=&extra_value_id10= 

I voted with my wallet. Just my $0.02.

 

Gilly

 

 

If you even have an LHS, then you probably have an O-gauge club nearby.  Whichever brand you go with, check them out.  Sometimes guys buy a RTR set and only use certain parts of it with track, rolling stock, etc. still in the box - too much trouble to sell/ship so you may get expansion parts for next to nothing.  If it's for a 5 year old to ease him into the hobby people will be quite generous in my experience.

I figured that, but didn't want to take the time to research it since I have no intention of buying a LionChief.

 

Personally, I think it's worth the extra $$ for the future upgrade capability alone (and maybe resale value if you lose interest). If you decide to expand, your initial investment is all but lost with a LionChief set. Sure, you can work around that by using multiple remotes, but upgrading MTH opens up all the capabilities of the engine, including ProtoCast, MIC, session record/playback, route configuration, additional sounds, the ability to load your own sounds, etc.

 

True, the MTH R-T-R sets are limited too, but the only thing you lose when you upgrade are the included remote and control module. With MTH you can upgrade to a full-capability remote with TIU, accessory control with AIUs and TMCC control with their module. You can then run up to 99 different engines with different control systems, all from a single remote. And you can add multiple remotes for additional operators and give them full control too.

 

Oh, and I didn't see much smoke from the LionChief vs the MTH Hudson seen here. And I'd also give the edge to MTH on sounds, but that could just be the video quality.

Part of the legend of Post WWll Lionel trains were their durability, repairability & parts availability. Taken together they were were held in high regard for their value then, as in retrospect they are so regarded today. Lionel believed in supporting their loyal customers and w/service & after sales support (per above). Sixty yrs. later, with fond memories, many of us still take those legendary childhood toys for spin.

For a 5 year old, my recommendation is that you might want to consider those same criteria today. In that spirit you probably will not want to overlook Bachmann-Williams  with an eye to their warranty, deep pockets, and their long term service policy.

 

(Sixty yrs old, still serviceable, still ready to R&R .. ..)

 

---

 

BTW you might also wish to bypass the prepackaged beginner sets & assemble his own beginning collection of animated accessories, animated cars, power supply & easy to assemble tubular track (as I did for our 6 yo daughter's first set back in 1996). With a Williams locomotive, that would be a completely different approach than today's trendy obsession w/digital control systems.

 

"If you decide to expand, your initial investment is all but lost with a LionChief set. Sure, you can work around that by using multiple remotes,"

 

Not intending to be argumentative, but I don't think this is true. Perhaps the contrary is true.  Even with a single remote (DCS or Legacy/TMCC), controlling more than a couple of trains is beyond the ability of a single individual unless you have independent loops or a huge layout. 

 

The potential advantage of LionChief is you DO get multiple remotes, so more than one kid (young or old) can play at the same time, even on a modest sized layout.  Each remote independently controls a loco.  You cannot do that with multiple people and one DCS handheld or one Legacy/TMCC handheld.  In fact, if you have a DCS or Legacy system, the Lionchief remote will control a loco independently of those command systems.  This will be particularly cost effective and useful when you have visitors, a club, or just a big family .  Unless you always will operate alone, the separate LionChief remote is a feature, not an inconvenience.

 

Thus, in my view, far from being useless if and when you move to command control with DCS and/or Legacy, your LionChief remote and loco will work perfectly well and independently on your command layout.  Your MTH PS3 loco will work fine on such a layout if you have DCS, but your MTH handheld from the set will not be usable unless you have a separate loop dedicated to that handheld.  Not a big deal, but an alternative view to the one you suggested.

Wifi,

   With a 5 year old boy I would look at the Lionel starter set because of the FasTrack that comes with the sets.  The Polar Express is a real nice train and the kids love it.  However the new Atlas Starter sets are very nice also, Atlas's new track is similar to FasTrack and is very very nice, I am looking for the Angle Train starter set myself. 

The MTH starter sets are nice however I do not recommend the RealTrax that comes with their starter sets, especially for a 5 year old boy, it can be problematic even for an adult.  Definitely visit your local Hobby shop or Train store if you have one in your area.  If you live in the Pittsburgh, Pa area you have more than a few to pick from.

Merry Christmas

PCRR/Dave

Well, those are good points and I'm not trying to be argumentative either, so I amend my comments to that effect.

 

I did think about the multiple kid angle, but I just don't see that happening much in real life given the lack of interest for too many kids and the space needed for O-Scale. Back in my day, we'd have had a ball in the basement because almost every kid I knew had a Lionel or American Flyer set and the remote features would have allowed all of us to play together and control our own trains after putting our tracks together. In any event, I can imagine the collisions that would have occurred then and I can see the collisions now with kids involved.

 

NOTE: Are you sure you can't use 2 MTH remotes on the same track? I thought you could. You'd have to connect/separate both controller modules and aim each remote at its respective module. Granted, not even close to how easy LionChief makes it, but I thought it was possible.

 

Anyway, in my defense, I was trying to emphasize the fact that there are added features built into all MTH engines that one gets access to with the upgraded remote. There are no added features in the LionChief series that I'm aware of. While a 5-yr old will have plenty of fun with a LionChief, he/she won't be 5 for long. Even old guys like me who buy standard RailKing engines soon long for Imperial and Premier models for their added detail and features.

 

Personally, if the decision were solely between the LionChief and an MTH engine (without the added built-in features), I'd have a hard time choosing. MTH appears to be higher quality, but the LionChief remote seems to be more responsive, especially the whistle. It appears to do multiple shorts much quicker than the MTH whistle. Unfortunately, I wasn't impressed with the sound in the videos I posted, especially the chuff, but that might have just been the videos. I think MTH wins in the smoke department though. LionChief definitely wins on price and arguably on its use of FasTrack. I'll have to run up to another LHS to see if they have a LionChief I can look at. Unfortunately, they don't have a layout, but they might have a test track. I have 2 nephews who would get a kick out of banging 2 trains together.

You know, we're all forgetting something here...

 

It's Christmastime. How many of us are in clubs with layouts set up for the holidays?
There are train displays, open houses and all kinds of Very Good Stuff going on no matter where we live. Take a kid to one of those, watch what he thinks of various trains going by, then take a cue from that. Do steam engines fascinate him, or would he rather have diesels close to what he sees on a nearby track every day?

 

At the same time, the club members and maybe their favorite dealer will be around the layout, so you have the perfect place to ask questions of people who have trains right at hand. Sometimes it's hard to explain things on the Net, but easy if you're looking at an operating layout (good hobby stores have them too, but you may see a bigger variety of equipment running on a club's Christmas layout.) Also, if you can go to more than one, you'll have a handle on which group seems most welcoming to you in case you find yourself wanting to join.

 

Besides...it's FUN. Trains are running, smoke is puffing, operating tracks are working (sometimes,) lights in buildings go on and off, every once in a while one of the members yells and lunges to field something before it hits the floor...what's not to like if you're fifty-five, I mean, five?

 

--Becky (yes, I can still hear the Polar Express jingle bell!)

"NOTE: Are you sure you can't use 2 MTH remotes on the same track? I thought you could. You'd have to connect/separate both controller modules and aim each remote at its respective module. Granted, not even close to how easy LionChief makes it, but I thought it was possible."

 

I don't own one of these handhelds from the starter sets, so I'm not lead pipe cinch sure .   My understanding is that these inexpensive PS3 handheld controllers in the starter sets all operate only for locomotives that carry an identity of "1" in your DCS line-up.  Thus you can have multiple handhelds and multiple locomotives on the track, but all the starter set type PS3 locomotives will respond when any starter set handheld issues a command.  That's because they are all programmed to operate as locomotive "1" and the handheld only can issue commands to locomotive "1."  

 

Thus my suggestion is that you cannot have independent control of more than one PS3 locomotive no matter how many starter set handhelds or PS3 locomotives you have, unless you spring for the DCS TIU and DCS handheld system. 

 

So in this sense, Lionel has favorably bent the cost and functionality curve of inexpensive starter set locos and mid-range separate sale locos with its LionChief and LionChief Plus systems.  Each individual type of locomotive is operable independently of the others given its unique remote.  No Legacy or TMCC needed.  A rather different approach to that previously taken by any manufacturer in this market.

 

Another point worth making is that neither the Lionel LionChief remote nor the MTH starter set remote can control any other type of locomotives (such as Lionel Legacy/TMCC or conventional, Williams, Atlas, etc.).  The LionChief Remote is limited to the specific loco it comes with, and the MTH starter set remote can only control PS2 and PS3 locos.

 

"I did think about the multiple kid angle"

 

What about the multiple adult angle, such as husband and wife, son and daughter-in-law, cousin and you, dog-sitter and cable guy?  Better yet, you and your three bowling/poetry-reading/hunting/fishing/car racing/book club friends?  Everyone gets a loco and a remote, potentially, if you have enough track.

You can not use two MTH small remotes to controll two different engines at the same time.  Both remotes would operate both engines.  Also the Lion chief will be easier for a small child to work.  The MTH has too many buttons.  I saw the LionChief demostrated at York and it looks simple.  Also a child is going to want to point the remote at the train as it goes around the track instead of the control reciever.

To the originator of this thread, this is exactly what is  wrong with the hobby today.  Too many splinter groups and opinions.  

 

But the real issue is that Lionel and Mikes have forgotten what it is to offer a COMPLETE set that brings all the joy and amusement that the hobby offers.  There once was a time when you could order from a catalog, a complete set with a top shelf locomotive (my favorite was the NW 746 J sets from the late 50's), a multitude of rolling stock, INCLUDING multiple operating cars, a smoking caboose,  and operating accessories, a fair amount of track and a couple of switches, and of course a quality transformer.  

 

I've often considered cobbling together sets such as this and offering them in a custom package to people like you.  Quality is still appreciated and their is real opportunity to create family traditions by passing along heirloom grade equipment.  In this throwaway electronics oriented world, the toy manufacturers have lost sight of what really matters.  IMO.

Technically not true, all you have to do is separate the receivers so that each remote only "sees" its receiver, much more convoluted than the LionChief system. However Tommys Trains might be right, we might be straying too far, though I think the OP has the information he wanted many posts ago and I don't agree with his assessments that too many opinions are wrong for the hobby. This hobby has gotten a lot more fun, but it has also gotten a lot more complicated and a lot more expensive, so the more info one has, the more informed decisions they can make. Who knows just what bit of info will help the OP make the final decision. It might be a comment about 2 kids running 2 trains together or it might be a comment about which brand creates more smoke. The OP indicated he was concerned about making a decision that will give him the best system now and the best upgrade path for the future. I will concede that the LionChief might satisfy the former, but IMHO the MTH better satisfies the latter. And I appreciate all the opinions to the contrary and I suspect the OP does too.

 

Oh well, I've made my case for MTH, so I'm outta here.

Tommy is right! How many times has someone new posted that they want to get a train set for their kid and they get bombarded with this track or that track sucks go with (insert high end track and switches) and get DCS or Legacy or TMCC or get Lionchief so you can go DCS or Legacy or TMCC or whatever later. These folks are looking for a set for a kid with play value and ease of use. They are not looking to build a magazine worthy empire before Christmas. Stop burying them under all this info that doesn't make their decision any easier. If they want to upgrade later or get the bug then they can go full out bells and whistles. Most newbies have a hard enough time setting up a simple loop for the kids to play with don't make this harder for them.

Someone really needs to write a book or article for the someone looking to get and set up a simple set for the kids.

 

Jerry

Just my opinions here:

Both Lionel and MTH starter sets are strong and have improved greatly over the years.

 

Lionel's fastrack is a nicer track system to deal with.

 

I really applaud MTH for including full command guts in most of their starter sets and I wish that Lionel would do the same, HOWEVER, I was surprised how displeased I was with the MTH starter set remote. For a young child, I don't think it's extremely intuitive and having to sort of point it at the remote base was frustrating.

 

The Lionchief remote is much more intuitive. I do wish that Lionel would have provided an upgrade/option path to allow these locos to be directly controlled by their TMCC or Legacy command systems.

 

MTH's rolling stock is usually more detailed and closer to full scale size than those pieces found in the Lionel starter sets.

 

I will echo the suggestion of trying both at a shop to see for yourself.