Learn the Distinct Features of the HO Train

Bigger is better, right? Well, you'll get quite an argument on that statement if you make it in amongst Star Trek action figures group of HO Train buffs. In fact, you might even wind up with more than just a verbal chastising over the affronted statement. You might even get hold of a violent type that will take real issue with the statement.

What really makes this style of train a huge success is the smallness of size. You can literally get more for your money in a smaller space so with people who live in an apartment Chatty Cathy long for that train from days gone by, you can set up the entire thing with scenery and trestles and bridges and fake cows in less room than you could set up an old "O" gauge set. Not only that, but the attention to detail is there and they are just cool.

Ok, so aside from the size, what else makes them a neat thing to own?

An HO Train also allows you to buy into the hobby for a LOT less than the investment needed for a larger gauge set. You can buy your parts and pieces a little at a time as finances allow which in today's economy is a blessing of its self.

The main difference is going to be in the size requirements and the amount of detail you can see, an HO Train is a scale of 1:87 whereas an O gauge train is s fractional scale of 1:48, nearly TWICE the size so exponentially, twice the room needed to setup and operate and the price of the components will go up as well.

Next you have to make the distinction between toy trains and model trains.

What's that you say? They are smaller versions of the real thing and thus they have to be classified as toys, right? girl comics my steam engine friend. That is another one of those statements that will get you into a nice bout of fisticuffs if you say it in the wrong set of folks.

By definition, a toy train is a manufactured representation of the real thing without much attention to actual scale dynamics while a model train is something that has tons of attention to make sure that it is brought down in scale so that everything is truly proportional to the larger real object. In a toy train, they get it close enough to fool the everyday person that wants a train. In a model train, the get it right so if you get a micrometer on it and then dig out the abacus and figure it out, the whole thing works when it's done.

Is all that REALLY important you ask? Well, if you are wanting to get into the HO Train arena and are researching it, thus finding this article, I think that should be answer enough for you. Yes, the toy train will be good and a representation and considerably cheaper than getting into a model train. But then again, are you looking for just something to play with or are you looking to start a life long hobby? The answer lies within your head and only you can answer that one.

Find out about the latest Toys and Vehicles from Brian Garvin and Jeff West. Also learn about the HO Train Online for free. Freely distribute this article but please leave author bio and links intact.

Bakugan Popularity Grows More Every Day

My son came home from school the other day, begging to go to the store to buy a Bakugan. Like any parent, my first reaction was to ask what that is. I had to Batman comics him repeat it to me a couple of times just so I could pronounce it correctly. A lot of memories came to mind once I found out what Bakugan toys are all about.

Do you remember back when kids played with marbles? I had a lot of marbles, but I never really played the game since it was a little bit before my time. I Barbie and Ken start playing the card game Magic the Gathering when it first came out, and like many others I was 1948 Bowman baseball cards to it for some time. Then a little while later the big trend for kids was to collect pogs. They had a similar concept that marbles did for the most part. Kids everywhere had to have them, but at that time I was a little bit too old to get involved in that trend.

Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh took over the scene for a while, and had kids everywhere collecting, trading, and playing the cards. Since I can remember, kids have enjoyed collecting something that can be played as a game as well and today is no different. While the trends may change the basic need to play a collectible games is still around.

The game that has entered the scene today is Bakugan. It is based on a popular animated TV series and The Falcon you have ever seen it then you understand the basic idea of how the game is played. In the past there have been games that used collectible items such as pogs and marbles, and there have been games that use collectible cards, but this is the first time that they have been combined to use both.

Bakugan games use magnetic cards that are placed on the field, and then toy spheres are rolled over the cards that pop open to reveal a monster inside. When two spheres land on the same card, then they battle each other to see which player wins. The game is very simple to understand so kids of any age can get involved. Don't be surprised if your child asks you for them soon.

Bakugan are one of the toys that kids are asking for, and if your kids haven't asked yet then they probably will soon. It is a great game and easy to learn, but there are a lot of Bakugan toys that aren't necessarily needed to play the game.