Just really introducing myself as a newbie.....
My son, George, aged 8, decided he wanted a trainset for Xmas after banging on for weeks on end about wanting a roboraptor! Because we had already purchased the latter I thought I was safe from the menace of a trainset and all that can lead to......
However he was fortunate (or unfortunate???) to receive some money at Xmas and insisted on buying a Hornby Trainset (Smokey Joe). First problem was finding somewhere where he could play with it and so I cleared some space in the loft so he could run it on the floor up there. Things have snowballed rather dramatically in the last week or so after discovering this website and getting loads of great ideas. Hence when I am penniless and my wife has divorced me, I shall lay the blame firmly at your doors

I have decided to convert an area of the loft into a small room accessbile directly from the loft hatch. The area will be approx 10ft by 8Ft with a 4ft square centre with a basedboard taking up the rest of the space.
By now you will have realised that I am not even at the starting post where a layout is concerned!! The last few nights have been spent surfing the web accumalating ideas and as each minute has ticked by I have become more and more confused!
The first thing I have realised, and I wished I had done some research two weeks ago, is that DCC is a must for me (and ummm George!!) My other hobby is computers and software programming and I can see this is a great opportunity to combine the two. I intend, eventually, to be able to control the layout from a PC using home grown software (with some help from the web!) I have noticed Hornby have jsut released some DCC equipment which looks very reasonable (price wise) compared to other manufacturers. I was looking at the Lenz equipment as the xpressnet interface looks ideal for me. Seeing as Hornby provide the same interface it looks promising but there seems to be a lack of technical information. Hopefully this will be available soon on the Hornby website.
Well, that is all for now. I reckon I will be busy for the next month or so just sorting out the loft. Everything else can be put on hold until then.
Just like to say thanks for a superb website and giving me a new interest that hopefuilly the whole family besides me and George) will get involved in.
Regards
Trev