Modeling 1st generation diesels may be enough. Nscale has a good mix of EMD, Alco, GE, FM power. There are some gaps, but you could assemble a good fleet from Atlas, Kato LifeLike, Model Power, Bachmann locos. Cab units like EMD E's, F's Alco PA's FA's are the best pullers. You can find plenty of EMD GP-SD Alco RS GE Uboats roadswitchers. Missing are some yard switchers.

Steam in N has been troublesome. Some newer models like the Athearn Challenger raise the bar for Nscale steam. The MDC/Athearn steamers are very nice. Most of the rest is a try it before you buy it. Be sure to get a model that works before you get it out of the store.

For running outdoors, I'd have mostly diesels (EMD-Alco) with a few steamers.

You may need a upgrade of your video card to go with the new monitor? Then you may also neede an opgrade to new processor/more memory?

We have "sales tax holiday" on computers in TN. You must buy the whole system, not just parts. It works a lot like Black Friday. The sales tax holiday is worth nearly 10%. Can also get deals on other student office supplies!

MicroMark is a great source for airbrush & supplies.

You may find AirBrush Action in your bookstore. It is a bimonthly magazine you may find in the hobby/craft section. It will give you other ideas to use your airbrush. They even sponsor seminars but that can be $$$. Some art turns into a business.

Badger, Paasche, & Aztek all make good quality brushes. You may find cheap Testors airbrush with a spray can in WM & other stores.

Some model mfr's like Bachmann or LL make deals with Deere, Caterpillar, etc to do special run trainsets for them. MTL has a special run program, but you must order at least 300-500 cars. Many clubs & the NMRA get a profit when they are sold for $20+ per car. Some of the paint schemes appeal to non model railroaders. I'm not surprised with all the Colts stuff produced after the Super Bowl.

Actually, Mantua started a set  of Super Bowl winners going back to SB 1 & the Packers. The next year, they added the new super bowl logo to the car from the winning team. 

Nobody forces you to buy all the fantasy sets. A lot of people buy them, making a market for them.

That's a Great Deal if you can get a new steamer for $15, even $20 with s/h. You may be lucky to find NIB 0-6-0 or 2-6-2's for $30. TrainWorld has some old MDC 2-6-0's for $50, but you must call NY for them.

I've heard good news about the new 0-6-0 & 2-6-2 steamers. I'd like to see Bachmann do some heavyweights to pull behind them. What's the chance of doing some 65' shorties? They make some very nice passenger trains. With a new roof, they could stand in for Harrimans or other commuter type passenger cars.

AFAIK most other brands of track will be better than EZtrak. At least get the NS/gray variety. It is much better than the steel/black track. On the ends, there are plastic loops that join the pieces together. You also get metal rail joiners. Both must fit together!

For plastic track, you may consider Kato Unitrak. I suggest going to Etailer
Toy Train Heaven in PA for the best prices. You can ballast/paint it to make it look better.

Since the steel & nickel silver are both Code 100 rail, they can be connected together. You may not want to mix them to avoid a checkerboard effect. You could try using some paint or ballast to make them look better.

Running 2 locos from one transformer or power pack depends on the volts output. You can tell by how quickly one trips out. You could try to test each unit to see how quickly it performs when a short happens. The "spare" unit can be used to light houses or other accessories.

The HP sets may be good ones to check out DCC systems to see what difference it will make. For your grandson, it could make a great investment that will last far into the future.

Bachmann isn't very popular with some Nscalers. More tend to be over on TrainBoard & the Atlas Forum. There are 2Nscale only Forums. I'm not sure how large Trains.com is.

It's OK by me if the Bachmann Bashers stay somewhere else. We don't need any trash talking here!

The change started about the end of January. Bachmann seems to have solved the SPAM problem they had with the old board.  You get to be a newbie again! It may take some time for everyone to come back. You may not care if all the Thomas fans have their own section.

For most Bachmann cars & locos, the #1133 is used. These are Tshank couplers that reuse the old Bachmann coupler box.

With over 100 Nscale products, MTL had to use a different product number system. With their push into Zscale, I can understand why. It does make a lot of confusion in the conversion tables. It is also confusing for MTL to use Excel tables. Some computers have had problems opening & using the files.

AFAIK MTL has never used metal wheelsets on freight cars. The Delrin plastic is supposed to be very free wheeling. Combined with the delrin trucks, that's why you can get the slinky effect. You can get replacement metal wheelsets.

The first "rule" is to have fun, and enjoy the day.

1) Check on "setup" time, how close you can be to your car. I've seen some vendors use plastic shelving. Put delicate items in a case so fingers can't touch & break something.
2) Digital cameras are cheap & plentiful. Let your guests take all the photos they want.
3) You will be asked for prices.
4) Good idea to have trees to give away. Makeup plenty of business cards & flyers. The flyer can include prices & make provision for sale tax.
5) A backdrop, some BB kits may help pass the time. It may be better to visit other booths, see what other guys do.
6) Have some projects your son can do. Can be a big help as a go-fer.
7) Check on lunch & other breaks. A cooler may give you some choice over sodas or other snack items.

Vinny:
After cutting the track you may need to trim off the plastic "spikes" and a bit of a tie to put the rail joiners on. You may also need to file off some flash.

Next time you may want to build a rail jig or mitre box to hold the rail steady while cutting it.

The LIDAR technology was developed by NASA. I've seen it used by the folks at Mt St Helens & other places. The result will be a very accurate map.

BTW I don't mean to scare you, but have you looked at Google Earth & earth imaging programs? I'm amazed by the clarity of the pictures. It's fun to trace the local ROW. Guess if you want to hide something, It had better be under some big trees!

I'd like to support the LHS. We have 1 in Nashville & 1 in nearby Franklin. A high state sales tax of 9.25% drives a lot of major purchases online.

I don't consider big chains like Hobby Lobby or HobbyTown to be a LHS. They can be an alternative to WM for paint, glue & other essential supplies.

I may check out some of the advertisers in MR or RMC. At least they support the magazines I read. On vacations, I usually make it a point to visit a store listed in the back classified sections.

I like MicroMark.com for small tools.                                                                                                                                                                                         
MB Klein modeltrainstuff.com Baltimore                                                             Caboosehobbies.com Denver
toytrainheaven.com PA