Best hobby train cars according to redditors

Would get him this as a joke gift: https://www.amazon.com/Walthers-SceneMaster-HC-Maersk-Container/dp/B00U8UFEQM/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1480275399&sr=8-4&keywords=shipping+container

This and This

Edit: Look into some bachmann nickel silver HO scale EZ track too.

https://www.amazon.com/Bachmann-Industries-GS4-4-8-4-Locomotive/dp/B071YWZ69R/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?keywords=american+freedom+train&qid=1571712589&sprefix=american+freedom+tra&sr=8-1
this is the best image I could find of a model since it's almost 11am for me

Definitely a fun series. I think my favorite is the open gondola of radioactive uranium ore.

Amazon has it for $53 shipped if you're in the USA: http://www.amazon.com/Rio-Grande-Games-435RGG-Carcassonne/dp/B004DZ8WYE/ref=wl_it_dp_o_npd?ie=UTF8&coliid=I1TVYDM1PF5JXD&colid=27SIQOHQROPGF

You can get a starter set by hornby for around £35 that is like the model you linked. they're fairly low-end trains which are intended as toys.
A basic train is also only around : £25-30

You have to remember that hornby is using the manufacturer recommended retail price not the price that retailers will sell for. I got the christmas train set listed on their website at 54.99 for £30 elsewhere and I bought it a month before christmas. Places like Argos and Asda (walmart) will also sell basic hornby stuff (i've seen an LNER tank engine in asda for £35 complete with signals, track and wagons)

Hornby railroad is a less detailed range they make that are also somewhat cheap but still passable in quality. They even do budget sound models (called TTS sound) which you can get for about £70 these are DCC models with sound at sub £100:

BR CO-CO '37040' CLASS 37 £79.50 DCC SOUND
CLASS 47 033 RAILFREIGHT DIESEL £69.50 DCC SOUND
Class A1 4-6-2 4472 "Flying Scotsman" £85 DCC SOUND
Class A4 4-6-2 4469 "Gadwall" £70 DCC SOUND

You can also buy from other brands like bachmann and dapol etc.

My girlfriend and I were really introduced to Boardgames with Carcassonne. It is a game that I think plays great with 2 players and can go up to 5. There is a ton of replay value.

Someone also suggested Arkham Horror which if you like horror movies or H.P. Lovecraft it is very fun. I know a lot of people don't like it since it is a lot of dice rolling, but I think it adds to some of the fun to see what is going to happen to your characters and pretty much taking them to hell and back to win, or almost win. Even when you lose you will still have fun.

This is the version of Carcassonne that I have and all the expansions. It is under a new publisher now so the new Big Box isn't worth it. The base came, Traders and Builders, Inns and Cathedrals, Abbey and Mayor, and the Bridges one is great. The Dragon works better with more people since it is a way to "attack" people.

I assume you know that the base game only plays 3-4 players, so you'll need the 5-6 player expansion first and foremost.

After that, I'd recommend Seafarers, as it fleshes the game out a bit with new tile layouts, boats to go across water, gold tiles that score you a resource of your choice when their number is rolled, a pirate ship (functions as the robber at sea), and objectives ("land on another island to score 1 victory point"). Of course, you'd then need the 5-6 player Seafarers expansion for that too (including the 5-6 base game expansion).

So: Base game ($34) + 5-6 player exp ($16) + Seafarers ($34) + 5-6 expansion for that ($16) = $100 (based on Amazon's prices). That's not exactly cheap (for me at least), so maybe you should just go with the base game + 5-6 player expansion at first?

I'd maybe alternately recommend the highly regarded Carcassonne Big Box, which comes with the base Carcassonne game + 5 expansions for less than $50. You can check out a review here.

If you don't already have normal Carcassonne, get the big box now!

http://www.ipmsusa.org/Reviews/Kits/Misc/Trumpeter_35_BR52/Trumpeter_35_BR52.htm

https://www.amazon.com/Trumpeter-German-WR360-Armored-Locomotive/dp/B001SX4NC4

https://www.cybermodeler.com/hobby/kits/tru/kit_tru_1518.shtml

https://www.amazon.com/German-Railway-Flatbed-Machine-Artillery/dp/B002QN99V0/ref=pd_sbs_21_t_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=XC2Z43YSY2Q8QY6Q4E1E

https://www.amazon.com/Trumpeter-German-Railway-Track-Extra/dp/B004CR373O

Go crazy!

Sure, if you pick high end stuff. But if you pick normal stuff, they aren't that expensive.

Just one example

Easily this but I don't care what others think of it

Orgy. Requires no pop cultural knowledge at all and suits as many people as you can fit in the playroom XD

Anyway, we often play this:


http://www.amazon.com/Rio-Grande-Games-435RGG-Carcassonne/dp/B004DZ8WYE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1314322123&sr=8-2

Officially it only works for up to six people but it can be easily expanded to eight players. It's quite an amount of fun, allows strategic planning and can take a few hours to complete.

Carcassonne is really fun with just 2 players as well. The gf and I play it alot! Check out Carcassonne Big Box for the game and 5(!!!) expansions for just the price of the base game alone in most gaming shops.