Bachmann sells train sets. You can find better online prices. Even Amazon sells them online with free shipping.
I have seen them at train shows with a couple small layouts running DC only trains with the standard power pack.
Now, do you want DC, DCC or DCC with sound train sets?
If you go sign up at the Bachmann forums, there is a HO forum you can ask at. There are company reps and many users of Bachmann products who will recommend which set will be better than others. Diesels are easier to work with rather than steamers. There are connections between the tender and loco which some seem to break. All kinds of Bachmann products also. Keep you receipts in case there is an issue. Bachmann has a good replacement policy for new trains. If there is an issue, it is usually the loco.
If you don't know anything about DCC, do some research first. Bachmann DCC equipped locos can run from a DC power pack also. You just cannot make any changes to a DCC loco without a DCC controller and the basic Bachmann DCC controller does not allow for much more than running the loco and using it to make different sounds on a sound equipped loco. Ok, much more info than you asked for.
I have been using Bachmann trains for sometime and there are Gotchas you might say. That is why I recommend asking some users there.
There are Bachmann bashers still around but Bachmann does have a lot of good trains. Do some research.
No idea about other brands of train sets.
Rich
