thoughts on heft

[FJ and G]

On Sunday, went to an Sn3 (or Sn30?) open house. A very scenic mountainous layout but very little train running. I got the feeling that the owner often has operating problems when guests are over (Murphy's Law). He said that operations have much improved since he switched from HOn3 to Sn3. He showed 3 different ways that he cleans the track (a rubbing method and 2 types of solutions).

The main benefit I see in these smaller scales are the ability to fit a lot more trains and scenery into a given space.

However, IMO, the operating problems and lack of heft just aren't worth it. I've visited about 18 professional layouts of smaller scale trains (you can get lots of ideas from visiting other folks layouts, even if they are different scale than yours), and on each layout, I've noticed that the operations just aren't as smooth as O scale 2 or 3 rail layouts. And, the tiny trains have a much more noticeable wobble to them, as they lack heft. I'm left with the impression that our 3 rail "toy" trains look and act much more like prototypical trains than the smaller "scale" trains, which appear too toylike for me.

dav

[Big_Boy_4005]

I like to call the size factor "forgiveness", we can get away with a lot of imperfections because of the size of our trains. Smaller scales are more demanding.

[dougdagrump]

Heft, I thought you said Heff.......[(-D]
At the last GATS event we wet to an HO layout had a big thunder cloud over a section with ligtening flashing and every so often here comes a funnel cloud droping down to dance around a bit then pull back up. At the time it was kinda humurous but with the spring that you're having in the midwest it isn't quite that cute.

[brianel027]

Dave, I like the older black and white movies... like where Bogart kisses Bacall and then the camera fades or focuses off to something else. I'm one of these poeple who believes in the power of the imagination... less is sometimes more!

But today in the movies, folks want to see everything. The above scene today would then go to the bedroom where we'd get to see and hear everything in Dolby Surround Sound... sometimes more is actually less.

I prefer all the drawbacks and misgivings over non-scale 3-rail trains to anything else. It's wonderful that there are so many other choices and options for those who chose. But it's just as wonderful that (for me at least) a loop of '027' track and some non-scale trains still gives me the same thrill of being at the throttle of my own train as anything else.

I guess you could call it "mental heft." Though I'm sure some of the scale guys would just call it "mental." [:D]

[FJ and G]

I guess you could call it "mental heft." Though I'm sure some of the scale guys would just call it "mental."
----Brianel

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It appears that Brian has once again hit the nail on the head.

Toy train enthusiasts have much more mental heft than their scale counterparts. Rather than merely counting rivets and toiling for months at a time to replicate scenes to utter perfection, toy train geeks run their trains at full speed on oversized rails past giant gatemen and plasticville structures, capturing the essence of real railroading much better than any scale layout; which lacks the smoke, the clattering of the big trains rumbling across sheets of plywood and the action accessories.

Yes, I would credit toy train lovers with the greater mental heft.

Dave V

[3railguy]

Heavy metal rules.

[Anonymous]

I agree that heft in toy trains helps with operation.

To analyze, rationalize, or care whether I have "greater mental heft" with regard to my toy trains would make me an idiot. I just like to run my trains my own way.

Bill