"From which scale did you enter large scale trains?"

[Anonymous]

Let's see if we have future "rivet counters" in the embryonic stages. [8D]

[TonyWalsham]

I'd be willing to bet the majority of LS'ers never came "up" from a smaller scale as in proper scale.
As there are two distinct branches of "scale" modelling, (mainline and narrow gauge) I firmly believe very few LS mainline modellers came up from the smaller scales.
If they previously had any other trains most likely they were HiRail and/or Tinplate. Many never had any trains at all but came into LS via the garden. Understandably they don't worry too much about having proper scale mainline models.

Narrow gauge is a different matter.
Judging by how many 1:20.3 products are now appearing, narrow gauge scale enthusiasts have quite a bit to choose from and I would expect a goodly percentage to have come from up a smaller narrow gauge scale.

What I do find interesting is the distinct lack of 1:29 scale brass models compared to the ever expanding range of 1:20.3 brass models.
Perhaps the brass manufacturers of mainline models are pretty well on the ball in knowing what will sell. They have yet to do anything in 1:29 and are only producing 1:32 brass.

Tony Walsham.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by TonyWalsham

I'd be willing to bet the majority of LS'ers never came "up" from a smaller scale as in proper scale.
As there are two distinct branches of "scale" modelling, (mainline and narrow gauge) I firmly believe very few LS mainline modellers came up from the smaller scales.
If they previously had any other trains most likely they were HiRail and/or Tinplate. Many never had any trains at all but came into LS via the garden. Understandably they don't worry too much about having proper scale mainline models.

Tony,

This fact may very well be so, however, I am making the point that as people, like myself, who have come from other SCALES enter Large Scale there might me a change in the Large Scale market so profound as to effect the production of equipment.

For example, if many people bring their fastidious attention for scale, as many HO and N modelers find themselves preoccupied, to Large Scale, will that trend effect what comes out of the manufacturers?

I am willing to overlook and make SCALE limited scale concessions because I am a lover of trains and understand that I am doing my best with the available tools. I can “distort” my perception to accept the beauty of what I have built. Others in other scales may lack this trait. This is the question I propose.

[Anonymous]

I came in from N scale, in fact I still have it boxed up. The quality of Atlas/Kato/Microtrains is superb - but I can't see that detail without picking it up off the track! Once I've picked it up from the track I can't get the damn thing back on without a re-railer. Large scale is wonderful, I can see it, I can hear it & I can get it on the track without a cuss. It also makes me do the gardening.

Kim

[Anonymous]

hi
I came from OO
Herhmm rivet counters "hi come and see my black 5 but only come at precicely
6 oclock when it is exactly 20 degrees C and will be exact scale length and count the 1500 rivets in the model"
I think that rather silly statement sums it up nicely.
However I do believe every attemt to get the right proportions and feel of the full size should be made a thing without a scale to work from makes it rather hard to do.
regards john

[bman36]

Capt. C.,
Hi there. I was an HO modeller but not to any extremes. The biggest thing that bugged me about HO was the fact that I could not take my trains outside and "play". Mom and Dad said Noooooooooo to that. Oh well I was only 6 at the time. Still my love for trains grew and many an empire (4x8) was built and rebuilt. Years went by and the collection grew. A few years ago I was on ebay and looked at a mis-located item on the HO list. Turns out it was Large Scale. What's this???? Never seen anything this big before. Talk about having tunnel vision. Did some investigating and found an issue of GR. The rest as they say is history. All my HO modelling was mainline standard stuff but I was never serious about rivet counting. Looked good out of the box for me. In Large Scale I have taken a serious liking to Narrow Gauge. Kitbashing and Scratchbuilding have also begun to grow. I guess with HO it was too small for me to bother. This I like. Large Scale has opened a new huge world for me. I think a lot of modellers have come from elsewhere and we'll see them changed by the possibilites our scale has to offer. Take it outside and give er'!!!! Time for a cup of coffee. Later eh...Brian.

[Anonymous]

I came to large scale from On2 and before that "N" scale.

The complexion of large scale has been under constant change ever since it started over a hundred years ago.
As time goes on this change will happen at an ever increasing rate. Twenty years from now large scale as we know it will be a quaint memory.

Except for tin-plate, most all of the small scales evolved from being rather basic to "scale" model railroading. I predict that large scale will follow that same pattern.

OLD DAD

[TonyWalsham]

I do agree that much of LS is changing but not the mainline side.
Well not very much yet anyway.
With the advent of more 1:32 scale models becoming available I believe that it will eventually take over from 1:29 as the scale of choice for those that consider themselves to be serious mainline modellers and so attract more converts to LS from the smaller scales.
That does not mean that 1:29 will die. Rather it will continue to be popular for those that don't necessarily care or worry about scale proportions. Like most LS'ers now.
In other words I see LS spliting along Scale - v - Toy Train lines. Both Mainline and Narrow Gauge. Something that has happened in all the other scales as OLD DAD has pointed out.
The Chinese multi nationals that either actually own or call the shots at most of the LS manufacturers have too much invested to take an influx of accurately scaled and proportioned LS models from Korea laying down. They may jump on the scale bandwagon too.
As long as Bachmann and Accucraft etc keep the 1:20.3 models coming I can only see posperity for narrow gauge. It will continue improving and attracting its own special brand of modeller.

Tony Walsham.

[Anonymous]

Good Morning All: I began modeling in 1949 with a Lionel set that was a Christmas gift. I switched toHO in 1953. Back to Lionel in 1961. Back to HO in 1963. Into HO & N
in the mid '70,s for 5 years.

Sold the stuff & went into radio controlled airplanes in 1981. Then R/C boats which I
still operate. Went back to HO 10 years ago & then LS 8 years ago.

My LS interest began with a B'mann setup on my open front porch for Christmas displays in my locality. I set it up & took it down every night for 10 days.

Have a great day, everyone! Fishwagon

[Anonymous]

Gentlemen and Ladies,

Thank you for your honest responses to this poll and subsequent replies. Hopefully we can gather some insight into any movements in Large Scale by looking at from whence we all entered the hobby.

I, for one, expect great detail in G Scale since I have seen what technology has done in N scale. I mean, if they can detail an N scale old-time box car with minute precision, a G scale one should be spectacular.

[vsmith]

I came from HOn30, where due to a severe lack of product at the time, almost everything was kitbashed from HO products onto N mechanism's or rolling stiock. Got tired of doing that, went to large scale after planning outdoor layout, now indoors, and finding I'm having to kitbash almost everything yet again, to get rid of the toylike aspects and poor detailing of alot of large scale offerings.

[RhB_HJ]

Hi all,

I came from HOm 5 years ago, changed to IIm (1:22.5 Meter Gauge).
Didn't change the prototype, didn't change my attitude or approach to the hobby.

In my "former life" I've spent 38 years in different aspects of the machine tool / tool making industry. During those years I learned what can be done and how it can be done.
For that precise reason I have no patience for mfgs who try to sell us "cute" as a "model". If it isn't to scale in at least the major dimensions then the mfg either produces for the "cute toy market" or is under the impression that his customers don't know any better. Either way he won't get my money!

And to make sure that the hard measurements get out there I do reviews for a German garden railway magazine http://www.gartenbahnprofi.de/Gartenbahn_Profi/body_gartenbahn_profi.html
The measurement comparison chart are available from my hobby site http://www3.telus.net/RhB_layout_Grischun/ in GIF and PDF format.

[Anonymous]

I 'm the one who said S, still doing S indoors once buisness turns around I will start collecting my large scale stuff.

[Anonymous]

When I outgrew my toy hO trains in the sixties it was at that time that both N and G came out. I chose N because of the possibilities to build a nice display on a small surface. Then I slowly switched to larger layouts, and the prices went through the roof. Do you know how many expensive electric turnouts you can put on a small board? Way too many! And don't complain about the price of a complete LGB train, try buying the five full length N-gauge express trains that would run in that space! Every single time I went back to my train shop I still drooled over the big stuff, till finally in the early eighties I managed to talk a neighbour into buying all of my N stuff, and I bought a few LGB starter sets. Most have undergone some drastic rebuilding in the meantime, I just bought bought as base for conversions - my second (or secretely first?) reason to switch to a scale I could actually build something in. I've never regretted the switch! I even own a piece of LGB nostalgia: at a flea market I found a few years back a complete LGB battery train set, complete with the plastic track, no box but some extra stuff, for the enormous price of what would now be 2 Euro's.