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Good Morning Gang! I did not sleep well, my whole body is just one big pain. Each move hurts. Tried to find a comfortable position to get some sleep, but it did not work out [sigh] Janie, coffee in an IV bag, please. Just some thoughts on that Z scale stuff I have. Although the locos run surprisingly well, it is not really suitable for prototypical operation. This is due to the couplers, who are not that reliable. American Z stuff has Kadee-like couplers, so that may be different. For those of us with very little space it may be appealing, as you can get as much railroading on a 4 by 8 as you can get into a room of 10 by 20 in HO scale. Some of the Z scale locos and rolling stock are highly detailed, but that detail is hardly visible at a normal viewing distance. To achieve that "railroad feeling" we want to have, you will need to bring up the layout close to eye level. This may prove to be cumbersome for certain layout types. The ideal layout form is a fairly narrow shelf layout, mounted up high at eye level. Z scale is also not really suitable for those enjoying a wealth of detail. You need to have watchmaker´s hands and tools to produce it, and you will need magnifying glasses to see it. In my case, I will just leave it out and go for atmosphere instead. I will include only those details, which contribute to the overall atmosphere of the layout - some of them will have to be oversize, so they can be seen with my bespectacled eyes. Aside from the size (better: visibility) issue, Z scale´s biggest draw back is its price. Those tiny locos are really expensive, and so is track and accessories. There are only a few suppliers, and in most cases you will have to buy the extraordinary expensive Marklin stuff. Summing it up, Z scale is certainly more than just a gimmick, but you need eagle´s eyes, watchmaker´s hands and a well-filled wallet to go down that route. And you need a lot of room - sounds contradictory, but if you don´t want to have a spaghetti-bowl type of layout, you need a lot of space! Y´ all have a good day.
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