Hi OMH and welcome.
I chose HO for visual reasons and I would find detail modelling more difficult in N gauge. + in HO you are already in a Helicopter or the far-side of a field, in N that illusion is even greater.
It easy to regard N as half-size of HO. It half the Length, a quarter the Area and an eighth the Volume. Out of these it is the obviously the Area that counts for the most.
When I look at my layout, N would have been far more suitable for what I am trying to achieve and I still remain in doubt - because I have never modelled in N-gauge.
As has been mentioned, take a good look before you decide. When I started in 1968, British OO was not very good (when compared to Athearn Bluebox) British N gauge was a Joke and it put me off for life. Thanks mainly to Bachmann, British N is now very good.
When I saw my first USA N gauge layout (2016) my jaw hit the deck. It was superb. Had I seen it before I started in HO - my layout might just as be in N
I hope this helps, because it can be a bit of a dilemma, before or after taking the plunge. Paul
"It's the South Shore Line, Jim - but not as we know it".
NittanyLion OldManHobbies I do have a local hobby shop that has a small train room, but their train veteran is no longer there from what I understand. Are you still in SWPA? If so, which shop is this?
OldManHobbies I do have a local hobby shop that has a small train room, but their train veteran is no longer there from what I understand.
I do have a local hobby shop that has a small train room, but their train veteran is no longer there from what I understand.
Are you still in SWPA? If so, which shop is this?
Yep, I'm about an hour south of Pittsburgh.... nearly as far south as you can get in Pa. The Hobby shop is "Get A Hobby" in Uniontown, Pa. Their website isn't that great, but I know the owner and staff and they are really good people.
I'm not sure if it's okay to post a like for Youtube here or not, but this video shows a setup that I really like and find very pleasing to watch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxA8C0joWqk
I wouldn't need as much elevation for what I'm thinking, and realistically, around here, they cut out a channel in the hills a lot more often then they dug tunnels, so I'd like to stay as true to that as possible. I do really like the fine detail of the HO scale, but like the "whole picture" view of the N scale. I watched a video showing the differences in scale appearance, on things like the iron grab bars (forgive me if they have a proper name) on the front of a locomotive. The HO had them and were in color, where the N did not. Small vents were open screen on the HO where the N was just more or less molded plastic. Not really knowing much about trains myself, I don't know that I'd be missing those fine details on the N as I don't really know about them.
I tend to jump into hobbies with both feet... and I've already thought about... .what if I use a 4x8 but then maybe run an elevated shelf around the walls of my finished basement.... I'd only need a 6-8" shelf.... and that wouldn't take up my wfie's precious floor space....
OldManHobbiesthis video shows a setup that I really like and find very pleasing to watch.
Hi OldManHobbies,
I agree that the layout is pleasing to watch. The question is how long will it be enjoyable to watch before it becomes a bit boring? I don't see a lot of operating potential. There is a double track spur running into the center of the layout, and there is a two track yard, but those only offer limited opportunities for doing some switching.
I'm not saying that there is anything wrong with the track plan at all, and it would certainly be a good place to start, but maybe keep in mind what you might want to be doing in the future in terms of switching.
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
ROBERT PETRICKThis idea has two other benefits . . . 1) Reclining in the LazyBoy recliner and watching TV, and 2) walking down stairs. Robert
Marlon
See pictures of the Clinton-Golden Valley RR
OldManHobbies Yep, I'm about an hour south of Pittsburgh.... nearly as far south as you can get in Pa. The Hobby shop is "Get A Hobby" in Uniontown, Pa. Their website isn't that great, but I know the owner and staff and they are really good people.
Not familiar with that particular store. I grew up on the other side of Pittsburgh and live in DC now, so I've stopped in almost every shop between here and there.
The layout shown on YouTube makes a good display layout but would get boring fast as an operations based layout. Its basically two independent loops, each with a passing track to park one train while another runs the loop. No industries to switch and the trains don't go anywhere.
This is exactly why the Port Hueneme/Ventura County Railroad would work so well as a 4' by 8' layout. The prototype track plan includes a full loop that can be used to run trains as a display or just train watch. However, the harbor, Navy SeaBee base, Union Pacific interchange and auto storage lots offer lots of switching meaning operating sessions involving friends would be possible, too. Like the prototype, the model VCR trains have a real reason to run from the harbor to the UP interchange, and back again. Any layout based on the VCR track plan would prove interesting for a long time.
I would recommend NOT running trains along a high shelf, especially in HO or N scale! I tried this in my son's bedroom years ago in HO scale. Although the layout ran well and even included a few sidings, spurs and a yard, visual access was a problem from the start. My son and I quickly lost interest in this layout. The smaller scale trains are just too difficult to see on such a shelf unless you make the shelf of transparent material. Any such high shelf layout should be approached as display-only and should use only O scale or larger trains.
Hornblower
Hi, there are some really great N scale plans. I built an N scale on an area of 2'x'4'. I wanted something portable. It has a mountain, 3 bridges, crossing tracks and a small town.
N scale certainly enables a lot of action in a small space. However, as i too am in my 40s amd gettomg older I too am now looking at building a larger HO scale layout.
When I built my N scale layout or the rolling stock, except for one set was second hand. I saved a lot of money there.
Anyway this is a great hobby and it does not have to be overly expensive.
I'm looking at two small modern tram layouts I've been working on concurrently, one in N (48" x 12" dogbone), the other in HO (30" x 20" simple loop). To me it's a larger piece of landscape with less detail in N vs. smaller piece of landscape with larger detail in HO. And I'm drawn more to the HO's concentrated scene.I've also bought some Kato N Unitrack, locomotives, and cars to set up on our coffee table with my grandson to run longer freight and passenger trains.So I'd ask, are you more interested in running long coal trains on broad curves or in having detailed coal facilities with short trains? I'd pick N for the former, HO for the latter.
N gets harder and harder as one ages. I switched from N to HO for that reason. It's hard to squeeze all you desires into a 4x8 with any realistic look in my opinion. Jim K