Hello everyone. I have been modeling in N Scale my entire adult life. I began with HO but took up N at 17. I am considering switching back to HO. If anyone else has made a similar change I would appreciate relevent thoughts. Thanks.
Declining health and problems with my fingers led me to switch a couple of years ago. I have regreted it from the first day.
I've seen wonderful railroads in HO, I don't hate the scale, but it's not what I wanted to do.
I will say that it has allowed me to stay active, where I probably would be out othe hobby at this point, but I miss my N Scale layout every day. For me, there's no going back, but think hard about this. I know people that are very happy with their move form N to HO, but think hard about it. If you're happy with the look and feel of N and you feel you can model in it, why change?
Don
I switched from N to HO in the 1980's, mainly because the rolling stock I needed wasn't available in N. HO has some lovely stuff, especially during the past 15 or so years, but N has come a long way in the last 15 years too in terms of available rolling stock.
HO, of course, needs a lot more space if you want a model RR with a decent run, so that's a factor.
When I switched, I sold off some of the N scale stuff I had but kept a shoebox with an old Trix UP F7, UP caboose and 4 or 5 freight cars and a bunch of track including 5 turnouts. I've recently started to pick up some N scale rolling stock and have plans, at the prompting of my wife, to build a small N scale layout in the back basement room.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
to the Model Railroader forums. Your first few posts will be delayed by the moderators, but that will end soon enough. Please stick around and join into the discussions.
.
I switched from N to HO in the 1990s because the new Proto-2000 freight cars were so beautiful. At least that is what pushed me over the edge, there were other considerations as well.
I have no regrets. I gave all my N scale stuff to a close friend that models the NORFOLK SOUTHERN in N scale. As far as I know, he has the only layout in existance that interchanges with the STRATTON AND GILLETTE.
I disposed of all my other N scale stuff in a violent purge, bought an HO scale diesel locomotive and never looked back.
If you ask any specific questions, I will be glad to let you know my experiences.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
I disposed of all my other N scale stuff in a violent purge
Violent?
I built an N layout in 1987-8, although my normal modeling was in HO. I had a spare bedroom and felt I could get more RR in a given space vs. HO, and of course that was true.
But then the real world hit me......While I could work quite well with HO, N was soon found to be a struggle. For me, I just couldn't work to my standards in N vs. HO. Of course aging eyesight made it worse too.
Today, at 75, with the help of all kinds of aids, I can still do pretty good with HO, but seriously doubt I could with N.
Anyway, I sold all the N, built a room filling HO layout that lasted to 2008, tore it down and built a new one - also in HO - ..........and I am happy MR!
ENJOY !
Mobilman44
Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central
If room is not a concern, I don't see a problem.
I chose N because my home's boss gave me only a corner of a small bedroom.
York1 John
York1I chose N because my home's boss gave me only a corner of a small bedroom
Ouch Only a corner of a small bedroom? Bummer!
I'm in my second marriage and she made it a priority to find a house that had a decent sized space for a layout. It was a top priority on our house hunting check list.
BrammyI am about 10 years away from being able to build a layout in my basement. We need to address the water seepage first.
It's goint to take 10 years to address the water seepage? I had a water seepage issue in my town home prior to moving which needed addressed. Dealing with it from the inside was only a short term solution. As a long-term solution, we found a contractor who who dug down to the bottom of the basement foundation and sealed the cracks in two places (two excavations) and included a membrane to cover over the cracks and block the seeps. We later sold the town home as we wanted to move into a stand-alone home with bigger basement and a yard but we left the townhome in better shape than it was when we moved in.
Those seeps did delay construction of the layout in the basement room affected.
Mel,
You've got me by a year!
Let me add a couple of points.
I first saw N in 1973. I remember it well - I was TDY in Germany and stopped in the BX to get some shaving cream on the way to a swing shift duty. I saw an Atlas set of cars and was immediately taken with it. I skipped lunch a couple of days and bought the set - just cars, no loco. The guys thought I was nuts. It was a couple of years before I could swing some flex and a loco - a truely terrible Lima switcher, but I was launched into N Scale. It boils down to what grabs you.
David K. Smith said recently in another forum that we each have a home scale. Sometimes we have to explore a bit to find out which one that is.
I'm in HO now and will be to the end, but after a year and a half, I still feel that somethings wrong. Everything looks too big. I have room for thirty inch radius - the same as I used in N, but things look silly going around them. Let's not talk about buildings.
So, my advice is stay in N or go to HO, whichever scale you feel most comfortable in. It's all about having fun.
Good luck
riogrande5761Ouch Only a corner of a small bedroom? Bummer! I'm in my second marriage and she made it a priority to find a house that had a decent sized space for a layout. It was a top priority on our house hunting check list.
I'm too old to get a second wife or another house, so I guess I'll have to be satisfied with the small layout!
riogrande5761 It's goint to take 10 years to address the water seepage? I had a water seepage issue in my town home prior to moving which needed addressed. Dealing with it from the inside was only a short term solution. As a long-term solution, we found a contractor who who dug down to the bottom of the basement foundation and sealed the cracks in two places (two excavations) and included a membrane to cover over the cracks and block the seeps. We later sold the town home as we wanted to move into a stand-alone home with bigger basement and a yard but we left the townhome in better shape than it was when we moved in. Those seeps did delay construction of the layout in the basement room affected.
Yeah, we need to do the expensive option. We also need to get the driveway done. It's second on the list for extremely expensive home repairs. It's why I said "10 years" becuse other more expensive stuff is higher on the list.
Also, the area I want to build the layout also has the circuit breakers, so I am thinking of moving that out of my way.
CHARTER MEMBER OF THE MILWAUKEE FALLEN FLAG MODEL TRAIN CLUB . I COLLECT HO, N , O-3rail & On30 Trains & run them ! I Use KATO HO & N scale Track . I also Use Lionel Fast Track ! I change track layouts Often !
York1 I'm too old to get a second wife or another house, so I guess I'll have to be satisfied with the small layout!
My ex's father remarried in his early 80's so there isn't necessarily a "too old" thing.
But it's sad or disappointing your wife won't let you have more space so you can enjoy your hobby. She sounds like quite the taskmaster.
Brammy Yeah, we need to do the expensive option. We also need to get the driveway done. It's second on the list for extremely expensive home repairs. It's why I said "10 years" becuse other more expensive stuff is higher on the list.
We got some quotes to dig down and fix the seeps from out side. One guy came in and did a dog and pony show and it was looking like something waaaaaaaay out of our budget, especially for a townhome we only planned to live in 4 or 5 years. Guessing he was in the $15k price point. After about 10 minutes into his presentation, I interupted him and said I didn't think it was worth spending more time when this solution wasn't going to fit our budget. The guy got offended and left quickly and forgot his notebooks and materials and had to contact us later to retieve them. SMH.
We finally found an outfit that charged us $1550 for each of two seep areas, costing $3100 total. A good chunk of change but much cheaper than $15k or more! It required a small crew of guys to hand dig down about 8 feet each excavation in summer - quite the job.
Anyway, I get that to-do list! The house my wife found with a decent open basement (unfinished); the home was a bank owned home built in 2006 and it had been neglected and needed some rehab, mainly the kitchen, which is why som many probably walked away - but good for us. While it had been painted and new carpet throughout and looked pretty good cosmetically, the kitchen was in pretty poor shape. The builder applicances were still therer and on their last legs. The laminate counter tops were peeling and needed replaced. The disposal didn't work and the fauciet squirted water out the side. We knew the house was going to require some work so we did factor that in when buying it.
Here is a list of things holding back layout construction:
- New water heater.
- Radon mitigation system needed for basement.
- kitchen need total rehab (all new applicances including washer and dryer for the laundry room next to the kitchen), sanded and stained all cabinets, new granite counter tops to replace the peeling laminate ones, new sink, faucet and disposol.
- Front door threshold water damage, replace bad wood and install new front door and storm door.
- Master bath shower water damage in floor. Gut shower and jacuzzi tub to the studs and install new custom shower and new tub.
- Oh, did I tell you the basment is unfinished? Wife and I are finishing it ourselves except for the plumbing and electric. I didn't want to build a layout in an unfinished basement. As a bonus, all the stud wall were in before bought the home. Last Christmas day wife and I begain installing drywell, then taped and mudded and got the walls painted by early May. Have since installed all the suspended ceiling and are currently working on the bathroom. I did the drywall, mudding, cement board, sloped motar shower floor etc but my wife, bless her, installed the shower floor tile yesterday.
We hope to have the basement finished guessing late Sept or Oct. That means waiting 2 years from purchase to finally being able to start layout construction.
riogrande5761 Naturally they are in an inconvenient location.
My brother in law is an electrician, so I am hoping to save some money there. There are also two poles in that layout area.
Brammy riogrande5761 Naturally they are in an inconvenient location. My brother in law is an electrician, so I am hoping to save some money there. There are also two poles in that layout area.
Hopefully that will keep costs more reasonable.
As for poles, I do have a pole that's going to be inconvenient but I'll have to work around it.
I started with HO, switched to O, and then to S. For me S represents the size where it's big enough that I enjoy building stuff, yet small enough for a decent layout.
Since you don't say why you're changing, it's hard to comment. But since you're changing anyway, don't just look at HO. Look at S and O, maybe even On30.
If you can, save all your N stuff. I have all my HO, O, and my son's N scale - my son when he got back into trains as an adult went the 3 rail O gauge route.
Paul
riogrande5761Violent <purge> ?
Yes, I stand by my choice of adjective. I don't remember you being there, so I don't know how you formed your oppinion.
I have had four of these violent purges of old hobby material, the most recent one was right after I joined these forums.
Nothing gets the new projects moving like getting rid of ALL the old projects.
A saws-all, ripping hammer, and prybar are great for stress relief.
SeeYou190 riogrande5761 Violent <purge> ? Yes, I stand by my choice of adjective. I don't remember you being there, so I don't know how you formed your oppinion.
riogrande5761 Violent <purge> ?
Settle down there bud. I didn't express an opinion but simply parroted back the term you used and was a bit confused by it.
I've never heard anyone use that term before in this context and was wondering what you meant by it.
A saws-all, ripping hammer, and prybar are great for stress relief. -Kevin
So I guess that is what you mean then (above). I suppose that's one way to deal with stress.
SeeYou190A saws-all, ripping hammer, and prybar are great for stress relief. -Kevin
riogrande5761So I guess that is what you mean then (above). I suppose that's one way to deal with stress.
Sometimes you just gotta whack something.
I guess we are among us oldtimers, discussing what has been discussed many times before. The OP, who has not yer shown up again, has not given any reason why he considers changing from N scale to HO scale. Without a hint was drives his consideration it seems difficult to me oddering him any advice.
Happy times!
Ulrich (aka The Tin Man)
"You´re never too old for a happy childhood!"
Ulrich, he has only posted one day ago. Usually those types of threads, which generate a couple pages of responses and an argument or two and nary a second post by the OP, strike me immediately. I agree his lack of motive is curious, but newbies often are sparse on details.
Time will tell.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
I got back into the hobby in HO just before my short-range eyesight started to go bad. Now I'm wishing I'd taken a closer look at On30!!!
One argument which really kill me is the eyes trouble about N scale.
It's always the same and only argument when people speak about N scale and the ask to switch to another scale.
" Too tiny they say and my eyes are bad"
This is somewhere not an argument and not for me me with sixty years in the legs, a dioptry of 3 and an N scale layout 45 years old on the way between Belgium and Montreal in a container.
When I see HOn3 layout with "rivet counter details", I can say the details are tiny as N scale for sure; most of the modelers in HOn3 are in the 6 age; never hear about eyes troubles as an argument to work in HOn3 !
Like any scale, you must be comfortable with it, like any scale N has advantages and disavantages, but the eyes troubles are not the argument to go in or out the N scale world.
Everybody which is turning the 50 years old begun to have some eyes trouble, this is natural, sad for sure but natural.
Modern glasses correct these troubles easily, if you don't see well even with your glasses, go back to the doctor and correct your glasses.
With correct glasses you see like a charm in any scale, N scale included.
I build this wharf in N scale in less than two months between may and june, everithing is scratch, except the windows from Tichy and grandt Lines and I have good glasses which I wear because I'm sixty.
(More about it in the layout construction community on the site - Fos Wharf in N scale )
I prefer a punching bag. You get to keep your train stuff...
Chuck - Modeling in HO scale and anything narrow gauge
That looks fantastic.
IRONROOSTERSometimes you just gotta whack something. Paul
trwroute I prefer a punching bag. You get to keep your train stuff...
Now that makes more sense in a healthy way.
The bonus is, you can re-use a lot of the materials on a future layout and it saves some money too! I'm all about saving money where I can - I saved all the benchwork, track, track nails and spikes, drywall screws, and even all the off-cut lumber as most of it will be re-used somewhere as risers or what not. Only thing I couldn't save was the plaster scenery so minimal loss.
Tinplate Toddler I guess we are among us oldtimers, discussing what has been discussed many times before. The OP, who has not yer shown up again, has not given any reason why he considers changing from N scale to HO scale. Without a hint was drives his consideration it seems difficult to me oddering him any advice.
Welcome to MRR forums, where someone starts a topic and then we all jaw among ourselves for days with nary a sign of the OP. Might be moderator jail, or who knows.
It's modus operandi, but still frustrating.