scott7891 I will parrot what everyone else said here and add if you want TOC railroading then HO is your best bet. N Scale is more of a modern/current railroading scale and always has been. Most N Scale product reflects modern railroading. Yes they do dabble in steam and transition era railroad products but in my opinion based on what I have seen N Scale steam is not very good and very limited in availability compared to HO. I would only do N if you want to model present day railroading.
I will parrot what everyone else said here and add if you want TOC railroading then HO is your best bet.
N Scale is more of a modern/current railroading scale and always has been. Most N Scale product reflects modern railroading. Yes they do dabble in steam and transition era railroad products but in my opinion based on what I have seen N Scale steam is not very good and very limited in availability compared to HO.
I would only do N if you want to model present day railroading.
Being interested in TOC steam yet already invested in N scale I've struggled with this. Bachmann makes some really nice HO TOC steam. Alas, I think I will press forward in N scale and make the most of it.
One thing about N scale transition era is I find N scale is the perfect size for Superpower Steam locomotives and big articulateds. Something about the physical size of the models relative to the human eye makes them very pleasing.
snjroy The problem is the Bachmann 2-8-0 is based on a late 1930's prototype so it would look wrong for 1910. A more appropriate 2-8-0 would be a MDC/Roundhouse version since it is based on a 19th century variant that still would have been in service in 1910. BOBBY GRIFFIN I want to model the Duluth and Northeastern in N scale around 1910. I'm afraid I will not be able to find locomotives or rolling stock that covers this period. I just want the types of that period. I'm not at all expecting to find ones numbered for the DNE. What do y'all think? I would consider changing scales if it would make a difference. Looking at a few sites, I see that consolidations would be appropriate for that era and that RR. I was hoping to hear from folks that have experience with the Bachmann Spectrum 2-8-0 in N scale. I poked around other sites, and users seem to be pleased with that model. Simon
BOBBY GRIFFIN I want to model the Duluth and Northeastern in N scale around 1910. I'm afraid I will not be able to find locomotives or rolling stock that covers this period. I just want the types of that period. I'm not at all expecting to find ones numbered for the DNE. What do y'all think? I would consider changing scales if it would make a difference.
I want to model the Duluth and Northeastern in N scale around 1910. I'm afraid I will not be able to find locomotives or rolling stock that covers this period. I just want the types of that period. I'm not at all expecting to find ones numbered for the DNE. What do y'all think? I would consider changing scales if it would make a difference.
Looking at a few sites, I see that consolidations would be appropriate for that era and that RR. I was hoping to hear from folks that have experience with the Bachmann Spectrum 2-8-0 in N scale. I poked around other sites, and users seem to be pleased with that model.
Simon
i modeled era 1890 for the far north, logging and mining... i used mostly bachman geared steam, along with some brass locos.
the small ore cars were from tichy, and i made flats by myself [source on thingivere], boxcars were relatively few, and no passenger stock.
the layout was 15 feet by 16 feet, it's also on scarm, Squirrel Creek Railroad
The market is limited, but if you want a really detailed breakdown of it your best bet is to go to the Pre-Depression model railroad groups on Facebook and Discord. Talk to the people who model the same era, and they'll have the breakdown of how to use the limited market and kitbashing to end up creating something that matches yoru goals.
I have the same interest in turn of the century N scale steam and agree with the quoted post below. The Model Power locomotives are a good option.
snjroy Hi there. There is certainly more availability in HO, but your space requirements may justify N scale. I don't model N, but I've converted a few N locos for my HOn30 space on my HO layout. I really like my Model Power 4-4-0, which would fit your period, I believe. Nice and smooth. There is also a 2-6-0 based on the same mechanism. Simon
Hi there. There is certainly more availability in HO, but your space requirements may justify N scale. I don't model N, but I've converted a few N locos for my HOn30 space on my HO layout. I really like my Model Power 4-4-0, which would fit your period, I believe. Nice and smooth. There is also a 2-6-0 based on the same mechanism.
SeeYou190Roundhouse used to make N scale 36 foot boxcars and reefers. You are going really small with this project. N scale shines in big diesels, not so much little steamers. How about taking a look at HOn3... about the same size and much more availablity for the time period. -Kevin
You are going really small with this project. N scale shines in big diesels, not so much little steamers.
How about taking a look at HOn3... about the same size and much more availablity for the time period.
-Kevin
HOn3 has a locomotive problem for TOC modeling. There is nothing currently in production except for $1K+ brass. The Blackstone out-of-production C19 2-8-0 is the ONLY TOC RTR HOn3 locomotive available. Prices are north of $500 on EBay. But it does have DCC and sound.
There is quite a bit of older HOn3 brass production available, but almost all of that requires remotoring and/or drive tinkering to get it running well enough for switching (as well as a decoder and speaker install if you want DCC and sound). Then it needs to be painted (or repainted). Or build a Roundhouse 2-8-0 kit, and modify it to lower the boiler, then paint and letter it.
TOC car kits are readily available in both HOn3 and HO. Many are wood, some are 3D printed, and some are plastic. Civil War/1880s cheap plastic train sets are good starting points in HO, but it takes another $20 per car to upgrade crude details, decals, and replace trucks and couplers.
Fred W
....modeling foggy coastal Oregon in HO and HOn3, where it's always 1900....
I model a railroad in the 1930s that only had turn of the century equipment. I think HO scale is really the best bet at this point in time. Stuff like the roundhouse and Bachmann "old timers" lines which give much smaller locomotives, as well as "keep alive" tech becoming small enough to fit in 0-6-0s and 4-4-0s make it worth while. It does limit your scale to space ratio, but if you are heart felt on that era and don't want to spend most of your time scratchbuilding rolling stock (and potentially locomotives) in N scale.
That said, N scale space with pre-golden age equipment would probably give some impressive views.
Roundhouse used to make N scale 36 foot boxcars and reefers.
Living the dream.
BOBBY GRIFFINI'm afraid I will not be able to find locomotives or rolling stock that covers this period.
One was this old-time Ten Wheeler...
I bought two of them, but updated them to better fit my layout's era of the late '30s....
This one, also a Bachmann HO scale loco, was upgrade by a friend...
I just now took a look at Bachmann's N scale steam locomotives, and there are only two smallish ones, one an 0-6-0 and the other a 2-6-2, both not what I'd consider as "old-time" as the two that I had posted above.
Wayne