HO or N Which is better??????

[Anonymous]

I would agree with James' remarks about 1)Time, 2)Money and 3) Space as being equally important in decision making. I would add that HO is "better" only because it has become more universal and there are many more products in HO than in any other scale. I model in N scale because space is a serious consideration. Good luck with your report!

[dandreas]

Robert,

I think a lot of it depends on what you model. One of the big advantages of N-Scale is the wider/larger radius curves, which allow longer locomotives and cars to run and look better on the track. So, this would attact modelers interested in huge articulated steam engines and long passenger cars, or in modern diesels, autoracks, and intermodal cars. Whereas if you are modeling steam/early diesel era with shorter locomotives and 40-foot boxcars, HO might be attractive because of the greater selection of quality steam locos, price, etc. The N-Scale space advantage becomes less of an issue with the smaller radius required as well. An important point here is that this is especially true when you are designing a medium size layout and you consider that aisle widths need to be at least 24" for the human element, which defines your minimum radius and gives HO a bit of the space advantage back.

I model N-Scale because I like modern railroading (big diesels, autoracks, intermodal, coal drags) so it was a no-brainer especially with the quality of N-Scale diesels in recent years. Also the coal trains were important to me....for example, an N-Scale coal train with only 24 cars (a mere 1:5 ratio to the prototype's 120 car trains) and three six-axle diesels comes to about 9 1/2 feet, which would be around 18 feet in HO. So N-Scale in my mind is a better choice here. However, I HAVE built a pretty convincing HO-scale modern era layout on a 4x8 sheet of plywood before. I just used some creative thinking to achieve my goal, like sticking to modern 4-axle diesels and articulated intermodel equipment, while staying away from running 60-foot boxcars, 89 foot piggybacks and autoracks, 6-axle diesels, etc. One trick I also used was placing an autorack car at the very end of my stub-end yard, which gave the illusion that the autorack was an important part of my railroad, even though it never moved! So, that just shows there are no hard and fast rules about which scale is better, and it depends not only on the previously discussed issues like space, time and money....but also on the individual's preferences and creativity. Good luck!

Doug A.

[Anonymous]

I would suggest HO because of availability, etc. N-Scale in my experience requires greater manual skill and more difficult to work with and run. Prices slightly more for HO but worth it. Good luck on your project. Roger D.

[Anonymous]

Also, if this project is for school then I think N is the better of the two. It takes up less room therefore a larger scene can be built and it cost less. If you plan on keeping this module and using it at a later date then use HO. It is up to you what you use. Me I think HO is better because it is easier to work with.

[Anonymous]

I believe it all depends upon the amount of space you have to work with. With a small space you may want to use N scale, but with a larger area you could use HO scale. If money is a problem then use N scale because it tends to run at a lower cost than that of HO.

[jamesedwbradley]

Robert, you don't say if you have a layout now, nor what the project is. School year's almost up; if it's a quick demonstration loop you could use either; N Scale could be carried in/out more easily. If it's a report or other purpose, model railroading needs any two of (1)money (2)space or (3)time. Have (1) + (2) = any scale; usually the larger ones are more desirable. (1)+(3)=HO or N Scale depending on the actual space. (2)+(3)=O Scale, scratchbuilt cars/structures. Most of us are short of all three so it's a balancing act! Read previous replies carefully-they're excellent! AND, you should love railroads and pay attention to the real thing - a hobby itself!

[thirdrail1]

Simply put, if you want to build railroad models, HO, or larger, is better, but if you want to model railroads, N scale is better. No scale is "easier to work with" than another. It all depends on what your objective is. Yes, it is easier to build a working screen door in HO, but it is easier to use prototype curve radii in N scale.

[Anonymous]

I model both and they both bring different advantages to the table. N scale is great for running long trains and running multi-unit locomotives but is more challenging to do switching operations. HO is great if you want to do a lot of switching but takes up more room if you want to run a long train. HO structures cost more than compairable N scale but there is more selection in HO. If you are on a budget, N scale is the way to go because it is not as tempting as HO as far as new items go.

[Anonymous]

I need this info for a project at school. I need lots of info for this topic



I think that HO is better because it is easyer to work with