Switching from H. O. to N scale: easy?

[Anonymous]

I'd like to hear from modelers who made a switch from H. O scale to N. Did you find the switch gratifying? What, if anything, do you miss about H. O scale? Have you remained interested in N scale or was it temporary? My brother wants to work jointly with me in putting together an N scale layout but I have reservations due to it's size. The only advantage I forsee is more layout in a smaller amount of space. Any thoughts?

[Anonymous]

I'm an H0 guy but I have some pals that want to set up an N layout. The plan is to build ntrak modules so that many varied layouts can be constructed pretty much on a whim. Also some track will be permanent and others set up to use available space. There are many other advantages to N, long trains, sweeping vistas, huge yards.....if you can see the darn things.

[Anonymous]

I switched to N for all those reasons - less space, longer trains etc. Switcned back after a year. Just like the detail in HO better and find it easier to work with. I do a lot of scratch building of structures etc.

[Anonymous]

I used to model in H0 a long time, actually grew up with it.
Later I switched to N (in 1987) due to space limitations, and after I verfied that these little thingies would run properly. Since then I have accumulated a lot of stuff, just as most people do.
Now I had the opportunity to set up a layout in the basement, about the same space avalaible as my old H0 layout had. I stick to N, because of the longer trains and larger curve radii I can have here. Never wanted the big H0 models back. Even my father at age 75 now likes to play with the little trains.

[Anonymous]

I made the switch this year... and I am surprised how I look back at my HO models and think how big they look... might as well be O or G! I have absolutely no reservations about moving to N.

They run very well, are very well-crafted, and you've heard the arguments about how much layout can be created in a smaller space. If, as another poster wrote, you are into scratching building then perhaps you would enjoy HO or even O to really admire your work.

I personally look forward to towering building that dwarf the trains and puts this great railroading world into perspective, long drags rounding huge bends, and trains that don't start in one town and with only a few cars end in the next one!

Shawn

[AltonFan]

I've switched from HO to N twice.

For me, space considerations forced the decision, as well as the desire to (one day) run full-length passenger trains and use large steam engines.

The first time was in the late 1970s-early 1980s, when much less was available in N, and many of the locomotives were fair to poor runners. I took a hiatus from the hobby, started in HO again, and then took another hiatus.

I resumed the hobby in the 1990s,and there is much, much more available for N scale, and more good quality locomotives.

Again, you need to ask yourself what you want from the hobby, and what you would miss the most if you changed scales. HO still enjoys the greatest industry support, and a lot of good material is available new and used. You can have greater detail, but this can be both a relief and a burden. (It's easier to add detail, but more difficult to ignore missing or inferior details.) There are still a lot of items not available in N (e.g., midwestern style 4-6-0s). And of course there are the vision, dexterity, and patience issues. And N scale is less forgiving of mechanical problems.

(I have no fear of tearing down an Athearn diesel; I am intimidated about looking under the hood of Life-Like diesels. And some Micro-Trains conversions require disassembly and cutting and drilling into locomotives.)

I believe the price gap is closing between N and HO.

OTOH, SuperChiefFan, if you don't have to make a permanent choice one way or the other (the joint layout your brother wants doesn't prevent you from having an HO layout), then you might find it interesting to work with your brother in N. It would be a change from your usual modeling.

I hope this helps.

[Anonymous]

I switched from HO to N. And initially I still suffered from HO envy. But no longer. I like today's engines and cars and they are longer and higher than earlier engines and cars, especially in the transition era that most model. I like SD70's, ACW44's, SD90's, etc (I'm a Canadian modeller) and autoMAXs, and centre beams, and articulated intermodals, etc.

If you go to your shop and compare an N SD90 to an HO F unit, you will discover it is pretty much the same length; same with a Red Caboose N centre beam car held up to an HO 40 box car, pretty much the same length. In HO to run a contemporary train with big equipment on it would dwarf most basement layouts. But I can run my multi-decked built in a study, smaller than a bedroom, and have a train empire, and run the big stuff. That would be impossible to do in HO.

So now I no longer have HO envy and enjoy what I do have.

Also, I hang out with other modellers all in HO. So I'm at minimal one HO layout a week, sometimes more, so for me I run HO a lot. But these guys are all transition era or earlier so although I can get an HO fix, they can't scratch my modern era itch.

There is no reason to stop running HO, just join an HO modular club if there is one in your area, or join an HO club; then run your N stuff at home. The great thing is you will be bilingual while most won't be.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by AltonFan

I've switched from HO to N twice.

For me, space considerations forced the decision, as well as the desire to (one day) run full-length passenger trains and use large steam engines.

The first time was in the late 1970s-early 1980s, when much less was available in N, and many of the locomotives were fair to poor runners. I took a hiatus from the hobby, started in HO again, and then took another hiatus.

I resumed the hobby in the 1990s,and there is much, much more available for N scale, and more good quality locomotives.

Again, you need to ask yourself what you want from the hobby, and what you would miss the most if you changed scales. HO still enjoys the greatest industry support, and a lot of good material is available new and used. You can have greater detail, but this can be both a relief and a burden. (It's easier to add detail, but more difficult to ignore missing or inferior details.) There are still a lot of items not available in N (e.g., midwestern style 4-6-0s). And of course there are the vision, dexterity, and patience issues. And N scale is less forgiving of mechanical problems.

(I have no fear of tearing down an Athearn diesel; I am intimidated about looking under the hood of Life-Like diesels. And some Micro-Trains conversions require disassembly and cutting and drilling into locomotives.)

I believe the price gap is closing between N and HO.

OTOH, SuperChiefFan, if you don't have to make a permanent choice one way or the other (the joint layout your brother wants doesn't prevent you from having an HO layout), then you might find it interesting to work with your brother in N. It would be a change from your usual modeling.

I hope this helps.

It did. Thanks guys for your input. I've decided to continue working on my HO layout
but will work with my brother on his N scale pike at his home. I'll have the best of both worlds. Wish us luck!

[n2mopac]

There are positives and negatives to anything--tradeoffs as they say. I switched from HO to N 10 years ago. Initially I did it for space and moveability issues. I quickly learned how much more you can do in the same space in N. Now I am building a large permanent layout and never considered anything but N. The key drawbacks for me are 1) less variety available. This issure is improving every year as N is the second most popular scale in this country and is growing rapidly. 2) size if you have limitations in eye sight or manual dexterity. It does take a fine touch to do detail work in N scale. Despite these, I fell quickly in love with N scale and after 10 years cannot see myself doing any other scale.
Ron

[Anonymous]

yes it is as easy as going to your hobby shop and buying the stuff you want. imodel both scales so i dont have horably oversized (h o) withdrawles. lol

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by soupacgp1

yes it is as easy as going to your hobby shop and buying the stuff you want. imodel both scales so i dont have horably oversized (h o) withdrawles. lol

LOL! Do you have two separate layouts for each scale? How do you decide which scale you're going to spend more of your hobby dollars on?