Yes I am thinking of selling off my HO and going to N. Although I will find a nice display base with rollers and a clear cover for my T1, I won't part with that until someone comes out with one in N scale that is not brass. I fairly convinced I want to do this, just not 100% yet.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
rrinker wrote: Yes I am thinking of selling off my HO and going to N. Although I will find a nice display base with rollers and a clear cover for my T1, I won't part with that until someone comes out with one in N scale that is not brass. I fairly convinced I want to do this, just not 100% yet. --Randy
pcarrell wrote:I switched from HO to N in the 80's. I love N!
I switched back from N to HO in the early 80's right before the Atlas RS units came out - only thing I could afford was Bachmann and it ran like junk and I got tired of fighting witht he layout instead of running trains.
perisher wrote: rrinker wrote: Yes I am thinking of selling off my HO and going to N. Although I will find a nice display base with rollers and a clear cover for my T1, I won't part with that until someone comes out with one in N scale that is not brass. I fairly convinced I want to do this, just not 100% yet. --Randy Make sure your eyes are up to scratch before your venture into the dark side
For what I want to do they are. I need a magnifier for the grab irons on Branchline and P2K HO kits anway. I've been helping a friend with his N scale layout and I have no problem with it, other than his fine scale track - all hand laid, code 40 and smaller. I plan on doing code 55 at best.
I was tempted. I even drew up the design. But the reason I am now pursuing the Rock Ridge and Train City might not be what you think. I wanted to model modern day Norfolk Southern because that is what my son and I see when we go railfanning. Why I ultimately decided against it might not be what you think.
See the main pull was that in HO what I wanted to model was not available. To model the California Western in 1917 meant that I had to kit-bash all my engines as the staple of the fleet was 2-6-2 side tankers. I figured that if I were to model NS in the present, I should have no trouble.
I was wrong. On our last railfan expedition we saw 6 double-headed trains. Of the locos, 11 were Dash-9s and one was a Dash-8. No one has made a Dash-9 since 1998. They are near impossible to find and when they surface on eBay, they go for higher than list.
So I figured if I had to pay top dollar for my fleet, and I already have a fleet of HO old-timers, I'll stick with that.
Since then I thought about what I like about MR. One thing is I like to have scenes with Lilliputians. I figure "N"anoputuains would not only be hard to see, they'd be harder to customize and paint.
Chip
Building the Rock Ridge Railroad with the slowest construction crew west of the Pecos.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
rrinker wrote: pcarrell wrote:I switched from HO to N in the 80's. I love N! I switched back from N to HO in the early 80's right before the Atlas RS units came out - only thing I could afford was Bachmann and it ran like junk and I got tired of fighting witht he layout instead of running trains. --Randy
Thats true....Bmann was very bad back then. It's not the same now. There are lots of good loco's to pick from......even some Bmann's!
MisterBeasley wrote:Having recently been seduced by sound in HO, I'd really have a hard time going to a scale where sound is not readily available. Yeah, that and the old eyes and fingers.
Sound is coming! There's already one or two on the market, and more to come! It's on it's way!
Jeff But it's a dry heat!
Not to be harsh, but N scale stuff I cannot hear em.
My LHS put a E unit on the track with sound and ran it and all the heads nodded at the sound. Me? I heard ziltch. However, it did perform very well on that Kato Unitrack set up that took up less space than a door panel.
Im staying in HO with an eye towards a dabble in O once again.
The one thing that might get me back into O is the wagontop caboose being availible now ready to go that is not painted brass in the B&O. I know that HO is where I will be always but O scale will be for the eyes someday.
That little Wagontop may get me into brass country which is where everyone seems to be headed these days.
If you do switch scales, make sure you pack up well all the current stuff. Dont make the mistake of tossing or selling it because chances are it's all there is.
Hey Randy. Are you thinking of altering your era/geographic/railroad ideas, or sticking with your HO preferences in those areas? There have been a lot of good transition era diesels and rolling stock available in N.
- Mark
Ironhead wrote:There's No reasoN to chaNge over to aNother scale...maNy of those maNiacs from that tiNy little uNiNformed HO waNNabe modeliNg commuNity will try to iNduce you to turN from your passioN aNd devotioN to HO. DoN't be proNe to their maNipulation. By all meaNs remaiN true to your dispositioN and doN't fall for aNy phoNy campaigNs they may lauNch iN your directioN iN aN effort to iNflueNce aNd braiNwash you....
pure geNius...
Mark P.
Website: http://www.thecbandqinwyoming.comVideos: https://www.youtube.com/user/mabrunton
Brunton wrote:Why not compromise and go to something in between HO and N - maybe TT scale...
Way I see it:
N scale advantages:
1. With Nscale's 12" radius, you can build more railroad in smaller space. This is a big advantage.
2. Nscale looks more realistic, in that the smaller scale looks less contrived and toy like.
HO advantages:
1. If they make it, they make it in HO. LOTS available
2. Easier to work on rolling stock and engines
3. More room for DCC decoders etc
4. Finer detail
5. Less derailing? (when uncoupling by hand for sure). I dunno, what do you think on this one? Is HO generally more reliable? Fewer derailments and inadertant uncouplings?
6. Your hand can fit up an HO tunnel.
Feel free to chime in with your own.
Trekkie wrote: Brunton wrote:Why not compromise and go to something in between HO and N - maybe TT scale...Wouldn't that be about two engines and three rolling stock? Not being a smart aleck here I just haven't seen any TT scale stuff anywhere. Just seems pretty rare.
I think that in the US TT really isn't an option, unless you really like scratchbuilding. It is unfortunate, since I think it could have been a popular scale, with the right timing, marketing, etc.
Adelie wrote:Hey Randy. Are you thinking of altering your era/geographic/railroad ideas, or sticking with your HO preferences in those areas? There have been a lot of good transition era diesels and rolling stock available in N.
I plan on stickign with the same era and road. Evn the same idea - thatof the Reading aquiring the LNE so I can justify single track railroading. Everywhere else other than certain branches that I don't really want to model had at least double track, and operation on double track is, well, kind of boring.
Many of the locos will be easy - any RS3's and GP7's I need I can buy any road name and repaint them, it's all one color so even in N scale it wouldn't be hard. As long as I can find decals. And I'm not goint to worry about the teeny-tiny "danger 600 volts" lettering.
VailSouthwestern RR wrote: Trekkie wrote: Brunton wrote:Why not compromise and go to something in between HO and N - maybe TT scale...Wouldn't that be about two engines and three rolling stock? Not being a smart aleck here I just haven't seen any TT scale stuff anywhere. Just seems pretty rare.I think that in the US TT really isn't an option, unless you really like scratchbuilding. It is unfortunate, since I think it could have been a popular scale, with the right timing, marketing, etc.
BTW, V&S, did you know that ampersand in your user name makes the "quote" function barf?
rrinker wrote: Yes I am thinking of selling off my HO and going to N. --Randy
Yes I am thinking of selling off my HO and going to N. --Randy
Me too! Except I am thinking of doing both. I have plenty of room in my basement and would really like to add a modern day N scale layout and run the big newer diesels. It's funny but I really prefer diesels even though as a child I used to play around a small AT&SF station in California and saw lots of steam in action.
My problem is at age 74 I'm not sure that I should undertake another layout. My HO is still not finished (and of course it never will be) and starting in N is probalbly not too smart. And, if my wife comes down to the basement how am I going to explain all of this stuff??
I would also really like to do a logging/mining mountain layout (Colorado prototype of course)!! Well, at least it's fun to Plan and Dream even if I don't get to Build it!
Jerry
Rio Grande vs. Santa Fe.....the battle is over but the glory remains!
Brunton wrote:I know. I was just being a wiseacre . I figured that, but it really is unfortunate. I'd be sorely tempted if it was viable. BTW, V&S, did you know that ampersand in your user name makes the "quote" function barf?I had no idea. I guess I never tried to quote myself. I wonder if I can change it. I'll look when I get a chance.....
I figured that, but it really is unfortunate. I'd be sorely tempted if it was viable.
I had no idea. I guess I never tried to quote myself. I wonder if I can change it. I'll look when I get a chance.....
pilot wrote:2. Nscale looks more realistic, in that the smaller scale looks less contrived and toy like.
As an N scaler myself, I have to take sception with this on a certain level. Most N scale cars come with unrealistic "pizzacutter" wheels and ride too high off the tracks. A good percentage still come with those awful Rapido couplers and virtually every rolling stock has toy-like truck-mounted couplers.
But if you know what you're doing, all of the above can easily be remedied. Low-profile wheels are now becoming the standard.
Though anything made in the past 15 years is immensely better than anything made in the past. That's the great thing about N scale, compared to the other scales it's more progressive in that there's no such thing as "trains were better back in the good old days" in this scale.
I made the switch last fall and the timing seemed right. I switched to N mainly because of the radius thing.