Hello fellow N scalers.
Have any of you guys had as hard time trying to find N scale automobiles as I have ?. I model the 1930s, the 50s the 70s and modern day, and it's been an up hill battle for me to locate any kind of a variety of cars, trucks, vans and so forth. I don't recall all of the various makers, but I have some that were one piece and had to be filed, sanded and painted, others that were kits and had to be assembled and painted, and some (made by Mini-Metals) that came ready painted and all. I've bought them everywhere from train shops to Hobby Lobby to eBay. I was talking to a guy at work last week that's also an N scaler and he said he's having the same problem.
Any suggestions ?...
Tracklayer
I feel your pain!
HO scale spoiled me, stuff everywhere, good prices, tons of styles and eras....then I started an N scale layout and it was like finding hens teeth! Even the venerable Walthers catalog has pitifully few selections compared to HO scale.
After searching online sites for days I finally broke down and paid the $16 for two Mini Metals semis and trailers and $8.50 for a Con Cor rig at the LHS, made my wallet groan a lot!! LOL I found some GHQ pewter and some resin autos for 50% off at my LHS too and got them, but they were still $2-$4 each.
I got the Life-Like ''At the station'' car and figure set....it was all ancient Merc sedans!.....I altered them with sand paper and painted them to look like something different...they don't look all that great but at normal viewing distance they will work just fine.
My LHS has a few Atlas offerings but I WILL NOT pay that much for a P\U or sedan....Atlas has lost their N scale car making minds!! LOL
I guess you just gotta keep your eyes open and check the online sites for deals and get'em when you can.
Tracklayer,
Yesterday, I ran across a seller on eBay called trainlover890. They have a lot of N scale vehicles for sale and the prices generally seem to be reasonable. ($3.00 for a car.) Of course, if you get into a bidding war, that price could change.
I can't actually recommend this seller, because I just closed the sale of 3 vehicles last night and I haven't seen the goods yet. At the moment, I know nothing about the seller's reliability except their eBay feedback, which is all good. But they have cars and trucks from the 30s and 50s for sale, including items like a 30s Mack dump truck. You may want to check them out. Most of their auctions will end in the next 2 days.
I hope I haven't broken any site rules about advertising with this post. If I did, mea culpa. 'Twas not my intention.
-Walleye
This is really a challenge when modeling n-scale! I've found a few mini-metals on sale at the LHS and also at a train show (at 50% off, no less!), and I've also found myself assemblying and painting those little resin kits (the Greyhound bus I did was really a humdinger to paint!)
A couple of days ago I found another pack of them (Nucomp ind.) at a discount at the LHS, but I haven't started painting yet.
Once I found a Tomix (I think it was a Tomix) in a gumball-type machine for $1. I've also found a few not-quite-scale but useable "toy" vehicles at flea markets.
If anybody has other sources, I'd like to know about them too.
Thanks guys. Well, at least I know now that it's not just me...
Hopefully one of these days soon some company will realize the demand and get on the ball and start producing a good variety of N scale vehicles at a reasonable price. Who ever does stands to make a fortune because there's a lot of us out there that want them.
Tracklayer wrote: Thanks guys. Well, at least I know now that it's not just me...Hopefully one of these days soon some company will realize the demand and get on the ball and start producing a good variety of N scale vehicles at a reasonable price. Who ever does stands to make a fortune because there's a lot of us out there that want them.Tracklayer
Not only are there a lot of us out there that want them, we need a lot of them per modeler. If you're modeling a typical town, the number of cars can easily outnumber rolling stock. And if you're modeling a decent sized shopping center...
It seems to me that this is a product that is a good candidate for mass production. Because once you get the N-scale modelers buying them, then the car enthusiasts and collectors come along and buy even more.
I guess this is a "glass half empty/glass half full situation". Compared to ten or fifteen years ago, the current selection of N scale autos is much better. The mini-metals by Classic Metal Works are very good and they've done a lot in transition era up to the 70s or so. http://www.classicmetalworks.com/
No connection except as a satisfied customer. I buy them from BLW, Tom's Trackside Trains, or Feather River Trains. Never had any porblem finding them.
There are several others doing decent kits that require some filing, simple assembly, and paint. Even Woodland Scenics has a dozen new assembled-and-painted autos in N. Pricey, but they do come with some figures/accessories.
I guess we can all whine about what's not available or go out and buy the scads of cars we all claim to need and thus encourage the manufacturers to make more.
Layout Design GalleryLayout Design Special Interest Group
I have had the same problem. I model 1933 and have only found a handful of reasonably priced autos and trucks. I am still wiring and laying track so it is not a critical problem for me yet but I see it coming. I notice a better selection of older cars, buses, trucks and construction equipment made in the UK and available from web sites. Has anyone tried any of these models? I know British N scale is not exactly 1:160 but is it close enough not to cause any obvious problems?
MAbruce wrote: Tracklayer wrote: Thanks guys. Well, at least I know now that it's not just me...Hopefully one of these days soon some company will realize the demand and get on the ball and start producing a good variety of N scale vehicles at a reasonable price. Who ever does stands to make a fortune because there's a lot of us out there that want them.TracklayerNot only are there a lot of us out there that want them, we need a lot of them per modeler. If you're modeling a typical town, the number of cars can easily outnumber rolling stock. And if you're modeling a decent sized shopping center...It seems to me that this is a product that is a good candidate for mass production. Because once you get the N-scale modelers buying them, then the car enthusiasts and collectors come along and buy even more.
Well said MAbruce. Well said...
Mike B wrote: I have had the same problem. I model 1933 and have only found a handful of reasonably priced autos and trucks. I am still wiring and laying track so it is not a critical problem for me yet but I see it coming. I notice a better selection of older cars, buses, trucks and construction equipment made in the UK and available from web sites. Has anyone tried any of these models? I know British N scale is not exactly 1:160 but is it close enough not to cause any obvious problems?
Greetings Mike B. I see that you're a fellow Texan... You're up north, I'm down south.
I also model the early 1930s once in a while, and had one heck of a time trying to find vehicles... I did however manage to find a few old Ford trucks, model A's, a wrecker a couple of coupes and things like that at various hobby shops - most of which are solid casts.
Good luck hunting.
A quick search with Google reveals these two links:
http://www.nscalesupply.com/CatalogVehicles.html
http://www.blwnscale.com/Vehicles.htm
I'm not familiar with either company, but both have a wide variety of vehicles available from several different manufacturers.
Also, discounttrainsonline.com has listings for almost 20 different manufacturers of N-scale automobiles.
Hope this helps :)
I looked at N scale Supply, DTO, Tower Hobbies and Walthers websites, and the thing that turned me off was the prices...there were very few appropriately priced offerings, if a certain P\U or sedan costs $5 in HO scale, then the same type by the same manuf. should not be more than $2.50 in N scale, half the material for three times the price seems to be the going rate at some of those websites.
Tower Hobbies had some closeout Atlas semi tractors that looked pretty nice and were more moderatley priced, and I considered them and a few seperate trailers to go with them, but the total of the two together was about the same as a Mini-Metals two semi-trailer set, so I opted for that.
I suppose the reason for the outrageous pricing of N scale is the relative smallness of the community that models it, I was amazed at the prices for N scale rolling stock and locos, some were more expensive than a bells-and-whistles Spectrum or a Proto series offering.
I agree that the N scale vehicle market is an untapped gold mine for some savvy manuf., but will we get to see anything before we are too old to be able to see those dern Nano scale things?!!!
Varnet wrote: A quick search with Google reveals these two links:http://www.nscalesupply.com/CatalogVehicles.html http://www.blwnscale.com/Vehicles.htm I'm not familiar with either company, but both have a wide variety of vehicles available from several different manufacturers.Also, discounttrainsonline.com has listings for almost 20 different manufacturers of N-scale automobiles.Hope this helps :)
Thank you Varnet. Your research is very much appreciated...
Thanks, Varnet--
I've bookmarked those websites!
ronmcc wrote:They used to make micro-machines, a little out of scale but you could actually tell what they were(57 chevy, 65 mustang, big foot, etc.)
There's a Wiki entry on them too!For some reason I had the jeep and a bulldozer in 'Army' colors, tried to figure out what scale they were but seemed a bit bigger than N, must have been Micro-Machines (or a knock-off). Decent enough molding & detail at least...
I've had pretty good luck on eBay.
I just did a search on N-scale Pick-up and got maybe 20 different year and models.
Chip
Building the Rock Ridge Railroad with the slowest construction crew west of the Pecos.
LD357 wrote: I looked at N scale Supply, DTO, Tower Hobbies and Walthers websites, and the thing that turned me off was the prices...there were very few appropriately priced offerings, if a certain P\U or sedan costs $5 in HO scale, then the same type by the same manuf. should not be more than $2.50 in N scale, half the material for three times the price seems to be the going rate at some of those websites... I suppose the reason for the outrageous pricing of N scale is the relative smallness of the community that models it, I was amazed at the prices for N scale rolling stock and locos, some were more expensive than a bells-and-whistles Spectrum or a Proto series offering...
I looked at N scale Supply, DTO, Tower Hobbies and Walthers websites, and the thing that turned me off was the prices...there were very few appropriately priced offerings, if a certain P\U or sedan costs $5 in HO scale, then the same type by the same manuf. should not be more than $2.50 in N scale, half the material for three times the price seems to be the going rate at some of those websites...
I suppose the reason for the outrageous pricing of N scale is the relative smallness of the community that models it, I was amazed at the prices for N scale rolling stock and locos, some were more expensive than a bells-and-whistles Spectrum or a Proto series offering...
The tooling for that N scale item probably costs as much as, or more than, the tooling for the same item in HO. And the cost of that tooling has to be spread over a smaller number of potential units sold. And with miniaturization comes added difficulty in assembling the finished product.
Dan
LD357 wrote: My LHS has a few Atlas offerings but I WILL NOT pay that much for a P\U or sedan....Atlas has lost their N scale car making minds!! LOL
Better to lose their minds than lose their shirts. If you're not prepared to pay the price, don't complain about the lack of product. I know that sounds harsh, but it's unfortunately true.
Like the price or not, it really does cost so much to make a 2-pack of the Atlas Fairmonts that the $13.95 price is justified. Compared to the vast majority of N scale automobiles, the Atlas models are superior in terms of detail and finish.
Even the generic vehicles in the Woodland Scenics AutoScenes cost about as much as the Atlas Fairmonts (those figures aren't all that expensive).
While it is possible to make a less-expensive model, there aren't a lot of savings to be had unless you really strip it down to a product like the old six-pack of Toyota Crowns from Kato. Plus, in order to recover your development investment, you've either got to sell even more of a budget-priced model or add in a higher recovery factor, which jacks up the price again. On top of everything else, you have to worry about losing sales to those N scalers who do want the extra detail and are willing to pay what it costs to get it.
Atlas is now the only ready-to-run model vehicle maker that releases all of its HO models in N as well. The rate of new N releases from Athearn has declined significantly and even CMW isn't releasing all of its new models in N (no 1936 Ford, for example). Busch is no longer making any new models in N scale and Herpa mostly reissues existing tooling with a new item every few years. Wiking has not released a new N scale car in years; their new offerings are farm equipment and an occasional German truck.
Some years ago, all of these companies were developing a number of new projects in N scale. Busch planned to release some of its new tooling in both HO and N (and did, for a short time), Herpa sprang a line of new cars, Wiking popped out six new cars in eighteen months, and Athearn planned to mimic Atlas in offering most, if not all, of its new vehicles in both scales.
What happened? To put it mildly, sales were disappointing.
Whether it's diecast or plastic, it costs almost as much to develop a model in N scale as it does in HO. You save some on the tooling and, since you can get away with fewer parts, a bit on assembly and packaging. But you still need to sell a lot of models to make your money back and the market just hasn't shown it's capable of absorbing the needed volume. This isn't hearsay; it's the truth.
In fairness to all N scalers, HO has a big advantage that has nothing to do with model railroading: a sizable collector community that buys the majority of 1/87 scale models sold worldwide. Some companies get 85-90% of their HO vehicle model sales from these people. And they are willing to pay a higher price for a more detailed model. But, even though the advantage may be unfair, it's still real and it makes investment in 1/87 more attractive than investment in 1/160. That's why American HO fans have enjoyed a boom of historic proportions in recent years while N scale has seen only a relative handful of new vehicles.
I have some of the Lineside Models and they can be very nice. Lots of variety, too. They do take a steady hand and (in my case) lots of magnification.
Of course, most N scale vehicles require painting to look good, even the "ready-to-run" Wikings and Kato 1990s Toyotas need it to look their best.
By the way, my comments above were meant to apply to ready-to-use models. There are many nice resin and white metal kits for N scale. The only thing of which you need to be careful are some of the Japanese and British models, which are made to "local" N scale. Japanese N is 1:150 and British "N" or "treble-O" is 1:144 or thereabouts.