HO vs. N

[ChrisNH]

I have seen some nice layouts done in a small space with HO. For instance, the Georgia Southern featured a while back in MRR (http://www.trains.com/mrr/default.aspx?c=a&id=1444) which was in 8x8 feet. 

I have a similar space and am designing N because, given my list of givens and druthers, HO would involve too much comprimise for the benefits. My biggest given is no duck-unders. I actually prefer the size of "S" but that just won't work for me for a whole bunch of reasons. I DO like larger trains.. but need to balance that against my desire to build a medium sized layout on my next effort.

Keep in mind, if you are thinking of a walk-in design, aisle width doesnt change with scale.. 8 feet would allow a "U" shaped layout with a 3 foot ailse and 2.5 feet on either side..

Perhaps if you posted your givens and druthers and you could get more specific help?

If you interested in Big Steam its a tough choice. I think HO steam looks better. But.. steam requires larger curves to look nice when running. 

Chris 

 

[Dave Vollmer]

As has been pointed out, the OP appears to be long-gone...

Either he's driven on and lost interest, or he's just enjoying our banter from the sidelines.

Good netiquette suggests that when one starts a thread that goes 5 pages, one really ought to check in from time to time to either comment on the suggestions or thank folks for their input.

In the end, scale, like prototype, is a personal choice.  Some of us actually switch scales well into our hobby careers even after we have much invested in our previous scale, but that's often due to extenuating circumstances (such as in my case).  Most modelers, however, are pretty well entrenched in their primary choice of scales (even if they do dabble in other scales).  I don't think anyone here is suggesting all HO-scalers should abandon HO for N, or vice-versa.  Such would be very wasteful and unnecessary.

But new folks will have their own givens and druthers for which a particular scale is best suited.  And that scale is not always N.  However, many N scalers (myself included) feel that new people are often bombarded with HO right out of the gate to the extend that it almost appears that HO is the only choice.

I think many of the N scalers are just trying to make sure that new folks understand that N is more than a "fringe scale" and that many (although not all) of the choices available to an HO-scaler are also available in N.  I do feel that N scale is not always the answer.  But I also feel that N scale is still the answer in many cases for certain sets of constraints, and that it's important that new hobbyists make educated choices rather than just following the crowd.  I may be off here but I think that's what Lee was hinting at.  Just because one scale may be the most popular doesn't mean it's the best fit for you.

Anybody see the OP lately?

[fluff]

i assembled an n scale 40 ft. micro-engineering deck bridge last night. really dont have the right tools for the job, but its together. sloppy job on my part, it will work though, most of the ugly will be hid. im 47 and i understand now about clumsey fingers. glasses remendy eyesight. wonder how much easier it would be in ho? got me thinking....

[IRONROOSTER]

As has been pointed out, the OP appears to be long-gone...

Either he's driven on and lost interest, or he's just enjoying our banter from the sidelines.

...

Anybody see the OP lately?

Yeah, he's over in the corner checking out the American Flyer.

Enjoy

Paul 

[3railguy]

I own enough N scale engines, steam and diesel, to say there really is no single best manufacturer with N scale anymore. Kato, Atlas, Intermountain, and Athearn are practically a horse a piece when it comes to quality. Three years ago, I would say Kato rules but Intermountain changed that with their F-7's and F-3's. Walthers Life Like and Bachman Spectrum (steam) are coming out with some top notch stuff as well. The Life Like Berk and Spectrum connie are very tought to beat. Now if PCM would just get off their duffs and make something before Dave Vollmer kitbashes it all.

[ianalsop]

12' x 8"? I'd love a space eight times bigger than my 12' x 1' HO shelf layout. I get plenty of fun switching on that; a GP 9 or 18 with half a dozen 40' box cars looks just fine.

Too many folk try to cram too much track into a small space which, unless you're planning to model a yard, looks quite unrealistic. Give your tracks plenty of room - short locals in HO will look great in the room you have. Sharp curves can be disguised in many ways.

Yes, given the room I have available N might have been better, but for me N scale models simply don't have enough bulk to convey the feeling of what in real life are massive machines.

Compare N and HO models of the same loco side by side and you'll see what I mean.

Ian 

[camarokid]

If I could start over I'd do it all in N.  Long trains, broad curves, tall scenery, big yards, 2 turntables and roundhouses.  I can see it all now but the time has come to put the dream away and finish that 2x6 upper section and then my wonderful 16' x 24' layout will be done and I can put down roadbed and track and run trains.  I am in HO scale and haven't regretted it. I like to be able to pick up the engines and cars and hold them instead of cradling them in my hands.  It's nice to "see" them too.  Have fun and enjoy.

Archie

[SD45 Man]

Ok, first off hello everyone!  I have been an avid reader of these forums for several months.  I make it a point to check out the hottest topic in the forum whenever I get my e-mail from Model Railoader.  I find most of the comments interesting and often very informative. 

As a child my father and I were into HO.  We started with the obligatory 4x8 which soon was expanded, which, we soon outgrew.  We then had a layout similiar in size to the one being discussed.  High school cars, girls, college, marriage, all pushed me out of the hobby.  At the age of 25 I bought a Model Railorader to "check up on the hobby".  Well, as you all can imgaine I was hooked again.  The difference this time was I decided to go with N-scale.  I liked the small size and the ability to build a small layout and run in my small apartment (for some reaon my wife would not let me take over the spare bedroom!).  I started making regular trips to the Belmont Shores Model Train club which I joined.  There really is nothing like running a 50-100 car train and having it take almost an hour to leave my departure yard and make the round trip.  

 Since I can't do that in my house (for some reason my wife will not let me take over the entire living room), I decided to build try building my own N-scale layout at home.  You know the old 4 x 8 (now that sound like another topic for this place, pros and cons of a 4 x 8...).  Long sotry short, the ability to fit a lot operational potential into a smaller space was just too good to pass up.  I still love HO (and still have half of my father and my collection) but N-scale has me hooked.  Now I am 33 when eye sight and hand coordination becomes an issue...hello O-scale, or maybe hello garden railroad!

 I hope to post more now that I took my first step.  I am sure I will have lots of questions as I attempt to build my first model railroad alone.

[NKP Jack S]

Hello everyone. Maybe I am a little like the originator of this thread as I have got back into model railroading after many years. I started probably as a babe since my sister and I got lionel for our first Christmas and fortunately I still have her tinplate from 1940. Our parents and grandfather worked for the Nickel Plate. As I got older I received Lionel O 27 and was allowed to put up a 4x8 from Christmas until
Easter. I graduated to HO in the late 50's and early 60's. Then off to college and working summers for the NKP then the N&W after the merger. In the past years, we have moved twice and first had a small room for model trains about 6x9 and now 14x19. I decided to model the NKP from my hometown of Lima, OH to Bellevue and 80 mile trip I did often as a fireman in the mid 60's. I studied this concept for about a year and am going to focus on the fast freights of the NKP during the -surprise- transition era. To get long running high speed I chose N Gauge so that i could maximize my scale miles. i will have about 8 scale miles on a 2 level around the walls shelf with peninsulas pike. A staging yard and helix will be in an adjoining room. What finally convinced me was an interaction with Ray Breyer, who pointed out that i wanted long running freights and passenger trains not an inordinate amount of switching since I live in Ridgway Co and I will be doing most of the running.

This leads me to the point of this essay. I have followed most of the advice that has been offered in this thread and analyzed what I wanted to do and chose N since it fit the concept that i have for my model railroad. Clearly, I will give up some operational and details to get the kind of operation that i chose. Fortunately I had had previous experience in N since i had a 3x8 layout in my previous smaller room and was happy with the compromises. So my advice is to take the time to evaluate your wants and more importantly needs and then enjoy.

NKP Jack S

[RRTrainman]

I'm a old fashion HO'er, It all depends on how which you want to model.  You can basicly get twice the railroad in N gauge verses HO but with HO you can get a finer detail than that you can get in "N".  it's your choice.

[fluff]

I'm a old fashion HO'er, It all depends on how which you want to model.  You can basicly get twice the railroad in N gauge verses HO but with HO you can get a finer detail than that you can get in "N".  it's your choice.

thats one of the best replys ever. im old enough to have recieved an o-27 lionel set in the early 60s. ho in 1967 (i think). loved that mantua pennsy f7 set. then came postage stamp trains. still have it. got out for years but never could forget model trains. see sawed back and forth for years on ho and n but never did much. the truth is i like both. now i have a shelf layout around the wall  12 x 10 plus so the trains can go somewhere. i have both scales, but mainly n. i like n the best for some reason i cant explain. its just like the size of them and the way they look on a 20 inch curve. i will run 50-60 plus cars also if i choose. but...thats what i like.....big curves and long trains. i  have ho flashbacks some and get it out with some flex and it looks huge to me. probably 15 cars max. ho would sure be alot easier to work with my 47 year old body though, not to mention availability. to me, its how big the room is you have to work with. i have been to train shows and seen a huge n modular setup that looked good with modern trains. then the owner put a 2-8-0 and some of that era box cars in tow it looked out of place to me. in my opinion, that train was too small for its surroundings.  my opionion only and i could very easily be wrong........it aaaaaaalllllllllllll  good......

[railroadnut675]

While both are readily available HO seems more popular. Also, it's going to be a trying to fit snapped couplers and small stuff back on.

 

My

"More Popular"... So if everyone else is jumping off a bridge...

I've been using Micro Train couplers going on 20 years.  I think I've broken 5 couplers.  Working in N scale is like anything else.  It can be difficult at first, but once you get the hang of it, it goes pretty smoothly.

Lee 

I only meant what is more popular is probably more readily available

[wm3798]

I guess I've always rooted for the underdog...  I look at HO as being far less challenging.  You can buy pretty much anything off the rack, so it doesn't take much skill or imagination to work in HO.  That's not to say there aren't some masters working in that medium, I'm just saying that it's easy enough for a lot of average guys to work with.

N scale requires more of a pioneer's mentality, at least it did in the early days.  You have to figure out how to make do with what's available, and to scratch or bash out what isn't.  Today's N scale is miles ahead of where it was even 10 years ago, so some of that challenge is fading, but still, I find it unbeatable as an outlet for my creative side as I fiddle with details, tinker with drives, and generally work on my layout and operate it.

Lee