Okay, there were small push-type trains before 1960, and there have been several different scale proportions, but if you count self-propelled electric trains running on 9 millimeter track, this is the 50th Anniversary of N Gauge, now commonly referred to as N Scale.
1960 is the year that Lone Star Treble O-Lectric was introduced in England, and Arnold Rapido Trains were introduced in Germany.
From Rapido's 1960 Advertisement introducing N Gauge
I think it's safe to say that N Scale is now in it's "Golden Age" with a multitude of quality manufacturers, and a growing legion of adherents across the country and around the world. I'm sure there are still a few nay sayers thinking "It'll never last"... but it seems like now, more than ever, the many advantages that N scale offers are becoming clear to more and more modelers.
You've come a long way, Baby!
How will Model Railroader be celebrating?
Lee
Route of the Alpha Jets www.wmrywesternlines.net
wm3798 How will Model Railroader be celebrating?
N-scale who??
Observation - except for those who are close to retirement age, N scale has "always" been there. So it would be "hard" to celebrate.
But this is the golden age of N scale. Just looking at the quality of today's locos compared to those of 25 years ago.
I ran N scale at a TCA meet last month; the locos (an MRC RSD-15 and a Minitrix K4) ran flawlessly.
I just opened my new issue of Classic Trains and they are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the end of steam on major railroads. Big steam was going out as real little steam was coming in.
I'm only 15, so I've pretty much been in the golden age of n scale since I started modeling in it at the age of 8 (though I didn't figure out Atlas locos are much higher quality products than bachmann standard line until I was maybe 10, and also figured out I can do more with flex track than sectional roadbed track).
Happy 50th birthday n scale, glad to have it in the hobby because otherwise I wouldn't have much of a layout!
Sawyer Berry
Clemson University c/o 2018
Building a protolanced industrial park layout
jecorbettI just opened my new issue of Classic Trains and they are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the end of steam on major railroads. Big steam was going out as real little steam was coming in.
Celebrate? I think, the correct would be "Mourn"!
N scale has come a long way in those past 50 years. Arnold was not considered to be a serious competitor in the market of model railroading. Only after Trix/Minitrix and Fleischmann/Fleischmann piccolo joined in, N scale started to grow rapidly in Germany. In terms of detail and quality, N scale has now reached the status which HO scaled had in the late 80´s - and that´s pretty dang good!
Hi
Yes happy birthday Nscale.
Sad to see that the promotor of Nscale, Arnold Rapido had semi dissappear and enclosed in the Hornby group.
Anyway if N is growing in USA, I have not the same feeling for Europe.
TT emerge years after years and European Nscale models are very expensive.
But I am safe because I model Nscale american trains!
Marc
Okay, for all you N scalers out there, let's show the world how far we've come. Post your best N scale image, and I mean your best. I want you to post only one, in the essence of time and space, so really put some thought into it. Let's show the MR community what's possible!
Modeling the Rio Grande Southern First District circa 1938-1946 in HOn3.
1982:
2007:
Oh well, so much for the One Image Rule! Thanks Dave! I found a few more, too...
Thank you for your support!
Hmmmmm....I remember when N scale became 'big' - no pun intended - but I can't be that old!!!
Happy Birthday N Scalers! - Great pics
There's never time to do it right, but always time to do it over.....
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
Erik
wm37981960 is the year that Lone Star Treble O-Lectric was introduced in England,
1960 is the year that Lone Star Treble O-Lectric was introduced in England,
I pulled all my "Lone Star Treble O Electric" out of storage six years ago after my six year old son wanted to see it. I have enough to fill a 5' x 10' piece of plywood. I ran this stuff for years as a kid and once we brought it out after 30 plus years I was bit hard by the bug once again. Who would of thought that a simple request by my son would lead to a 15' x 24' layout a couple of years later.
Anyway thanks to those who came up with the scale as we did not have the room for anything larger when I was a kid. I may have not been introduced to this wonderful hobby if not for "Treble O"/ "N" scale.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
I love it! Keep 'em coming!
I like the anecdotes, too! Neil, I think I smell an article brewing!
I know, Lee said only one but I couldn't help myself...
eNjoy!!
Brian
Here is some of my N scale:
Wow, several new N-scale members came out of hiding for this topic!
An outstanding collection of pics!
One more shot that I just did today:
That's called "networking", Bruce!
A few more N scale pics:
Great pics, everyone. I model in N but don't have the capability of posting anything so I will just admire everyone else's work.
Couple of more N Scale items I've done.
jecorbett I just opened my new issue of Classic Trains and they are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the end of steam on major railroads. Big steam was going out as real little steam was coming in.
I don't celebrate the end of steam on railroads, but I know what you mean. It is hard to believe that I took my last pictures of steam in the late fifties, but looking back, a lot has happened since those days. At the time, I stopped watching trains for almost ten years or so until I heard that a special train was running from New York to Salt Lake City Utah to commemorate the 100 year anniversary of the Golden Spike. The Golden Spike Train behind the NKP 759 really got me interested in railroads again.
Yes, it is hard to believe they are all gone.
CZ
This is the 759 at Moberly Mo in 1969 on its way to Kansas City that day. Not exactly N scale, but one to one.