steve-in-kvilleMy layout will most likely be on a sheet of good plywood that can be moved as needed. I don't want to go above 4' x 6'. I also have children of various ages that enjoy railroads, if that helps. Era wise, most likely modern freight although I have a soft spot for the Budd DRC's.
HO is my favorite scale, due to availbility and pricing alone. But space-wise it isn't the most economic. Once you start considering how to fit in a layout with 35" radius curves to make sure your long cars look realistic, it starts showing its weakness. N scale is the other recommendation, since being the second most popular scale behind HO, it has a good market and fanbase. S scale has significantly dropped behind in popularity, but those who are willing to put in the work to scratchbuild and kitbash a lot of of stuff all swear its super rewarding. O scale is really great if you want to do like Proto48 stuff and super detail a small scene, but not well suited for any sort of compact layout building. I will point to some alternatives if your in love with some larger scales but want to save space. On30, OO9 and HOn3 are a series of different Narrow Gauge scales. On30 is O-scale but gauged to run on HO scale track, meaning that if you can fit a basic HO layout; you can scale up the buildings and structures to loosely model either 2' or 3' gauged railroads. On3 and On2 are the true gauge versions of 3' and 2' gauge railroads in O respectively, but not as popular as the On30 stuff.
HOn3 is a prototypical true version of 3' gauge track in HO scale. Yes, its limited to mostly Rio Grande stuff right now; but HOn3 would allow you to use HO scale figures and structures with much smaller trains and tighter curves. Of course there are other HO narrow gauge variants, HOe (also on N scale track) and HOm (HOm representing the meter gauge railroads of Switzerland, New Zealand or South America).
OO9 is an emerging scale in Britain; using OO scale structures and figures, with small narrow gauge engines on N scale track representing the 2' gauge or smaller narrow gauge systems in Britain. Bachmann has been releasing some neat stuff for OO9 making it a good time to jump in, if your willing to pay the export fees to ship it to you. I have seriously flirted with the idea of making a small portable layout featuring some of the OO9 stuff since its such a neat direction the hobby has taken, and I am really impressed by what I see Bachmann's European division doing with the idea.
xboxtravis7992On30 is O-scale but gauged to run on HO scale track, meaning that if you can fit a basic HO layout; you can scale up the buildings and structures to loosely model either 2' or 3' gauged railroads.
Don´t underestimated the footprint of O scale buildings! They require roughly 4 times as much space as HO scale buildings. I gave up on my On30 layout I started a few years ago for that reason!
xboxtravis7992HOn3 is a prototypical true version of 3' gauge track in HO scale. Yes, its limited to mostly Rio Grande stuff right now; but HOn3 would allow you to use HO scale figures and structures with much smaller trains and tighter curves. Of course there are other HO narrow gauge variants, HOe (also on N scale track) and HOm (HOm representing the meter gauge railroads of Switzerland, New Zealand or South America).
You are talking serious money here! There is only one supplier for HOn3 engines and rolling stock, which is very pricey. The only alternative is used brass which is not always easy to come by and not a bargain either. European narrow gauge - well, there are plenty of manufacturers , but when it comes to pricing, they will give you a new definition of expensive! Btw, New Zealand railways are not metre gauge, but 3 1/2ft. gauge.
xboxtravis7992OO9 is an emerging scale in Britain
Not at all emerging - it has been around for decades, but only recently, Bachmann, Peco and others have started to market RTR stock for this scale. It is still mainly a scratchbuilder´s scale. I am a big fan of it!
Here is my scratchbuild freelanced 0-4-0T tramway engine, built of styrene sheet stock, detail parts and a Kato chassis.
One of my projects still stuck in the pipeline is a 18" by 30" micro layout.
Happy times!
Ulrich (aka The Tin Man)
"You´re never too old for a happy childhood!"
Tinplate ToddlerHere is my scratchbuild freelanced 0-4-0T tramway engine, built of styrene sheet stock, detail parts and a Kato chassis. One of my projects still stuck in the pipeline is a 18" by 30" micro layout.
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Water Level RouteMust be some new technology in N scale that prevents deterioration of eyesight, hand steadiness, and coordination. Incredible.
Mike,Nothing like that at all.. It's called the used of eye glasses and yup,just like HO optivisors.
The same coordination and hand steadiness is needed in HO modeling as well that's why some chose a larger scale or quits the hobby.
There's a lot of myths surrounding N Scale and HO modeling as you grow older. I've been modeling in N and later HO with no use of my right hand then four years later I gained limited use of my right hand since I had my heart attack in 2005.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
RR_Melou might do well working on N but not all of us are able to do tiny stuff well. I had double cataract surgery last February and before the surgery I was having problems find my tools on the work bench, could have done OK with G. After the surgery I can do Z but Arthritis has dinged the feeling in my finger tips so even though I can see almost perfect without glasses it’s still difficult working on HO
Mel, As I mention I model with limited use of my right hand,my hands shakes.
Nothing changed all that much as far as using my glasses or optivisor between N and HO except my left eye is begining to show signs of a cataract.
I'm in HO out of habit, but the older I get, the smaller those models become. I can see the appeal of On30!!!
xboxtravis7992S scale has significantly dropped behind in popularity, but those who are willing to put in the work to scratchbuild and kitbash a lot of of stuff all swear its super rewarding.
There is quite a lot of RTR available, except for steam. While the selection is smaller than N or HO, you can do very nicely with RTR diesels and cars. Thanks to the technology, many laser kit manufacturers offer S scale versions of their structures.
So while scratchbuilding and kitbashing can be fun, it's not a necessity.
Paul
IRONROOSTERWhile the selection is smaller than N or HO, you can do very nicely with RTR diesels and cars.
Paul,That S Helper Service SW1 a sweet looking engine that has turn my head more then once and its very temping to dump my remaining HO and go into S just because of that SW1.
I am an HO modeler who is considering building a second layout as an N scale portable layout. But before I do I am going to try and get some N scale stuff at the swap meet this week to see if am comfotable working o it.
Joe Staten Island West
BRAKIE IRONROOSTER While the selection is smaller than N or HO, you can do very nicely with RTR diesels and cars. Paul,That S Helper Service SW1 a sweet looking engine that has turn my head more then once and its very temping to dump my remaining HO and go into S just because of that SW1.
IRONROOSTER While the selection is smaller than N or HO, you can do very nicely with RTR diesels and cars.
Larry,
I have 2 of them. And they are great engines.
The fallacy of N-Gauge is that to make the small Locomotives and cars look more real, you need more scenery. In the end the Layout becomes as large as an HO Layout.
BRAKIEMel, As I mention I model with limited use of my right hand,my hands shakes.
.
I manage to model with serious damage to my right arm and hand. There are times when I have no ability for fine control and just need to walk away.
I can't do anything about it, so I need to just deal with it.
Pressing my two pinkie fingers together works better for regaining control than any other excersize I have tried. When I paint figures my two pinkies are always pressed into one another.
I have built layouts in both N and HO. I can tell you that HO is no easier when my problems are acting up.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
Fine control is an issue for me as well. Not because of tremors or eyesight or any of that, but rather because of the big beefy sausage platters on the end of each wrist. I'm a builder, not a modeler, and would gladly switch to Fn3 if money, space, and availability weren't all factors. As things stand, i've settled into HO for all those reasons. I just won't post pictures of my fumbling attempts at modeling. Those are for my eyes only.
Streamlined steam, oh, what a dream!!
steve-in-kville The Z scale fascinates me, but the price/availablilty isn't the best. G Scale also fascinates me, but again not the most economical. I should just go with HO and be done with it. If you were giving a beginner modeler advice, what scale would you recommend?
The Z scale fascinates me, but the price/availablilty isn't the best. G Scale also fascinates me, but again not the most economical. I should just go with HO and be done with it.
If you were giving a beginner modeler advice, what scale would you recommend?
Depends what you like to do. Me, I like to build models, my layout exists so I can see my models running, and it's a good place to photograph them. HO is big enough for model building, kit building, scratch building, kit bashing, repainting, decaling. Detail parts and supplies are readily available in HO. N is really too small to do much model building in.
On the other hand, a lot of folks like running trains, operations. In which case, N gets you more railroad in your limited space. Space is always limited, some of us have a higher limit than others, but we all have a space limit.
In 4 by 6 you can have 18 inch curves, most HO rolling stock can handle 18 inches. Four axles diesels work, steamers as big as to Pacifics and Mikados work. 85 foot passenger cars don't work. Athearn shorty passenger cars do work, and look decent. I would run a view block from side to side and create two separate scenes, say a traffic generating industry on one side and a yard on the other side. The view block only has to be painted sky blue to look OK. If your artistic abilities are strong you can paint clouds in the sky, or a whole backdrop scene. Or buy some backdrop on paper rolls and go to town with them. Have a deep river gorge somewhere with a mighty bridge carrying your mainline over it. If you go with a single track mainline you want to fit in the longest passing sidings you can. If you set your era back to the 1950's the freight cars are mostly 40 footers, where as by the 1990s you have a bunch of really big long freight cars that won't go around 18 inch curves.
David Starr www.newsnorthwoods.blogspot.com
dstarrN is really too small to do much model building in.
Don´t let a chap named Magnus in this forum know you said that! There are many modellers able to prove you wrong!
If cost is the primary concern, MRR in general is an expensive hobby. However, there costsare several possibilities to keep the costs within limits.
First, you may choose a subject that doesn't involve a lot of rolling stock (a major cost factor), like a branch line ending in a forsaken village. You will have then a small commuter train, hence, a locomotive and four coaches is all what you need.
If you are not too picky about the prototypical accuracy you can find enough deals on the internet and, of course, the second hand world.
As for the choice of scale, pick up what your hands and eyes can handle. Big scales have a greater potential for detailing in general, while small scales save space and allow close to the prototype track geometry. Which is the ideal compromise is a purely personal aspect.
Regards