General Question concerning which scale


N

Nucular

Member
I have a few questions regarding train scale. But for some background info. As a child I grew up with LGB trains, then I went into N scale, and today I use O gauge. Recently I have moved, and I have a nice 18 foot by 16 foot room that I plan to use for a train layout. I am not sure which scale to use and would like some advice or recommdations.

Generally I perfer passanger trains and electric engines. I also like modeling elevated transit lines around and through a city. I have never been a big frieght train kind of guy, however I do like creating decent size train terminals with platforms and such for all of the passanger trains. More like a fancy switch yard.

I really enjoy O gauge but by the time I use my really big 6 foot and 7 foot diameter curves from Lionel I find myself pretty much using up all the space. I generally have my O gauge suspended from the ceiling of the room so I can put other stuff underneath.

Anyhow which scale would be ideal for what I am looking for. And do not recommend Z scale. I had one of those brief case sets and I hated it with a passion as the trains are too small and come off with the slightest touch.

Thanks.
 
Well in 18 x 16 you could model a small branch line in HO scale or do a fairly decent sized pike in N scale.

I guess you need to decide what type of trains you want to run and then see which scale suits you. Do you want short small trains tugged by a quaint little steamer or do you want to run 100 car coal trains lugged by modern EMD SD70ACe's? Mainline running or switching? This will help guide your thoughts.

I know it might sound ridiculous but the best way to judge if a scale will work is to play around with it, I bought an n scale loco, some cars and a loop of atlas set track to try it out.. I discovered I like how much you can squeeze into small spaces but the lack of detail is something that I miss. Going from N to HO, HO seems massive and huge.

Personally, if it were up to me I'd do a very nice HOn3 layout in the space you have, but hey that's just me! :D
 
You could do a well equipped passenger terminal & yard quite easily in that space in HO. One guy in MR back in the 1970's did just that.

The advantage is today you have a much greater choice in cars than you did then, so you could also be more accurate with the trains themselves.
 
Thanks for the advice. I am looking more at HO since they seem to have a lot more steam engines and electric engines to choose from. Plus they seem to have subway cars and stuff.
 
My HO layout is similar in size to the space you have and it would be a tight squeeze to do an urban passenger train themed layout, but doable. I have several of the features you mentioned at least hinted at by mine.
On the subject of subway cars, they are not easy to find in HO. Lifelike P2k did several New York style sets but they are getting hard to find. There are a few cottage industry companies making shells for different cars but then you have to build the rest yourself.
O scale has a much better selection of RTR subway equipment. Good luck with your layout. Post some pictures when it starts coming along.
 
Every year at the ARS show in Springfield, MA there is an HO club that has a city theme layout which features Amtrak with overhead canternary. It looks super and it runs great. It is about 12FT X 12FT. I think there is video of it on YouTube. I'm sorry but I don't remember the clubs name.
 
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Thanks for all of the advice.

I have for now settled on HO. 90% sure I will go with it, espically now since N scale changed there couplers awhile back and none of my 10 year old collection will work with newer engines and new cars.

For those wondering, I actually am planning on doing a lunar train layout. I plan to put the tracks in clear PVC tubing, using flexible vinyl tubing when needed. Using big clear plastic bowls to go over the mining site and the colony. There will be two main line tracks and a trolley line in the town, which I hope to use a subway train on. One train will be a passanger train with the idea that it is more of a site seeing train and that it might connect colonies. The other train will be freight and will go through an industrial sector where minerals are mined. There will also be one or two space ships stationed on it. The surface will be mainly grey with crators here and there. Inside the bowl will be grass and trees.

And the best part of it all, the layout will be very very easy to keep clean as the dust and dirt can be cleaned away with some windex or a damp cloth.
 
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