Greetings and a question


I

IdahoJ

New Member
Greetings to all... New guy at the station...

Please allow me to introduce myself: My name is Jeff Houck and I'm a 50 year old semi-retired IT Professional. That is to say, I burned out working on networks and computers after 25 years and now I drive a OTR longhaul semi-truck about 16 days a month for a living... After years of working for "everyone else" I've gotten into the position to "slow down" a bit and enjoy some new interests, and old.

I've decided to commit to building a MRR layout (with the wife's blessing), something that I've wanted to do since seeing my first 4x8' Lionel layout about 40 years ago. I live in southern Idaho and have decided to prototype my layout based on a mixture of RRs, The Eastern Idaho, the Great Northwest, the Palouse River & Coulee City and a single line of the Union Pacific. I'm currently looking at the early '40's to the mid-'60's for the time period, with a bit of artistic license here and there for some mining operations (now defunct). These 4 railroads have played their parts in Idaho history and I hope to represent at least some aspect in my layout by creating mining (Northern Idaho), agricultural (Southern Idaho where I live) and semi-urban (Boise area with it's fantastic Union Pacific station) areas.
My wife and her best friend have expressed an interest in scratch building most of the buildings, doing artwork, etc... This is fine by me as I'm more of a "hammer and nail" builder type anyway...

I have a 20'x30' area in which to build and I'm now down to the one question I can't seem to decide on: what scale?

I've narrowed the scale to either N scale or HO. I can't seem to find much advantage either way between the two, other than getting more N scale track than HO in a given area. Is there any particular reason, from your perspective as experienced MRR modelers, that one scale should be considered over the other?

Thanks for reading through my intro and bio! I look forward to being part of this wonderful forum!

Cheers!
 
Jeff,

Welcome to the forum!

HO has much more variety of equipment and structures available. N scale allows a higher scenery to track ratio. I personnally prefer N scale. I use the same or larger radius (27") mainline curves than I would in HO which allows for a more prototypical appearance of the trains. N scale allows me to pack much more operation in to the same amount of space. I have a 32' x 32' layout that currently supports 10 operators during the monthly operating sessions. The layout has less than 50% of the mainline in place. The finished layout will allow for 14 or 15 operators. If I had built the layout in HO, I would have had to go to a double decked layout, eliminate the peninsula, and eliminate several towns and yards.

I have been in N for over 30 years and would not switch back to HO for any reason! If you choose N scale for your layout, look at the Atlas Code 55 track. The track line now includes a #10 turnout.

If you get down to AL, drop me a note and maybe we can arrange a visit or an operating session.
 
Howdy and welcome.

There are reasons for choosing N over HO or HO over N and they are both size.

You can get 4-times more track on an N scale layout that you can in a similar sized HO layout. This allows you to run really long trains and gives you the ability to increase the scenery to track ratio (big scenery).

On the other hand they are really really tiny. Replacing a spring on a coupler is beyond my imagination. Installing a decoder is harder. Creating detail is more gross, etc.

Eyesight is an issue. And considering that we only get older, becomes more of an issue as you build the layout--especially one the size you are talking.

Compared to N, HO is much easier to see and easier to re-rail an engine. You can spend more time creating details in scenes.
 
Welcome!

Welcome to the forum, Jeff!
There are a lot of great folks here with a lot of knowledge. When you have questions, just ask.

I agree with Chip regarding working with HO stuff. I'm 51 and started my adventure in MRR 2 years ago, and HO is small enough for me with reading glasses and a magnifier. :) I can't imagine trying to work in N scale! :eek:
It sounds like space is not your problem.
 
Oops! I forgot to mention; be sure to read Chip's Beginner's Guide. The link is in his signature.
 
HO or N....the classic debate. :) It really comes down to scenery and how much operation you want. Assuming that size and your eyesight aren't issues, there's no doubt that you can get more scenery and tracks for operation using N scale. HO scale has a better selection of some items but both are getting to be about the same. Pricing is also nearly the same. I'm in HO because I always have been and like the look of HO scale things. They seem large enough for some decent detail without being so big I need a whole basement. There are modelers here who have N scale layouts that look every bit as good as anything I've seen in HO scale so my choice to stay with HO is just because it's familiar to me. If I was starting as a new modeler, I'm almost sure I would pick N scale. Heck, since you're on OTR trucker, you could even make nice little diorama to take along in the sleeper. :)
 
Welcome Jeff! I'd suggest running it by the wife, and her friend, their participation may be decided by how big (or how small!) the task of scratch building will be!
 
Thank you gents for your welcomes and insights. There is one aspect I really hadn't considered and that was my eyesight... As I get older, unlike a good wine, my eyesight isn't getting any better... :rolleyes: N scale size, or lack of it, will play a part I'm sure as I get older...

The prototype setting is rural and doesn't have a lot of track density in most areas. We're going to model a stockyard area and a maintenance yard but for the most part, we'll have single mains. The farming areas will have only a single siding or two while the logging/mining area will have ??? (Haven't figured that out yet.) We'll see if concept and execution are in keeping with one another.

The wife looked at the N scale too and agreed that HO could produce better detail options. She doesn't want to end up with "perma-squint" either...

So, hi-ho, hi-ho, it's HO scale I go! :)

Cheers!
 
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Idaho
Welcome aboard, here is an idea just for thought.. several years ago I built both placing the N" WAYYY in the back against the wall, a small circle with a mountain.
I got neat compliments and it looked pretty decent for a view perspective.
You could run both as I did back then if you wish.
 
Hi Idaho and welcome. Ho is fine with my eyesight as well .I'm 57 and sometimes a good magnifying glass is a man's bestfriend !!!
 
Thanks for the welcome and encouragement Mingo, OldGettySK and Paul...;) I just bought my first set of "lineless" bifocals this year and they've taken some getting used to...
I compared an UP EMD E6 in both N and HO scales at my LHS yesterday and while the detail on both was pretty good, the HO would be easier to work on I think...

I was also fortunate to run into another gentleman who "overhauls" (rebuilds and authentically details) MRR engines as a hobby. He has minimal N and HO scale layouts he uses for testing each and his opinion was HO was a preferable scale. He wears bifocals too...

@Mingo: I'm going to give the N scale perspective idea a thought as well...:cool:
 
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Welcome Idaho

HO or N?

That seems to be the question of the century. If you toss in HO-N-or "G" then you have the start of a VERY lively debate. I myself am just restarting in the hobby. I also have this very same quandary to solve. I have oodles of HO stuff in storage but also have an acre and a half of land. G is tempting because I have a heavily wooded lot that would suit itself to a turn of the century logging/mining layout. The problem being the State Bird Of Florida - The Mosquito!
I have a small room that i could use part of for an indoor layout measuring 10 X 11 feet but it must be shared with a home office and wife's stuff. N would provide me with more layout run but I have all this HO stuff in a unit gathering dust. The quandary and it's solution will ultimately depend on you and your circumstances.
Best of luck and listen to the guys here, they're a wealth of information.

Scoot
 
Howdy Printer!
...but I have all this HO stuff in a unit gathering dust.
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It seems a shame to let your HO gear lay dormant. I suppose you could sell it off if needed but still... :(
 
IdahoJ said:
Howdy Printer! It seems a shame to let your HO gear lay dormant. I suppose you could sell it off if needed but still... :(
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I won't go into the health reason behind my delaying my restart. Suffice it to say that I'm waiting for the prodding and probing of every end and orifice to stop and my Doctor to give me the Nod & Wink to return to some semblance of normality. I have Cardiac Stress tests this month as well as the "sit in the box" pulmonary test. Next month is the Dreaded Colonoscopy on the 27th. Then the results will be gathered into one place and my Doc will give me the feared prognosis sometime in January. So I wait impatiently for this to come to some kind of conclusion, and return to the land of the living. Until then I sit and plan and dream.
But don't let me get in anyones way of having fun.

Scoot
 
Scoot, sorry about the colonoscopy...I know they are about the worst thing to go through there is. Actually, the day before is the worst thing there is. :(

If you don't mind, I can read between the lines in your post and I think I understand your fear. Without minimizing that fear, none of us know the time and place when we we will go to the big roundhouse in the sky. I'd just go ahead with whatever plans you've made and assume you'll come out of this fine. If not, you've lost nothing and had some fun in your last days. If it does turn out to be another few years with all of us nutcases, you're already that much further ahead on your next layout. :)
 
Next month is the Dreaded Colonoscopy...
Click to expand...
I think next month is "National Poke You in the Arse" month... I've got my CS scheduled for the 17th...

I'd just go ahead with whatever plans you've made and assume you'll come out of this fine.
Click to expand...
I agree with UP2CSX... Give 'er full throttle 'bro... never pulled a grade at anything less...
 
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