Just getting started

[B&O Fan]

Like a lot of men my age, I was introduced model railroading by my grandfather. My grandfather's train collection was simple, but he did have an industry, a train station, several houses, cars, trees, billboards, and street lights. Almost everything was S-scale, which was a good choice for children and older adults.

Anyway, I purchased a small N-scale train set back in the nineties to put up at Christmas. I set it up for a couple of years, but my children were just too small at the time to play with such a small-scale train set. I packed the train set away, and forgot about it until a couple of weeks ago when I rediscovered the joy of model railroading while picking up an Optivisor at a local hobby store. After returning home, I pulled my N-scale train set out of storage and set it up. My wife told me that I should set aside some space in the basement and build a real layout. Like all newbies, I jumped in head first without thinking things through.

With the above said, after acquiring three nice new N-scale locomotives, I am having second thoughts about modeling N-scale. While I really like the fact that one can fit a very nice layout into a much smaller area than HO, my eyes are not what they used to be (hence, the need for the Optivisor to work on small things). As I have not yet invested an unrecoverable sum of money in N-scale, I am at a crossroad where I need to make a decision. While my eyes are still good enough to work with N-scale locomotives and cars today, I would hate to invest a lot of money in a layout that would be progressively more difficult to work with as I continue to age. Is N-scale a young man's game? Are there any over fifty N-scale modelers out there? Is HO the over-fifty small train scale?

 

[Gary B]

Welcome B&O Fan. Well I'm over fifty but I've been an HO scaler since I was a kid. Frankly, I would love to be able to build the huge mountains and cities the N scalers do, but it's not going to happen. I think if I was starting again I might even consider S scale.

So does moving to the HO forum mean you've made up your mind?

 

[B&O Fan]

No, I haven't made up my mind. I just figured that I might find more people who have been in my situation here in the HO forum. I would like to believe that model railroading is a hobby that I could do well into retirement like my grandfather, so I want to make the right choice with respect to scale.

S Scale is the scale of my childhood, so it will always be special to me. The scale brings back the youthful excitement of watching my grandfather transform his basement into a train wonderland during November and December of each year. Nothing is ever going to replace those memories because the world is a very different place today than it was back in the mid-twentieth century. Most of the S Scale stuff that I have seen is from this period, and my children have no idea of what America looked like when we manufactured most of our own goods. They would have a very difficult time relating to a time when the average family owned at most one car and there were no personal computers, DVD players, or cell phones. Heck, my children have a difficult time relating to the concept of purchasing music on CD let alone on vinyl LPs and 45s. They are part of the MP3 generation.

 

[leghome]

I am 62 and very much into N Scale. I have had a layout for over 15 years now and started on the present layout about 10 years ago after retirement. I built a 10.5' X 15' room just for trains. N scale is somewhat small but I think that Horrible Oversized would take to much room and I would really lose interest although that has happened the last couple of years anyway. I have over 70' of track plus the sidings and yards, 35 turnouts, a Digitrax Super Empire Builder DCC outfit still in the box. That may be what stopped me from working on the layout I felt intimidated by DCC. This is the first time I have ever been intimidated by very much of anything. I have never came across anything that I did not feel I could do or not do until this. I have read a lot and now should not have nary problem by other interest have acquired my attention. Maybe this winter I will get back to it, I just finished up remodeling a kitchen which turned into a 3 month project and feel I need to take a short break form everything.Wood working really took a hold of me after a 15 yr absence from that. Now I am wanting to get myself a hot rod/street rod/classic car and my wife tells me I have to many expensive hobbies now I do not need another one. LOL LOL I have a tendency to agree but still am looking at cars.

 

[DougC]

B&OFan:

I'm 62 and got started in S gauge when I was given a small A C Gilbert set at about age 15. I stayed with it, and collected and ran a bunch of it, up to about age 30 and then sold it all. Why? I was getting tired of hauling it around (wife and I moved a lot) and I needed some money.

A few years went by and I started my model railroading again, this time in HO. Why HO? Back then there was MANY more products available in HO vs. N, HO was MUCH less expensive than the then-highly-collectibel American Flyer S gauge items, and most prices were actually less in HO than N (HO was an old, large market, and N was new.)

I still have HO, and from time to time over the years considered N but my principal reasons for staying with HO were (a) vested interest, (b) I like the size, (c) if I went to N I'd have to start a new learning-curve in many ways, and (d) it seemed "too small to 'work with'."

Let me address the "too small to 'work with'" even though N is very popular today. Today I'm glad I've stayed with HO if for no other reason than working on the more detailed and more digital HO items is a real challenge for my finger size (my fingers are not large but the items I have to manupulate - like changing LED headlights in engines - are increasingly smaller, and especially the dang wires!) Yes I use tools but the thought of dealing with the same items in N scale (much smaller yet) gives me the "willies."

Also, my eye sight is, um, not getting better, and that means more use of glasses and magnifying glasses. I use these enough in HO scale. Lastly, I like to watch my trains and the larger HO size makes it much easier vs. N to see details without any glasses.

Enjoy whatever you go with.

DougC

 

[B&O Fan]

I think I am going to build a basic HO layout and see if I like it better than N. Both scales seem to have positives and negatives.

 

[grande man]

I never could get into N scale, though I love the possibilities it presents. At 44 the thought of detail work (like I do in HO) on N scale locomotives and rolling stock is daunting. Having grown up with HO its still the scale for me.

Personally, I think as eyes get older and hands less steady, the larger scales are more attractive. I'd even love to do something in O scale one day.

 

[tooter]

I think I am going to build a basic HO layout and see if I like it better than N. Both scales seem to have positives and negatives.

Hi B&O,

I'm in my sixties and only started modelling this year. I love HO because it's relatively cheap, a huge variety of readily available engines and rolling stock, and it's BIG enough to work on even with fuzzy eyes and fat fingers. I use a small freestanding magnifier to do detailed work and am having no end of fun!

I highly recommend HO.

Greg

 

[EHodges]

HO scale

I am 30 years old and I have gotten into HO scale 1 month ago and i love it. The engines cost asmuch as N or Z scale engine cost and they are a nice size. HO scale works well for picture oportunities as well. I model norfolk Southern and i love it. i currently own 4 engines and about 15 different cars. You will have so much fun with it.

 

[RW&C]

I was introduced to model railroading with N scale, and besides a few car models, all of what I've done has been in N. Yes, you need good eyes and steady hands. Yes, installing DCC stuff is sometimes a challenge (there's just not much extra room inside these things). But if you want a big layout, and you have a small space, N is great. (If you want to build in a suitcase, then check out Z or T scale, and invest in one of those really big magnifiers.)

Larger scales have a lot going for them. They're easier on the eyes, easier to handle, and give you more opportunities for detail work. If I had a whole basement (and a budget) I'd consider bumping up a scale or two.

Bottom line, if you can't see the trains, scale up. It's no fun working on something you'll never be able to see without a magnifier.

 

[bobwrgt]

I have both N-scale and HO. Love them both. At 62 and retired lots of time to work on trains. With N-scale you can run long trains in a small space. Over the years i have purchased most for my N freight cars for $1.00 or less. I actualy think it is easier to put them on and off the track than HO. Don't take up much room for storage.
I switched to HO because of Steam and sound.. You can't get very much in Steam or sound in N-scale.
I have a table with the outside track in HO 38 x 192 inch. In the center i have three N-scale loops. I can run 4 trains at once on DC. Seperate transformers. The N-scale freight is 45 cars long. Around the entire room is an HO loop at eye level (elevated) 20ft x 21ft. This has 22in radius for large engines. This freight train is 20 cars long. If i get them all running at once i have 5 trains running with lots of action. No need for DCC.
I run the N-scale the way they come New and super Detail the HO for my needs.
I have the best of both worlds.

Bob