New in North Carolina


J

Jacob Z

Member
Hi all,

I'm retired and looking for a creative hobby. I am useless at painting, sculpting, etc. but was into model railroads when I was a nipper back in England. 45 years later I'm in the US and thinking of diving back in. I realize that there is a huge amount of information out there, I don't recognize any of the brand names, all the standards have changed, and what is this DCC thing? (Rhetorical question, I found a bunch of Youtube videos on DCC*.)

I'm probably going with N and from what I've read so far code 55 track. Other than that... I'm inclined to build something British, possibly early days of British Railways or late LNER since I know nothing about US railway history. But if somebody tells me that British stock and locos are limited/expensive/hard to find in the US, I might do something local - which I guess means the Norfolk and Southern, maybe late 1940s period? I'm in Raleigh NC.

Anyway, I realize I need to read a whole bunch of stuff before I start asking frequently-answered questions...

----
*Question for people as old as me. I have a vague memory that Hornby had a proprietary system in the late 1970s/early 1980s that did some of what DCC does. I am imaging that? Anybody else remember it?
 
Welcome to the forums Jacob! I think you'll find some knowledgeable and helpful folks here. Don't be shy to ask questions.

Doing research is the right thing. I'm relatively new to the hobby (Aug 2022), so I've done a lot of reading and watching of Youtube tutorials on all things model trains.
 
Hornby, dapol, and the others can be found through US sources. Just have to find them. One that comes to mind is model Bahn Otts. Bachmann has recently gotten into the European market in a big way. Chadwick, everard jct, dean park. Are three good informative British guys if your looking for info on locos and how toos
 
Welcome to the group Jacob.

N scale is a great choice. I was an N scaler for many years before making the switch to Ho scale several years back. It has a great variety of buildings, locomotives, and rolling stock. Code 55 is a good choice, Peco also makes code 55 track, and their turnouts are some of the best in the industry.

For European equipment in the US there is Reynaulds.

 
Thanks for the warm welcome to the complete novice.

The first thing I've learned is that there is (a) lots of foundational advice that is really solid and widely confirmed (like planning!) and (b) lots of things where there are as many ways to do it as there are modelers, and I'm just going to have to try some things and see what works for me (e.g. to cork or not to cork; how to do ballast).

I have sent away for a "scenic kit" from Woodland Scenics which I hope will give me a chance to learn some basic techniques, gain skills, and gauge how much I enjoy that part of the hobby versus "just" running trains in some relatively simple setting.

I'm also now leaning away from a British setup having learned that British N gauge uses an out-of-scale 1:148, and as I recall that bugged me when I was a lad messing around with OO. (TT is intriguing, but I'll put that off for some later date when I have some experience under my belt!)
 
Jacob Z said:
Thanks for the warm welcome to the complete novice.

The first thing I've learned is that there is (a) lots of foundational advice that is really solid and widely confirmed (like planning!) and (b) lots of things where there are as many ways to do it as there are modelers, and I'm just going to have to try some things and see what works for me (e.g. to cork or not to cork; how to do ballast).

I have sent away for a "scenic kit" from Woodland Scenics which I hope will give me a chance to learn some basic techniques, gain skills, and gauge how much I enjoy that part of the hobby versus "just" running trains in some relatively simple setting.

I'm also now leaning away from a British setup having learned that British N gauge uses an out-of-scale 1:148, and as I recall that bugged me when I was a lad messing around with OO. (TT is intriguing, but I'll put that off for some later date when I have some experience under my belt!)
Click to expand...
A suggestion for a beginner would be to start with a North American "set", until you are sure what you want. If you don't want to see North American equipment, Kato offers several starter sets, which can include Asian or European equipment. Most of the sets tend to be less expensive than going full-on into something specific, only to learn you really don't like it. Save the boxes. It makes things easier to store, and if you realize you made a grievous error, it's easier to offload and recoup most of your money.
No, I don't think the world revolves around one manufacturer or type of equipment...
 
Jacob Z said:
*Question for people as old as me. I have a vague memory that Hornby had a proprietary system in the late 1970s/early 1980s that did some of what DCC does. I am imaging that? Anybody else remember it?
Click to expand...
I remember it. The Hornby Zero 1 digial controller. Never used it. I was into the command control via the CTC-16 and that line of products at the time.

Jacob Z said:
I'm probably going with N and from what I've read so far code 55 track. Other than that... I'm inclined to build something British, possibly early days of British Railways or late LNER since I know nothing about US railway history. But if somebody tells me that British stock and locos are limited/expensive/hard to find in the US, I might do something local - which I guess means the Norfolk and Southern, maybe late 1940s period? I'm in Raleigh NC.
Click to expand...
I can't say much about British Railways. I can only assume there is a bunch of equipment for it in the UK especially in N-scale. However, might be hard to come by here in the USA.

Also in 1940s --- Do you mean the original Norfolk and Southern railroad as it was in 1942?
16801ifjyt0884yq108.jpg


The Norfolk and Southern of today did not exist in the 1940s. Back then, it would have been two separate railroads the Norfolk & Western Railway, and the Southern.
norfolk-western-j-class-one-of-the-most-powerful-4-8-4-v0-1w4ffjimci5e1.jpg

CTR-Southern-history-02.jpg
 
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Iron Horseman said:
I remember it. The Hornby Zero 1 digial controller. Never used it. I was into the command control via the CTC-16 and that line of products at the time.

I can't say much about British Railways. I can only assume there is a bunch of equipment for it in the UK especially in N-scale. However, might be hard to come by here in the USA.

Also in 1940s --- Do you mean the original Norfolk and Southern railroad as it was in 1942?
16801ifjyt0884yq108.jpg


The Norfolk and Southern of today did not exist in the 1940s. Back then, it would have been two separate railroads the Norfolk & Western Railway, and the Southern.
norfolk-western-j-class-one-of-the-most-powerful-4-8-4-v0-1w4ffjimci5e1.jpg

CTR-Southern-history-02.jpg
Click to expand...

Hmmm, looks like I need to do some research. I want to do a "last days of steam" period, so I guess that means either the original Norfolk Southern or the Norfolk and Western (but definitely not the modern Norfolk Southern). I'm somewhat inclined towards the Norfolk Southern because it's more local to me, but availability of locos and rolling stock might influence that.
 
Update just in case anybody cares. I got my "scenic kit" from Woodland Scenics, and I'm enjoying working through their instructions. For somebody of my experience (none), confidence (zero), and skill level (klutz), it's introducing me to a lot of different techniques and elements so kudos to Woodland for putting this together.

A couple of things I have learned:

1. "Trust the process". For example, I painted the rocks using their "leopard spots" technique and at first I thought it looked terrible. But when it had dried I was actually really pleased with how it turned out to the extent of "did I do that?".

2. Accept that some things don't work exactly as described, and I have to be adaptable.

3. Get used to the idea that there is no one "right" way to do things, and correspondingly (almost) no wrong way. FWIW this is very hard on my autistic brain, which wants everything in the world to work like building a Lego kit :)
 
When you say Woodland Scenics kit, is it a layout kit, or just a prepackaged box of scenery materials and instructions?
 
Oh the joys of model railroading. The skills you think you need are really not what you do need. So many things you learn. Mistakes are made. Things do not go to plan.. It is all a learning curve.
Whatever happens, remember it is a hobby. Treat it as such and it will repay you a thousandfold.
 
Welcome to the hobby.

While there is a lot of British outline (British) N scale equipment available, you will probably be ordering from overseas. Not many, if any, N. American shops carry British N scale. You might also be advised that British N scale is 148:1 and not the US 160:1 scale. It's going to be a bit larger and seems to follow the OO/HO way of measuring scale. British OO is 76:1 while N. American HO is 87:1.

If you are able to locate a shop in the States selling British outline N scale, check to see if they also offer structures, figures, and scenery accessories in British N scale. N. American N structures will look awkwardly out of place on a British N scale layout.

Ordering from overseas is relatively painless, but the dollar/pound sterling conversion is heavily in favor of the UK and models are very expensive.

I order a lot from Germany and while they are expensive, it is still cheaper to order from overseas than to purchase European models in the States. You save the VAT, US tax, and there is no duty up to $750 or so. The exchange rate is much better against the € too.
 
Jacob,

I'm pretty much in your same situation, getting back in after a break of nearly 40 years.

I view the choice of scale as a function of what type of experience you want. Smaller options like N offers a "big picture" experience, with more expansive "wide angle" type vistas/compositions being the primary advantage. Larger models will restrict the available real estate to shorter main line runs, with the advantage of allowing more visible detail. Everything else gets larger along with the rolling stock, so the modeling inevitably becomes more closely cropped vignettes, instead of epic panoramas.

Personally, I grew up along the coast of Maine, with its two-footer narrow-gauge history well embedded during my formative years by Bob Hayden and Dave Frary's 'Carabasset and Dead River'. This time around I got locked by Troels Kirk's 'Coast Line RR', a fanciful look at coastal Maine filtered through his artistic admiration of the Wyeth legacy.

Given that inspiration and no predilection to exacting detail, I've picked On30 as my current scale of choice. There are relatively few 2 1/2-foot prototypes, so it offers the chance to explore a bit of whimsy and imagination without being slave to a specific prototype.

All that said, my family also has roots in Scotland and points further south, so I could also easily see exploring some British subjects. Sticking with the narrow gauge theme, I'm rather drawn to the idea of a Quarry Hunslet leading a few slate wagons off the mountain as it heads down to the coast. A stop at the local colliery on the uphill return would make things a bit more interesting, and help keep the fuel bunkers topped off at the quarry.

And conveniently available is this little charmer.

This next stunner would be perfect for a longer run. It would look great pulling a few varnished carriages across the open farmland north of Hemel Hempstead while picking its way through Luton, Barton-le-Clay, and beyond. This is the spendy version with preinstalled sound and some custom upgrade options to make it more so. I can't imagine it heavily weathered, but a touch of patina with well-oiled running gear seems about right.

So many options...
 
Jacob Z said:
Update just in case anybody cares. I got my "scenic kit" from Woodland Scenics, and I'm enjoying working through their instructions. For somebody of my experience (none), confidence (zero), and skill level (klutz), it's introducing me to a lot of different techniques and elements so kudos to Woodland for putting this together.

A couple of things I have learned:

1. "Trust the process". For example, I painted the rocks using their "leopard spots" technique and at first I thought it looked terrible. But when it had dried I was actually really pleased with how it turned out to the extent of "did I do that?".

2. Accept that some things don't work exactly as described, and I have to be adaptable.

3. Get used to the idea that there is no one "right" way to do things, and correspondingly (almost) no wrong way. FWIW this is very hard on my autistic brain, which wants everything in the world to work like building a Lego kit :)
Click to expand...
Excellent learnings and mirrors my first foray into the scenic scene. For years I had barren plywood or screen mesh because I was afraid of the process. I've also found out that sometimes a mistake ends up being better than the plan. My brain is now playing, Everything is Awesome over and over again due to the Lego reference.
 
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