Any Connection Between (Your) Age and Choice of N or HO?

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N

NFexec

New Member
Just curious about this. I am planning and scheming my own model railroad and am stuck between the two gauges. I would like to create as large a layout as I can afford in a space that is not terribly large - maybe 12 x 16 (hence the N idea). But I like the look of HO a tad more. So with the tiny size of some of the pieces-parts in N, Would you say the (ahem) older hobbyists might prefer HO (or even larger?) over N? I am assuming the dexterity and vision in particular tends to decline a bit as we age, and that might lead one to choose a larger set. Put another way, is there a predictable relationship between age and preference of HO over N? :confused: (btw I'm 63 and reasonably dexterous; vision is decent, but neither is the same as it was years earlier! :eek:)

Doug
 
I think it depends on what your interests are, and how much of a detail-oriented "rivet counter" you are. I've seen people switching from N to HO because of the reasons you outline, yes. One I heard of was because the person liked to do switching operations and could no longer easily see the numbers on the rolling stock. Others have talked about going up in size because they had trouble putting the units on the track. I'm 46 and my vision has degraded enough that I need glasses to read ANYthing, but I can still put very detailed custom paint jobs on N-scale locos (as you can see from the photos I posted over in the "Showin' Off" area), largely due to using a magnifier while doing detailed work. However, I can't imagine that anyone can do detail work in N scale without a magnifier even with perfect vision. It's just too small. Now, when I operate N scale equipment, I can see the difference between detailed and not-so-much just with my regular glasses on, even if reading tiny numbers on rolling stock is definitely an issue. Also, DO you want to do your own custom work, and if so what do you feel you can work on?

I'm probably not getting my point across very well, but I'll try to wrap it up here. I guess what I'm trying to say is that you can still enjoy N scale and get a lot more layout for a given space even if you're not a teenager any more. But it does depend on exactly what you want out of it. If you want to be wowed by the tiniest detail every time you run your trains (or if you want to do switching and waybills kind of things), you definitely want to go HO or larger. If you're okay with maybe not being able to see every detail and don't expect your manual dexterity to decline too much any time soon, then I'd go with N and get the added track "mileage".

There is one other caveat: The selection you have to choose from. If you go HO you'll definitely have a much broader selection of locomotives at the very least. Things have been made in HO that probably will never see an N-scale release. Some because they were niche locos and had a marginal buyer base even in HO (with a bigger user base than N), and some simply because they're too complex and/or delicate to be able to reduce them to N scale size.

My two cents (that I think kinda blew up more to quarter size, sorry)
 
I have HO scale trains.
My area is about your size.
I though about N scale however, I decided to stay with HO because N is just too small for me to work on.
I have some troubles with HO sometimes.
I am 66 and I do not need to wear glasses all of the time.
My main problems are with my fingers.
They are just to big to work on that small of trains.
 


I have been worried about seeing HO. O scale and G scale are just totally out of reach financially, and a garden railroad is also impossible as I live in the warmest city in the world most years (130 is not unusual, and G scale track and accys won't tolerate 130).

The last two nights have really made me comfortable. I had to do some soldering on circut boards, and did it without great effort. I didn't need magnifing visors my reading glasses worked fine. I'll bet you can have as much fun as you want working and playing at your own speed and desires.

Good Luck, glad you and I are starting our adventures together.

Oh... we are so lucky having communities like this one online to show off, share ideas, get insperation http://www.modelrailroadforums.com/...ing-the-Pinacle-Creek-Mining-amp-Timber-Co-RR and generally chew the lean meat. There was noting like this when I stopped railroading, I'm delighted it's here now. :cool:
 
Last edited by a moderator:
NFexec said:
Put another way, is there a predictable relationship between age and preference of HO over N?
Click to expand...
I don't think so. At least not in the manner suggested in the message. Now when N-scale was new there was a definite correlation in age and scale. N-Scale attracted young people who did not already have a vested interest, investment (using the term loosely), nor prejudice to one of the other scales. I was one who jumped on the N-scale band wagon quickly. Switching to HO had nothing to do with age. Perhaps one could call it modeling maturity though.
 
It seems that there is a weak trend to jump to larger scales as one ages, and it is due to limitations both in dexterity and in visual acuity. Some develop arthritis and/or cataracts, as examples, and you should not be puzzled as to how those two conditions might impact their enjoyment of the hobby.

Another age-related condition is the ability of our pupils to dilate in poor light, which we often face indoors. People under the age of 10 or so can dilate their pupils up to 7 mm, with some variance extending to closer to 8 mm in some girls. Men in their late 50's are going to be limited, again with variance, to about 5 mm which, in addition to admitting much less light to the fovea, also has the unfortunate effect of reducing resolution, or the ability to see small details, especially tiny items set close together. By resolution, think of two periods typed one after another on a white page, nothing else. Held at arms length, you and your eight-year-old granddaughter have no trouble separating them, seeing white space between them. Now place the sheet of paper about 12 feet away and see how it looks. Sally will still see the two distinguishably, but touching, while you will see a small black oval.

As we move through the hobby experience, we encounter men who are in O gauge and we notice how much bigger and clearer the steamers are with their appliances and fittings. It that doesn't get the mind to figuring out you need a jump up in scale, I don't know what else would.
 
I was in N scale for almost as long as N scale has been in existence. After a life altering event, I am no longer able to perform the work needed in N, and had to make the move to HO in order to stay in the hobby. And not just HO, but almost exclusively RTR HO scale. Decoder installs and coupler swapouts are about all I can handle now, when less than ten years ago I could assemble and install a pair of Micro Trains couplers on a locomotive in less than five minutes.
 
I switched from N to HO because I found building kits and scratch building to be the best part of the hobby for me. Also sound is better in HO. I started in N with a Athern challenger wanting to pull long trains. But I found even though my loop was fairly long it was hard not to see the engine chasing the caboose! So then I was running 6 cars and a caboose and loving it. But it looked rather silly behind the challenger so that got my thinking of switching. Now in HO a small steamer, 6 cars, and caboose is a shorter train in real feet then the N scale 50 car trains I was running and I prefer it this way. I feel I am now more after quality then quantity.

But still if I had room for a 50 -70 car train without it following it's tail that would be a blast!

I'll be 34 on the 13th.
 
I bought some N scale used while I was building my current layout, set up a tiny 2x4 and tinkered N scale running. Kept me in the train running interest while I built. I have too much HO, I switched to HO as a kid from O27, when you have too much specialized interest in railroads where only brass gets you the engine you want and only in HO. I have a relatively small area for trains so I won't be running super long trains for real operating sessions, but occassionally I can put together 60-80 cars just for jollies. In small space any scale you have to think compression to get your interest in.
 
I started in N scale in the early 70's after getting out of the service. As a teenager, I was into HO, but due to the fact that I was living in an apartment in southern Florida, a small N scale layout was all that I had room for. The layout was small enough thet it could be slid underneath a bed and be out of sight.

In the mid 70's, I moved mack home to Montana and built a house WITH A BASEMENT. Starting with my small layout, it was incorporated into a rather good size layout that has about 16 scale miles of main line alone, with a few branch lines off of the main line. All was not well back then. Compared to todays N scale locomotives, what was available back then is what I would call crude just to be polite. With the exception of a couple of Trix switchers, locomotive performance had a lot to be desired. I also wanted to model the area I now live in in the transition era. Not going to happen in N scale. The selection of Locomotives and road names was miserable, and the thought of trying to custom paint in N scale was a bit more than I wanted to attempt, even if I could find the proper locomotives.

I had a good friend, the late Pete Ellis near Cascade , MT who had a fantastic HO scale layout. It reminded me of John Allens G & D railroad which I had the opportunity to have operated on a number of times in the late 60's. The die was cast. The N scale was ripped out and my present HO scale layout got put into the planning stages. I did finally realize that trying to model even part of a subdivision of the Northern Pacific or the Milwaukee Road was not going to fit in the space I had available. The decision was made to freelance, and to connect to both of these railroads. As a kid, I had spent a lot of time riding in the cabs of both railroads.

Construction began. I started off handlaying code 70 rail and turnouts. Being that my railroad was a short line railroad, the lighter rail would be better suited for what I wanted to do. A bit of a mistake, but things worked out in the end. Things were moving along for a few years but then I got to the point where I was to the point that everything I was interested in had to be special ordered, as what we had for a local hobby shop stocked the bare basics. In time the hobby shop closed, and I was sitting out in the dark.

Thankfully, in recent years, e-retailers come on scene and I was able to get moving again. Shinohara code 70 track and turnouts were readily available, along with so many other items that were not available a few years earlier.

Jump to today, I find myself in my 60's, and also find that the old eyeballs aren't quite what they used to be. The move to the larger scale was a good decision for me. I also like the additional detail that can be had in HO scale.

I don't want to sound snooty to N scale. Compared to what was available when I started my N scale layout is like day and night. The new N scale locomotives run almost as good as HO scale, and the availability of locomotive types and roadnames is fantastic. If they were available back years ago, I would probably still be in N scale, but just grumbling that it's hard to see them.

I guess that's why there are different scales. A lot of people don't have the room I currently have and tradeoffs have to be made. My decision just happened to work out for me.
 


I'm over 71, and have been model railroading in HO off and on since I was 12 (before that, it was American Flyer S-scale). When my present layout was under construction, in a purpose-built room (a reduction from 10 x 16'), I might have considered N scale in order to have more room for long runs of passenger trains. But nearly six decades of accumulating HO equipment, along with increasing costs, was more than a little inducement to keep my HO scale layout. Yes, my eyesight isn't what it used to be at 20 or 40, but I probably could have made out okay in N-scale. Still, there is a lot to be said for the detail and diversity of things available in HO. So, I'll stick with that.
 
To be honest with you I like all scales of trains. There is hardly a train I've seen that I did not admire.

I am primarily a Lionel O gauge guy but I dabble in HO and I have 1 N scale Christmas train set.

My grandson broke my n scale and repairing it convinced me with arthritis and failing eyes that N scale is just too small for me. HO is right at my limit. That is my wife's favorite train so I really wanted to repair it. I estimate it took me at least 10 times longer then it would have in a larger scale and my hands talked to me for several days after wards. She ran good all this last Christmas season!

With lots of light and patience I can still repair anything, but n scale frustrated me because of the size. I can see the day coming that I wont be able to work on HO either, but there is an abundance of affordable HO stuff. Rather then fix it I will just buy something new. I'll put anything I can't repair in a box for my grandsons or who ever gets my collection.

I love the Lionel O gauge best of all, but not because I can see it better or it is easier to work on. although they are both a bonus. I spend most of my time with my Lionel because of personal reasons.

You mentioned you liked the look of HO a tad bit better, If I were you that is what I would go with.

No matter what scale you choose, have fun with your trains.
 
Was in HO for years. Tried N scale just once. Gave it all to 2 youngest sons [in their 20s] as had developed mild arthritis in hands & weaker eyesight. Returned to HO... [so much better for me and I LOVE Sergent Engineering couplers... am switching nut!]. TTFN....papa
 
Bruette, would some of those personal reasons by that Lionel makes you happy, calm, content? Go for it big guy!
 
I am 43. I bought a Bachman N Scale Jupiter 4-4-0 set when I was like 23 to put around our small Christmas tree. I was immediately hooked on model railroading. Even though all it had was a power pack that made the engine run full speed, and the thing just spun its wheels all the way around the track. I went to a couple hobby shops and saw what was available in HO, and what was available in N. I have always loved modeling. And I have always loved a challenge. So I chose N because I thought it would be fun to build models in the smaller scale.

Now, 20 years later believe it or not I have had cataract surgery on both eyes. I have had the membrane removed due to cataracts reforming a year or so after the surgery. My eyes are nowhere near what they were 20 years ago. But getting back into the hobby I know I have some nice N Scale stuff in a box somewhere in the attic of my garage. So I stayed with N scale. I have found modeling in this small scale is a lot tougher. I have to use reading glasses. But I have no current plans to switch to HO or a larger scale. In fact I plan to build a small Z scale layout in the near future.

When the kids move out and I have an extra room or two, who knows. I may jump to HO. But for now, I love my N scale models.
 
I'm a lot younger than most on this forum and I chose HO because it seemed like it was the most readily available- therefore usually leading to better deals on close outs, used items, etc. turns out I was right! I also tried to use the largest scale possible that was practical for my space.

that said, if money, time and space were no object, I would have ALL scales! Heck, might even buy a 1:1!
 
Age had nothing to do with it. I was in HO for years before there was N. A friend was enamored by N, and it was fun setting it up on his DR table. But then N didn't run well.

It has been HO since I was 8, I'm 60 now.
 
I am 29 years old and run HO scale. I thought about using N scale because of how much extra I can put in the same space, but it just isn't interesting enough for me. I am modeling the US Prohibition era, running mainly steam. N scale steam engines just don't show off enough mechanical marvel for me.

Maybe when I'm older and building a layout for my grandchildren, maybe I'll just move on to diesel where there really isn't much to look at or work on. And, those kids won't really appreciate steam, as I'm sure it will be a thing of museums only.
 


I recently turned 59 and am steadily acquiring more N scale equipment. I started in N scale in 1970, so I knew full well the demands of working on such small models. With the help of WallyWorld readers and small tools and tweezers, etc., I've been able to work on my locos and rolling stock without much difficulty. I've installed drop in decoders and several TCS CN-GP decoders that require pretty much complete disassembly and soldering on some pretty small parts.

Of course it would be easier if the parts were larger but that would mean less railroad or more space. I didn't want to give up on my plans for my layout and building a new room on was out of the question. That meant sticking with N scale but I did have a momentary lapse of reason where I considered HO.:rolleyes: Like I said earlier, the requirements of modelling in N were well known to me and I have jumped back into the deep end with this decision. Hopefully, there will be no regrets with this choice.

Everyone needs to access their capabilities before making a potentially expensive mistake. Just keep in mind there are no guarantees in life and what works today may not tomorrow. Good luck to everyone on their decision.
 
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