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Known as the Escanaba and Lake Superior rail line
Consider a point-to-point that is visible, with hidded staging loops at opposite ends of your mainline. I have just aquired trackage rights to a basement in a ranch style home and I think that is what I am going to do, and it will be in N-scale. Has room for a medium sized HO, but going for the larger N layout. I'm into operation and will have a couple of towns, and a lot of industry...LOL! (If I live sooo long)
That is why you involve your children and if you have any, grandchildren. A layout is never finished so with their help and interest they can continue your vision.
IF space is not an issue, then simply decide which feels better to you.
I want to take issue with the idea that N costs more per foot. That is only if you try to make it like an HO layout. If you use the extra space to develop scenery, then the costs drops pretty quickly.
To me the main difference is level of detail. Here are a couple pictures of work I've done to illustrate the point.
The first is an N-scale abandoned coal mine. The size is 12" by 12". while it looks good, it looks as though you are in a helicopter.
The second is an HO scale church. I was able to get the illusion of wood grain on the door. It is somehow more personal.
And an HO scale figure.
To me one of the most important parts of modeling is the ability to customize figures. O is so large that the figures never appear realistic. In N, you see almost no detail. Mongo above would be wasted in N. No one would give him a second look.
Anyway, that is why I chose HO as my main layout. However, I plan on having an N-scale layout that runs through big scenery eventually. But I don't plan on spending a lot of time on building it.
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