Same. I mean, there are people with HO scale layouts smaller than the N scale layout I'm planning, but I want to be able to run long trains and you really can't do that realistically on a HO layout unless it's huge. I'd probably prefer to run HO just because it's bigger and easier and more detailed, but I need a warehouse and lots and lots of time and money for that!
I have an eye exam on Monday so I'm sure they'll check all the things. Thanks for the recommendation!
Hmm sounds like this is coming around again, I had my cataracts removed when I was 61 and man oh man I can see tiny nscale things clearly down to the tiny rivets
What I like the most about N scale over HO is in the space that I have is the ability to run the larger locomotives and passenger cars. I could have a small HO switching layout and use smaller equipment, but being able to run ES44s,SD70s, 4-8-4 steam engines is great. And I still can run my fill of GP38s,40s and other four axles. I have been truly blessed with good eye sight with corrected vision. Without that it would be the HO switching layout for sure. The only downside I N is cleaning around all the small details when cleaning the track. Ralph
Available now. Buy.... .... the ME code 55 rail .... .... print out a template..... .... do a little soldering and ... .... you have any of those , Sumner
Where are the point rail pivots? Or do the point rails just bend? That's some beautiful craftsmanship! But thank goodness double x-overs are available in N scale Unitrack for us mere mortals!
On most of the longer turnouts.... ... like the #6 straight and the curved turnout with also a #6 frog above they just bend. I think they will bend a lot of times as people have been building them like this for a long time. Where the distance is shorter .... .... like the 3-way above you can and probably should hinge them like is shown. Harder and more time consuming but still not all that hard although this 3-way takes more time than the say two #6's shown first above. I'd strongly recommend trying hand-laying at some point. It isn't real hard to do, especially if you buy the Fast Track fixtures which I use on my #6's and have built about 50-60 of those. Big savings over buying them and they can look nice and work very well. I now build a lot of turnouts and crossings using the paper templates you can print from Fast Track downloaded templates. I build the double cross-over shown below using their template and you can combine templates to ... .... handle situations that it would be hard to do with commercial turnouts/crossings, such as the situation above and ... ... end up with track work that approaches what is done in real life. Give it a try, Sumner
There are others on here and other places, probably thousands, that hand-lay turnouts as good as or I've seen a number that do a better job. Get it down and with a fixture you can do it in about an hour. I figure an hour and a half with ties. Paper templates, depends, a little longer or quite a bit longer. Can't remember on the double crossover but a lot longer. I have lots of info on my site.... https://1fatgmc.com/RailRoad/Trackwork/Trackwork-Index.html ... and I'm sure you could find videos, Fast Tracks has some good ones Sumner
What I would like to see the most is Rapido releasing an N Scale version of their Procor 3000 sodium chlorate hopper...gonna need plenty of them to service the bleaching plant that I'm planning to add to my in-progress paper mill complex. Other things that I am wishing for: Ferromex SD70ACEs from Kato, a new run of 73' opera window centerbeam flatcars, and molten sulfur tank cars. Atlas' most recent run of corn syrup tankers did include a few black GATX cars marked for molten sulfur service; these look pretty spot-on, but I'd prefer to see the yellow or yellow/black sulfur tankers (which Walthers made in HO a while back) get made in N scale.
Don't know if this qualifies, but some more Nn3 locos that won't cost 250 bucks + assembly. On the 9mm side, a gustav/dora railgun would be awesome (I am in the planning stages of one - the design will be altered to fit KATO double track) and some more old time 4-4-0s.
Which is what I am currently doing (and have been for over a decade). I am actually getting pretty good at the single crossovers, #10's and #12s without a jig. I am not at double crossover without a jig level yet! Still... would love to see ME expand their turnout options for those lazy projects where one just wants to order some premade turnouts and spend time on other things besides building turnouts (like learning 3d printing for example) Thanks
Let me bring it up 1 more time. In 1984, at my age of 44, I had cataracts extracted and plastic lenses implanted in both eyes, 6 months apart. I will be 84 on 08/15 and I have never had an issue with pressures or anything. I have 20/20 in one eye without correction and 20/20 corrected in the other. Well worth the time, I will never forget how bright and colorful the world seemed after the patch was removed from each eye. If anyone has greying vision, please get it checked. Love N scale !
No cataracts for me (not sure how we got onto that subject). Doc said my eyes look normal yesterday and at the age of 47 it's finally time for me to get some readers. Aside from that I'm 20/20 in my right eye and 20/25 in my left.
Back to the subject... More I'd like to see in Unitrack: 15 deg crossings (L&R) with #4 switch geometry (it could include the same tapered track pieces that come with #4 switches.) This would support, among other things, a #4 switch's diverging route leading to a 15 degree crossing in an adjacent track with standard doubletrack spacing. Maybe integrate this into one doubletrack piece? L&R curved single crossovers (non-superelevated.)
I'll add a little more about the cataracts since it has been a big help in me modeling N scale. As has been mentioned they can correct your vision to some degree with the lens they put in. In my case they could improve my far vision but not bring it to 20/20 and I would still need glasses. I wear bifocals and the dr. said I can make your near vision perfect. I went that way and now can see out to arms length without my glasses. They still improved my far vision at the same time where it is much better but still wear glasses So now I can weld better and work on the fine stuff in the hobby, still put on a slight magnifier visor for some really close work. Downside is now I have my glasses off a lot more and put them down and can't find them . Sumner
