As many of you know I'm the Moderator at Z Central Station, Z's most popular site. I'm probably one of the few Z scalers that open Trainboard up to the whole Home Page. I do it for the reasons stated above. I read and interact with more topics in other scales to help if I can, but I'm always trying to improve my own personal modeling skills. So I open up to the main Home Page. I'm guessing that many scale specific modelers simply open up to their scale's home page because that is the scale they are most interested. No harm there. Trainboard is for everyone and some don't have time for all the 'extras'. That said, and as I have stated earlier, if pollsters want valid poll results they will have to reference each scale's home page individually many times during the running time of the poll. This is hard work for the pollster, but if you want reasonably accurate results this is the only way. Back to the main Trainboard Home Page to check up on those pesky On3 folks. Cheers, Jim CCRR
I am an HO'er but I normally don't go to the HO home page. I just open 24 hours of TB. There are plenty of ideas on this board that are not scale specific even though they are posted to a scale specific home page. My layout thread is on the HO forum because it is HO. However, a lot of the stuff I do can be converted to any scale. I have found cool ideas from N scale and Z scale posts (all scales for that matter) that can be applied to my layout especially weathering and scratch-building info. That being said (and I might get flamed here), I think some (not all) think of scale just like they do political party. You're either a D or an R and in model railroading you're either a HO, N, Z or any of the other myriad of scales available. We ALL have a variety of skills and ideas to offer in this hobby and those that don't consider the modeling done in other scales are missing out big time in my opinion. That's why I love the 24 hours page because it gives me a view of whats happening no matter what scale. I tend to agree that the popularity of N and Z is in part to space available but I think the bigger reason is that finally you have motive power that RUNS and looks realistic as compared to 30 years ago not to mention the array of rolling stock and structures that are available today. I started modeling seriously nearly 40 years ago and never paid more that $35 for a engine or $5-$7 for a piece of rolling stock and that's full retail at the LHS. The reality for me is that if I had to start all over in this hobby today I wouldn't be in it. I can't afford $100 engines and $15-$20 boxcars no matter what scale. Oh, and I won't deal with auction sites. Just my 2 cents or whatever you think it's worth.
164 Votes Looks like the Z Scale Modelers have arrived in force, will poke another scale forum this coming weekend... :thumbs_up: :thumbs_up: :thumbs_up: :thumbs_up:
If I had money to start over....and someone to help overcome my butterfingers, I'd totally move to Z. N sucks, it's too big to really be impressive in small rooms, but too small to get the great detail that HO has.
YoHo, I'm not recruiting here, well... maybe a little. I noticed that your 34 and I'm 65 and I don't have butter finger issues. Too many folks look at Z scale and think cute. Times are a changin. You have many years to go in this hobby and if you are at a crossroads then I would advise you to get an MTL starter set, a Z power pack, some extra track and give Z a go on 3'x4' sheet of plywood. Do the whole works. A small yard, an over and under figure 8 or something. Scenic it and run some trains. Cost won't be over $350 and you get to do something different. Try it. The layout can be slid under a bed or propped up in a closet or stored in the garage. The lessons to be learned are that you only think you have fumble fingers, poor eyesight, etc. Hogwash. Humans adapt. Optivisors are available. Best of all you will put most notions aside regarding Z or N. Cheers, Jim CCRR Here is a view of Z.
I claim butterfingers based on previous experience in N. My hands were not designed to handle N scale equipment, or track. Still, $350 isn't much to spend. I may have to look into it.
To be honest, if I had the time and money, I will model G, HO (which I am), N and some Z. I think all scales have their pros and cons. And can see myself doing something small in N or Z scales in the future. of re-thinking about this again....if money flowed in endless supply, I would just model 1:1 scale
Getting back into model railroading after a 40 year layoff I opted for HO. Those darn HO car kit parts sure looked a lot larger it those days. I hate it when that happens.
209 Votes!!!!!!! I know I'm at least 1 of the 7 votes in the "Other" category, I have an OO within my collection. What about the other 6 folks that voted for "Other" what scale are you also representing?
First let say I'm an "N" scaler and have been on and off since the 60's. And after a 30 year break I'm back into it. So for me it's impressive that "N" Scale is the leader of the pack. Beating out HO is the way its going to go long term. Space is, I think, the determining factor. However we had all better watch "Z" scale. It's like the early days of "N" back in the late 60's. In ten years HO will become like "O" and "N" will replace HO as the dominate scale. But "Z" will be where "N" scale is today. What does the rest of the membership think? See ya Ron
I'd say that you can't base "G" purely by this forum alone. With 2 major and popular forums: LSOL & MyLargeScale and with the older people switching to bigger and easier to handle scales, I'd say "G" Scale is going to start booming soon. We're like Z-Scale, We're right behind you
So is anyone out there doing T scale? This makes Z scale look huge and G well, that would be just crazy big
I have to congratulate you Jim.:tb-wink::thumbs_up: Myself I'm one who open mainly the Z scale page, and a little bit the prototype railroad pages, especially the foreign railroad page (furthermore to american railroads, I'm interrested in mexico/brazil/australia railroads, and in any foreign railroad that actually runs NA stuff, such as for example former UP and ATSF GE C30-7 and C36-7 that now run freight trains in Estonia....:tb-wink. As a modelrailroader I ran french prototype HO scale as a teenager, then I all dropped when I was 17 or 18... Now I've been an american prototype Z-scaler for 13 years. That's why I put a dash in the "Z scale" box....:tb-wink: Dom
234 Votes I wonder if there are more then 3 S Scale folks here? I was one of those 3... :tb-wacky: :tb-wacky: :tb-wacky:
Hello, I'm Bob, and I have biscalar syndrome I currently model in N scale, but still have a boatload of HO scale equipment.
