After MANY years in N-scale, I am seriously considering creating a small switching layout in HO. I am wondering what switching locomotives are available either with DCC installed, or DCC ready. Also, what's the current thinking on track in HO? Which manufacturers produce consistantly good track and turnouts? I can't afford caviar on my tuna fish budget. So, I want to make my purchases count. I know sometimes it pays to buy better quality. In N-scale locomotives, there's Kato and Atlas at the top, newer Life-Like behind them, and Bachmann and Model Power supplying mostly junque. Who is where in HO? Also what about rolling stock? Jeff Augsburg & Concord R.R. (a fictional shortline in Central Illinois) Come see us on the web: http://www.pegnsean.net/~revnjeff
Hey Rev, Can't believe your switching! ( get it switching?) LL Proto 2000 makes a pretty good line of switchers, nice detail and modest cost. Atlas are great to for a little more money. In rolling stock it all depends if you want kits or RTR.
Not going to give up the N-scale empire (just yet), but I'd like to maybe try some things with an HO shelf layout. Jeff
Jeff, Atlas and LifeLike's P2K line offer Alco switchers in HO, Stewart has the Baldwins covered, and P2K has several EMD goats. Athearn does have SW1000s, SW1001s and SW1500s, but you're looking at custom installation for DCC decoders. As for track, nothing beats the Atlas line for cost. You have the choice of either the code 100 or code 83 line, both of which I have on my home layout. Shy away from brass, and stay with nickel silver, if you go code 100. For the turnouts, I use ground throws from Caboose Industries in spots I can easily reach. You can find bargains on eBay or at swap meets, and several of the big mail-order shops offer great discounts. Hope this all helps, and welcome to HO scale!
As Bob has intimated, there are a lot of good locomotives around thses days. I am just starting a new switching layout in HO, and have gone for steam/early diesel era. Most new stuff is very good and well detailed. They also run very well.
Jeff, I just made the jump to HO as well. I bought a LL Heratige P2k 0-6-0 and LOVE it!!!! Excellent detail and a great runner! Check some of the ebay stores. You can get one for under $100. After watching N-Scale diesels for the past many years it's great to watch a steamer with lots of detail!
As everyone else has said, the Lifelike P2k range of switchers are incredibly cheap and pull the paint off walls, not that they'll have to on a small layout. To give you an idea of cost, I bought an S3 and an SW8 a couple of weeks back, and both were just over $100 Aus. You'll find them a LOT cheaper over there. A decent Geep goes for over $200 in any brand here. They are DCC ready, just plug in the decoder and your cooking. Come with Kadee couplers fitted as well, and run pretty hefty brass flywheels (on the SW8 anyway..havent taken to cover off the S3 yet).
Jeff, I just ran my P2K switchers for the first time today, and ohhhhh are they sweet. The S3 and SW8 are a) extremely quiet....they were running on track just sitting on a hollow door and were almost totally silent, b) very realistic in speed (flat out, maybe 35 scale mph...not fast at all), and pulled my entire arsenal of rolling stock without any noticable difference in speed v throttle setting. My rolling stock may be exceptionally free rolling (lost 4 cars off the end of the table when I uncupled them and they ran off on their own on what I thought was a perfectly flat desk..LMAO). I think you can do FAR worse that those two.....
I understand that the P1K engines are the P2K mechanisms with less expensive shells. Sometimes that is a good way to add B units to the F unit lineup and do some good detailing work yourself.
As a fellow "switcher" I would say go for Life Like. Heritage steam switchers are awesome and a fairly easy DCC sound install if that's what you like. Also, the RS11 is a nice road switcher. Tons of detail like lift rings and door handles.
I'm curious what you guys consider a shelf switching layout in regards to size? Are we talking around the room or just 8 x 2 or something along those lines.
How about, "It depends"? You can fit a switching layout on a 4x8, or a 2x8 along the wall, or completely around the room, or even larger. The key is that the emphasis is on switching cars between a yard and different industries, rather than running trains between towns or around and around the layout. Pat
Hi Guys, I can't believe I came across this thread. I was just thinking about deviating a bit from my N scale and building an HO switching layout and wondered if anybody else was doing this. Glad to see I'm not alone. Are there any good plans for a 1x6 layout? I use Unitrack for my N scale, so I'd like to try Unitrack HO, or Marklin C for this. Thanks.
Hi Guys, I can't believe I came across this thread. I was just thinking about deviating a bit from my N scale and building an HO switching layout and wondered if anybody else was doing this. Glad to see I'm not alone. Are there any good plans for a 1x6 layout? I use Unitrack for my N scale, so I'd like to try Unitrack HO, or Marklin C for this. Thanks.
I had a 11 foot x 1 foot switching layout for a bit but it took up too much space in my house. I now have a plank for my switching layout. 7 feet by 8"x2". NO scenery, just switching. For those of you seeking small switching layouts search for time savers on the web and you'll find all you need. My time saver layout is seven feet long to accomodate my steam switcher , but a 1x6 footer is not problem with diesels or smaller switchers.
Is there a small, reliable switcher out there for something so small? Steam or diesel? I'm starting over again and need something small to pull a Walther's Piker and Oscar.
For really small, I recommend the Bachmann Spectrum 44-tonner and/or the 70-tonner. Run slow, well-detailed, and pull about as many cars as the prototype (that is, only a few). Moving up, you have the SW1 from Walthers, SW7 and S12 from Athearn, Stewart's line of Baldwin Switchers, and the Alco switchers from both LifeLike and Atlas. Hope this helps.
