Considering moving on up...

I am thinking about moving from N scale, to HO, maybe even O scale. If you saw my thread on my new structure, I will be having 1700 sq foot to do as I please, and I want to plan my dream layout in that space. With so much space, I may go with a larger scale, mainly because my eye sight isn't as good as it used to be.

Anyway, I have TONS of N scale, lots of quality stuff (locos, rolling stock) I might want to start trading off for HO or O. Most the cars are MTL, IM and others. I am most interested in Rock Island stuff, and other mid western railroad locos and rolling stock. If anyone has larger stuff, and want to know more about what I have to swap, drop me a line..

 

I am right there with you for a few reasons: A recent move and I have an empty layout room to start with so I could model any scale, I am not getting any younger and the eyes are sure to go and it will cost me a fortune to convert all my N scale to DCC so why not just buy new at possibly a different scale. I have been investigating O scale and I would have a pretty good start if I sold my entire N scale collection.

 

I have a lot of HO including some of the newer higher detail cars.Can I see HO better yup,but,it takes a lot of space for a layout even a switching layout so,I use my HO at the Bucyrus HO club..

I will be brutally honest..

At 63 I'm wondering if I lost my mind the way I continue to invest in N Scale knowing I'm not getting any younger.

However,I still prefer N over HO and will continue to model in N until the day comes I must give it.

 

I love N scale too. But, just having a harder and harder time working on them. I am keeping my small N scale layout, and will probably always keep it. But I have a huge rolling stock inventory, locs, buildings, parts etc. My N scale fills the bedroom in my current home. But, now that we are buying a place that will give me 1700 square foot of space at my will, it will be dedicated to my trains, and I am planning a crazy killer layout, and like you, might as well switch to a scale I can see better since I am starting fresh with basically unlimited space for any scale. I will keep a couple N consists for my N layout, but as far as expansion, I'm done and phasing that out. So, again, tons of N scale is available to swap. I think I have decided to go mainly HO. But, still might even do an O layout too.

You having HO stuff. You interested in some horse trading? if so, drop me a PM, we'll swap emails, and swap lists of stuff available..

 

Nobody said you had to use all that space or fill it up all at once. Heating/cooling and cleaning the whole space becomes problematic at some point.

Nor do you necessarily have to fill every square inch with detail. Here's your chance to do some very realistic modeling in N with realistic distances separating points of interest. You can still get that effect in H0, of course, but it won't be the same IMO.

And if you thought prices for recent highly-detailed N scale was high, the same story goes for H0 in replacing what you have. Maybe somewhat worse. It is a chance to change/upgrade your current holdings, if that's a consideration. But will you have to/want to settle otherwise for older, less-detailed stuff?

Structures in H0 are mostly still condensed. With the space available, you would still probably want to bash 2-3 kits together generally to make decent-looking buildings. It's gotten less like that in N.

And as for the eyes, is it just age catching up? Just having more light helps a lot. Keep that in mind when building the layout in any case.

Also check out what's available on On3/On30, though it may not be your thing. A number of N scalers in the same boat have made that jump.

 

Im not planning to use the whole space up. I guess I misslead with that. The point is, in our new place, it has a full open 1,700 sf that is mine to do with what I wish. Our building has a total of over 5,000 sf which included the basement. My wife is taking half the 1st floor for her shop. The back half of the 1st floor is our garage, and the 1,700 sf 2nd floor is our home. The wife got what she wanted, so I got the entire 1,700 sf basement to do whatever I wanted with. Realistically, I will probably be partitioning off half of it as a general wood shop (I also tinker with wood), and the front half will be dedicated to my trains. So, realistically, I my train room will be 800 or so sf. That includes display cases/shelves, stowage, etc. But, it is a clean slate for me, and much of it will be dedicated for layout, and layout expansion. Certainly I can not do it all at once. But I will design the space, and benchwork for a huge layout to ready anything I do soon for that expansion. Basicly so in years it don't just look like a bunch of single layouts bolted together. I want it to flow. As far as detailing, sure, it will be small areas at a time, with long blank "prairie" runs in-between detailed metropolises. If I want to expand or add a town over the years, it will already be ready to do that. Basically spread and grow it just like real cities do.

And yes, I know there will be a cost. But I have a pretty large N scale collection, and trading and selling off stuff will give me a good start in another scale. I just think with a new blank slate, with a kick start selling/trading my collection, this is the time to make a scale change. And yes, my eyesight has been bad for years. I am only 50 years old, but the past couple years, my eyesight is failing faster. Even with bi-focals I have a hard time seeing up close and small detail. So, being realistic, and knowing my eyesight will continue to get worse as I get older, and this new clean slate. it's just time to prepare for it so I don't end up in 10 years with this huge n scale collection that I can't enjoy any longer forcing me out of my train hobby. I love N-scale. I plan to keep my small layout and continue to run a couple consists on it, but the rest of the collection, it can give me that jump start into a larger scale that I will be able to enjoy for a much longer time..