Considering a change

Due to long-term space constraints, I am seriously considering switch from HO scale to N.

I know Atlas, Kato and Micro-Trains are the top dogs, with new up and coming manufacturers such as Bluford and others.

I'm assuming Bachmann has greatly improved their N scale products like they have in HO?

Odds are good I'm going to make the switch. From my searches so far, I'm going to miss the variety of freight car offerings available in HO. This is one hang up about the switch.



Sent from my LG-P930 using Tapatalk 2

 

When I switched from HO to N in 1990 for similar reasons, there were fewer locos and cars, but Kato and Atlas had brought loco quality up. N has a lot more variety, and is closer to HO variety than ever. While I understand your point, and have been there, I can say that once I start running trains, I don't really care if I have 4 slight variations of the XXX car, or rarely, any specific car at all, even if I always go buy a few of any new model.

Heck, for all the variety out there, I have to believe most of us still switch more box cars into industry sidings than anything! (At least, the mfgs keep coming out with new varieties of box cars, so they must sell)

 

You may want to consider 'The 3 foot rule', (How much detail can you see at three feet). I have to say I was never conflicted like this soooo I'm sorta biased.
May I ask how much room you do have?

 

What I don't know here is the investment in numbers of cars and locomotives, plus structures, track, etc. Assuming it is fair to modest why go through the trouble to reinvest in another scale since you like the choices available in the present scale. In the same space it might take for a modest N scale layout you may be able to have a simple point to point operation for switching interest or a 3 or 4 by 6 ft. where you can have continuous running and maybe some switching interest. Designed right it can also be eventually folded into a much larger layout as space becomes available. Meanwhile, as pointed out here previously, you could participate in a club that gives you a lot of running until that time.

 

Spookshow has rated many N scale products.

http://www.spookshow.net/trainstuff.html

 

Thanks for the responses. I have two options, the most likely option is to remain in the same 10x4 closet the current HO layout is in. We want to use them room for storage.

I had a three-level shelf layout crammed in there but it was barely functional and cramped working space.

Current thought is to build a shelf layout in three sections on one level. 10' length wall at 14" depth and along the back 4' wall at 18" depth in an "L" shape. Constructed near eye level, there will be 50"+ height clearance for storage, shelves, etc that we want.

I do need to hold some N scale stuff again, but I think I will be quite pleased with the detail in several of these offerings. I was pleased to discover Micro Engineering offered weathered Code 40 flex track... might go that direction in the future.

Sent from my LG-P930 using Tapatalk 2

 

+1 on the Spookshow website. I recommend talking to the Ntrak people at a trainshow. They are usually quite knowledgable about N scale products. I know we get questions on products from people all the time.

 

And on your list of available manufacturers, don't forget Athearn, Fox Valley and Deluxe Innovations. All three of these rank up there as well, in my opinion. I dabble in HO some, but stay mostly in N scale. One thing our visitors to our club tell us a lot is that they like the perception they get on N scale better than the other scales. Both scales are great in my mind. Good luck on which ever way you decide to go.

Dean

 

Well, man. tell us what era and region you might want to run and we can make some grand recommendations! If you were, say, operating UP in the late transition era, there's some amazing big steam from Athearn. If you're a 40's steam guy, Fox Valley Models has a streamlined Hiawatha train that's just about the nicest thing I own...

 

Mid-late 60's Appalachian Highlands. I'll primarily need F3's, F7's, GP7's, GP9's, GP30's, GP35's, SD9's, SD35's, SD45's and as many coal hoppers as I can get my hands on.

Sent from my LG-P930 using Tapatalk 2

 

Of course Ill have to have a little bit of ALCO presence as well.

Sent from my LG-P930 using Tapatalk 2

 

Depending on the steam power available, I'd consider immediate post-war period. ('48-'50)

Sent from my LG-P930 using Tapatalk 2

 

For whatever it's worth, there have been plenty of steamers recently that would blow your mind as far as detail considering it is 5 inches long. Bachmann has released some really rad heavy 2-10-2's and 4-8-2 Mountains, The challengers and Big Boys from Athearn, and Kato Mikados are easy to find on fleabay. Also, Bachmann's smaller steamers (with DCC onboard) run smooth and look sharp. All the diesel locomotives you have listed above are easily available and can often be found undecorated if you are running your own road name.

 

Oh, and Bachmann's newest 2-8-8-4 beasts should work for coal country! DCC onboard and available under $150 on sale!

 

I think I have some hopper suggestions for you.

The most detailed are Micro Trains hoppers. MT has several different styles of two bays, and one 3 bay. MT's are the best detailed but getting a lot of them may get a little expensive. Bluford Shops cars are available in two body styles, both 3 bay. BLuford's cars are possibly even more detailed than MT's cars for about the same price. They also offer a neat little transfer caboose. Atlas' variety of hopper car offerings are not quite as detailed but they are very affordable when many cars are needed. Atlas also has two new Pullman-Standard 3 bays in development. Athearn has a 40' 3 bay that's about the same detail as the Atlas 90 ton car. The Trainworx quad hopper is more than likely to modern for the sixties, but personally I'd really like to get some. Broadway Limited has a ARA 70 ton 4 bay and a H2A coming later this year. Bowser has some options, but I'd give them a pass. With upgrades they may be worth it though. Bachmann's new 2 bay ARA hopper has got pretty good reviews, I think it is similar to one of MT's options and I would not count it out at all.

That's a good summary IMO of N Scale's current hoppers. I'm thinking about modeling the 60's as well, but with the N&W in blue, but for me it's the modern era for now!

 

About a year ago, I considered switching to HO. At first I was blown away by the offerings at the LHS in the HO category. But when I hopped online, I found that there is still a massive range of locos and rolling stock offered in N. Loksound offers amazing sound for N, and 3d printing picks up the slack in the detailing and miscellaneous structure and vehicle catagories. Give it a shot.

I stuck with N because I couldn't justify the start-up investment JUST because HO has a slightly wider range of structures and more frequent new item releases.

 

In the space you have, if you're considering code 40, I'd advise you to hand lay it using PCB ties every fifth tie. The problem is that with ME code 40 flex, you have to have truly low-pro wheelsets for your engines to run on it. Hand laid code 40 track, on the other hand, will accommodate even pizza cutter flanges. Such engines as Kato F's and Atlas GP-9's won't run on ME code 40 flex without sanding down the inner spikeheads...which isn't too difficult, but ya gotta be careful so as not to sand them completely off.

Be advised that there are no commercially available RTR code 40 turnouts in N-scale, so you'd have to roll your own, which I am a strong proponent for.

I run both hand-laid code 40 trackage (on branchlines and sidings) as well as ME code 40 flex (with the inner spikes sanded down). Mainlines are all code 55 Railcraft (out of production) and I only use weathered rail if I cannot possibly find unweathered ME flex. The reason is I don't have to fiddle with soldering feeders, PCB ties, or railjoiners with unweathered rail, whereas weathered flex requires removal of the weathering to get a strong solder joint.

I paint the ties and rails anyway, so I don't perceive an advantage to buying weathered ME...just disadvantages...even though I use it periodically if that's all I can find.

If you're into photographing your models on your layout, ME flex and hand-laid turnouts look a lot better than Atlas 55, especially if you sand the ME tie-ends square with a sanding block before putting it down. I can easily make the tie-ends square on ME flex, but I can't make the "spikeheads" on Atlas 55 smaller...so, I prefer ME.

Here's a photo of a UP-style center siding on one of my transition modules on my modular/sectional layout. Code 55 Railcraft flex on the two mainlines and ME code 40 flex for the center siding with the spikeheads sanded down. It's a big pic so you can zoom in and take a really close look:


In contrast to RTR flex, here's a photo of my Park City Branch hand-laid code 40 (along with a super detailed CA-8 UP caboose), which sacrifices spikehead details for compatibility with all N-scale flange depths:


As to the "3 Foot Rule"...it doesn't exist on my layout. The "rule" here is the "As Close As I Can Focus Rule" with a corollary allowing Optivisors. Here's a superdetailed brass Key Big Boy, with a highly kitbashed UP CA-1 caboose on the westbound track. Note that the curves are superelevated Railcraft code 55 flex with my own mixture of real dirt and Highball N-scale Ballast:


Having operated on a number of layouts in both N-scale and HO scale, I gotta say that the N-scale ones operate better. The cars seem to stay on the tracks better, the couplers work better and the engines run smoother. Also, in my experience, the track stays cleaner too for some reason.

Although N-scale definitely has an advantage as far as space is concerned, you still have to be selective what engines and cars you want to run when you start talking about radii of less than 15 inches. If your layout widths are 14" and 18", any return loops will have very small radii...like 6" and 8" and you're going to be very limited as to what engines will run on those extra small curves.

I agree that railhead to floor height is best between 50 and 54 inches. The magic height for me is 52" which facilitates closer viewing, ease of putting cars and engines on the rails, but is still low enough to get a good overall view of things, but high enough to get rid of a lot of stooping.

I love N-scale, and I don't feel intimidated at all by its small size. I especially like the great scenery-to-track-ratio which allows long trains and large scenic representations such as this scene, which is a UP Livestock Despatch at the signal at Echo, Utah. Scenery is not finished, turnouts are all hand-laid code 55 and code 40. The engines are superdetailed and custom painted brass F7's and the stock cars are Micro Trains with one of my kitbashed UP CA-1's on the rear. To duplicate this shot in HO, it would be about 36 feet long and 8 feet deep. N-scale makes these types of LDE's practically feasible:


Although I am certain biased, I consider the advantages of N-scale to vastly outweigh its disadvantages. Luckily I chose a time period and location where engines and cars are in pretty good supply. Everything else I either scratchbuild or kitbash. I actually like the idea that I can't just go to my LHS and order everything I want. Forces me to build models.

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

 

Bob, thanks for that great post! Having hand laid some Code 55 in HO, I would definitely give some consideration to hand laying Code 40 on Sidings and 55 on the main.

Any track plan I go with on shelves I mentioned won't have return loops... I'm not a fan of continuous running. I do have a plan in development, with two passing sidings and 2 or 3 industries with a big focus on scenery. Point-to-point with the future in mind (to plug into a larger system).