Why did you choose N-Scale?

Hello,

I wonder why the N-scalar chooses the N-Scale Could you please share with us why? Was it the limit of the space, you can put more stuff in relatively small area, neat looking, etc. I am sure there is tons of other reason why did you choose the N-scale.

I am in N-Scale because my wife gave me an N-Scale set as an x-mass gift. So that how I started in this hobby.

Thanks.

Mo

 

The small size and the challenge of working with something that small. Bless that saint you are married to.

 

My dad (who was an HO guy from 1950 to the end) gave me an N set one X-mas back in 1971. I've been in N since then (and HO, too). I built a really nice N scale layout in my bedroom as a kid. I was hooked on diesels - my dad was a steam fan. He used to take me to a hobby shop in Fort Wayne, Indiana called Sycamore Hollow Hobbies - the guy who ran it told me that he was sure that one day I would be a steam fan, and would probably convert completely to HO. Dick Yeager was right - I did become a huge fan of B&O and C&O steam. I do split my time about even between N and HO.
The last time I saw Dick Y. was at a train show in Indiana years ago - think he was living out west in Oregon and making HO signals...

 

My oldest brothers started with Lionel. The next pair of brothers did HO. I cut my teeth on bigger scales. After my teen years of being "too cool" for trains I helped a nephew tack his Christmas HO train to a board and I realized how much I missed it. The day after Christmas I went to the hobby store and bought two N scale starter sets (half price). I was drawn to the idea of more railroad per square foot, less compression. That was over 15 years ago, still growing and learning.

 

Space. actually it is lack of space! Living in an apartment sometimes limits ones choices.
Cheers.

http://cliffordconceicao3310.fotopic.net/c328807.html

 

Very nice work, Cliff! I looked at the entire photo album.

About how large is your layout and what is the general trackplan?

 

Mo, check out these previous threads to see many of the reasons

http://www.trainboard.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi/ubb/get_topic/f/9/t/006836.html?

http://www.trainboard.com/ultimatebb.php/ubb/get_topic/f/9/t/004535.html#000000

 

Several years ago, I belonged to a group of guys with common model train interests. We met each Thursday evening at a different guy's house to run trains, help with layout construction or just sit drinking tequila BS-ing about trains. Most of the guys were into HO or 3-rail O gauge.

I was a 2-rail O Scale AND HO guy but like many of the other non-N modelers, eventually found myself drawn to the awesome scenery and operating potentials of the only N scale layout in the group.

As time went along, we all continuously opted to visit the N scale layout because of the fun operating sessions....ignoring several outstanding HO layouts in the process.

The N scale layout was 20'x35' so all 14 of us had things to do during an operating session. We'd often run trains well into Friday morning and never miss the time and were finally forced to make it a Friday evening affair to avoid wife and work problems.

I bought a few Atlas locos to run and before I knew it, I was totally hooked. I eventually sold all my O scale stuff and have significantly downsized my HO layout to make way for an N expansion into that room.

Would I ever leave N scale? No way.
Cam

 

Thanks Nelson

 

I had modeled in HO for a couple years but wasn't really satisfied. Then I visited an N layout and the rest, as they say, is history. I arm-chaired for too many years until my wife Pat gave me an N set for our anniversary. Now I'm building a small layout that wouldn't be as extensive as it will be if I had remained with HO. An additional bonus: Our 4-year-old grandson is wowed by N-scale. He collects Hot Wheels and similar small vehicles; I suspect this is his reason for his interest in N scale. He's helping me with the layout (currently we're laying track) and loves running trains on the portion that's completed. N scale and a grandson: what more could I ask?

 

Nelson - Thanks! Man it was good to read through those and see how far, (even if slowly), I have come.

Mo - Like those threads said and I have confirmed:
1) Chicks _do_ do like the cute and sexy trains. Mostly it is the little steam or my bullet train. I'm not sure why.

2) I can get opperations, lots of storage, and long runs in one room thus satisfying a life long dream.

 

I just like trains. I'll take any scale, but space does sort of make one lean toward N scale.

 

I built, but never finished 2 HO layouts within a 2 year span back in 98-99. The second HO layout was 8 x 14, and took up way too much room for a layout that seemed so small.

I gave it some thought, and sold every single piece of my HO stuff on ebay. Took all that money (less than $1000), and jumped into N Scale head first. I'm working on my third layout since 2001, and I'm going to finally finish this one. So basically, I went to N Scale because the size allows me to do much, much more in a smaller or equal amount of space.

I still get looks from the local hobby shops here in Fort Wayne when I ask them a question about N Scale items. "Oh, you're one of those N Scale guys." Perhaps that's one of the reasons I only go there for looking at items and buying magazines.

 

Dave,
I just don't understand the scale snobbishness people give out. If someone tells me they are into a larger scale, I have no issue with it. If they have z scale, I don't care I still want to see what they are doing with their layout. I just plain like trains.

 

I've answered this a number of times on previous threads. I have nothing new to add from the previous posts. I simply like the capability to model in a fairly large-scene sense.

 

1. I don't really think it was as much as space issue as it was the "type" of layout wanted, with long straight passing sidings able to handle long trains. What I mean is that I didn't really want MORE layout or a bigger layout, just a different one that would better handle what I wanted to do. Of course by default the additional space is ultimately nice.
2. Curve radius was big. I would need to push the envelope of sharp curves in HO, and with N I can get large curves in less area.
3. Long trains are difficult in HO since you run out of track real quick unless you have a lot of space.

I was in HO (and O-27, N, and G to a lesser extent) in my school days, and I just realized that I would never be able to build the layout I wanted in HO because of my propensity for modern, long cars (autoracks, 89-foot flats, etc.) and large diesels (SD40-2, SD60M, SD70MAC) plus my desire to run long coal drags that just didn't quite look right to me with only 15-18 cars.

I got out of model railroading during the college days and when DCC was still mostly on the drawing board. I said that when a quality, DCC ready SD40-2 was available in N-scale then it would be time to revisit. Kato granted my wish and now I'm an N-scale lifer.

 

I didn't choose N , I was born with a gene or something.

I was given an N set at 4 yrs old. I've stayed N ever since. I like the size to space use ratio. If Z offerred more and wasn't so expensive I probably would switch to Z.

 

I am in N scale for the space not savings but for what I hope one day to build My Layout will be based on the Clinchfield and also on the Interstate Railroads My plan is for a three deck layout with the Interstate in the middle so the size of N makes for good size trains and operations

 

I’d say that I didn’t choose N-scale, rather it chose me.

My first train as a kid was in N-scale (Atlas C&NW E8 passenger set). My parents got it for me, and neither of them was into the hobby. Go figure.

I stayed with it from there, despite the condescending looks and snide comments from HO modelers over the years.