Hello to all out there in Model Railroad Land. I took my young son last week to a local model railroad show and decided to let him have look at a great lifelong hobby. We saw 2 great layouts and many great vendor tables filled to the brim with goodies. Now I dabbeled in HO many years ago, but was quite limited on space for a layout. Needless to say, I need to build this young lad a train layout .
So after seeing the Woodland Scenics website I thought the N scale trail was a good way to start. I was thinking of a small 2 car passenger train and a small freight to start with on this 3 x 6 layout. Now would it be wise to buy DCC locos to start with ,thinking for future expansion. If so what type of DCC system would I need to get for such a small layout to start with ( btw this DCC is all new to me). Please help as much as you care to.
Thanks,
C Bolick
Well,if I was going DCC in N scale I would buy the DCC equipped locos due to the fact it can be hard to install DCC decoders in some locomotives.
Now,I highly recommend HO since your son will be sharing the hobby with you.[:D]
GO HO and welcome back. My son (now 36) had “N” in the old days and was frustrated with the lack of detials and add on’s. He gave up the hobby at 17 and has not even thought about it. I was HO when I stopped (1984) and sold everything (do not ask) hope she chocked on the money. I am now back in HO and could not be happier. My neighbots boy is getting the bug and I hope his parents get him a train. He had space for HO and he at the old age of 7, thinks “N” is to small and looks like it would break easy. He likes the HO size to see and touch. If you think you will be getting into scratch building structures and such HO is easier on the hands and eyes when we get OLD.
George P.
“Very old KID in AIken”
C,
First of all, welcome back…and welcome to the forum! Good to have you aboard! [:)]
It’s a tough call between HO and N because both have there advantages and disadvantages. With N you get more trackage for your spacing. With HO you get more variety and availability of merchandise. I deciderd on HO because I work on tiny enough stuff at my job; I didn’t want to have to use a microscope to work on trains, too. [%-)] Most of the time I only use my reading glasses to work on modeling or trains. Occasionally, I do have to use a magnifying visor for detailed work…
C, since you are just starting out, I would encourage you to jump right into DCC. That’s the way to go! It’s so much simpler and makes more sense to go that route. I would rather run my trains (DCC) than run my layout (DC). Here are some good links that will help you get started learning.
Tony’s Train Exhange - http://www.tonystrains.com/tonystips/dccprimer/index.htm
Wiring for DCC - http://www.wiringfordcc.com/intro2dcc.htm
As Brakie indicated, putting a decoder in an N locomotive can be challenging. In HO, it can still be challenging but not always because of size. On most of the newer locomotives, they either come with decoders, or the decoder installs are PNP (plug 'n play).
C, just a word of advice. Take your time learning and don’t be overly anxious to try and get everything going at once. First, figure out how much space you have available to you and work from there. Also, stop by a local hobby shop (LHS) in your area that emphasizes trains. MR’s Kalmbach Publishing makes some very helpful “how to” books that will answer (with pictures, too) a lot of questions. Actually, stop by your local library. They probably will have (although maybe dated) some back issues of MR or books on MRRing. (A good way to put YOUR tax $$$'s to work.)
C, I hope you’ll be able to come back often and join us. Don’t be shy about asking (what may see
I was in HO at the beginning (as in, from about 2 years old…got home movies of it even…movies, not video!). Somewhere arounf 69 or 70 we got my Dad an N scale set (well, my Mom did, I don’t think at my age I had much input) and we ended up with a small HO layout with a small N scale layout partially over top (the HO trains ran into a tunnel under a corner of the N layout). Later we expanded the HO and the N stopped being used, but in the mid to late 70’s I was getting frustrated with lack of space in our house and dug out the N scale, and added on. 3 layouts later, I had a 3x6 N scale layout that was more up to date than anything we had previously - ground foam scenery and a top notch MRC transistor power pack, for example. With high school approaching, I got bored of it, mainly because it all ran like the junk it was - I gave up for good RIGHT before those nice Atlas/Kato RS-3’s came out - all my stuff was Bachmann. The only cars I had that were any god were nice Atlas ones. When I got back in the hobby after college, it was back to HO. I didn;t really discover the nice newer N scale stuff until later. I’ve far too much i HO now to think about switching, but if I were to start all ovr again clean TODAY, I would probably go N - there is finally enough 50’s era locos and cars available that I could do it without having to micro-detail every piece myself. Even some good stuff in Reading Pullman Green - it’s REALLY tempting at times. And my 8’ and 12’ wide sections of basement would be NO PROBLEM. Hmm, maybe I should… NOT! Like I said the other day at the LHS… “I will not switch. I will not switch”
–Randy
No the Feeling Randy $10k in HO makes it hard to go N.
I was in the same boat with the eww chessie fan and ho is the way to go. Not a dellicats a the n stuff cause we tried it as well stikk got a box of n stuff that is in the garage collecting dust ho ho ho ho ho ho ho
Thanks for all the postive comments gents, but like I said, space right now is at a premium. That Woodland Scenic layout can be expanded and added on to later down the road. I hope to make some new friends here, so lets release those brakes and get on with it.
Thanks,
Chris B
Maybe dabble in N for a while (don’t spend too much right away). At the same time, try to get some hands-on time with someone else’s HO stuff. Maybe ask to attend some local club meetings and run HO. In the meantime, you could be spending valuable time reading-in and learning more about model railroads and what you would like yours to be capable of. Once your self-education is well underway, you may have come to some conclusions about the various scales. If you elect to go with HO, you will not have overcommitted in N.
I’ve done both and my old eyes really like HO. I can still build stuff. I look at N and it must be nice, but I don’t see the detail as well as HO.
i would think that N would be a challenge for younger kids , just trying to get the cars on the track .
Younger kids!!! Don’t forget about us older (50) kids with the failing eyesight. My eyes go crossed trying to put an HO tender with centipede trucks back on the track. Not even going to try N scale…
Hi all,
Not to take us too far afield, but I’m reentering the hobby after a 10 year hiatus and I’m struggling with the HO vs N issue. I have both - about 6 Athearn HO engines and about 6 Kato N engines. I have more N cars (mainly Microtrains) but as I’m 49, my eyesight is not great for seeing N details like reporting marks and such…
I do have a basement that I could use for a medium sized HO layout, but I’m thinking of maybe just going switching in anywhere from 10 to 20 feet on a 2-foot shelf.
Any ideas how to resolve my dilemma?
Randy;
I know what you mean,I’ve about 10k in HO,BUT I have throught a bout it, A 4’X8’ N scale would be a kingdom! NO I WILL NOT SWITCH,BUT???What ever would I do with my HO.
[}:)][;)]
Years a go you could buy an N scale train for $15.00 or so,but there was not much support for N in those days,It has come a long way sence.[2c]
JIM