This is a follow-up to what Dave said in his “Too Many Details” thread.
So here’s my logic. N-scale is too small to see. You would go nuts trying to model a pile of leaves or a newspaper stuck against a fence. And if you did, who would figure out what it was. N-scale is small enough that you can get away with broad strokes and pull of a great looking layout.
O-scale is too visible. Figures usually look cartoony. And there’s just not enough time in the world to get all the detail right. They are too visible. If a newspaper blew against a fence, you’d need to you could read the headline. You see everything and it is too easy to miss something. You’d go nuts trying to put everything in that would be seen in that scale.
HO represents a compromise. You can put in visible details that can be seen by the observer, plus you are painting broad enough strokes that you don’t have to spend a lifetime detailing a square foot of layout.
Does this make HO better? No, what is does is create different styles of modeling for each of the three scales.
How about Large Scale or S scale? It all depends on what your priorities are. If you love to superdetail small areas or individual objects to the nth degree and aren’t in a hurry to complete your projects - after all, these are enjoyable activities for us detailers - the larger scales are a detailer’s and scratchbuilder’s heaven. The detailing potential and the ease of working with the larger equipment are the two main points that attracted me to the larger scales. For myself, I’m in no hurry to complete a task as long as I’m having fun. You’re right when you say HO is a compromise between detailing and getting things done in a small amount of time - the time saved can be spent on layout design, operation, or scenicking the layout.
I have very little experience with G Scale, but it seems to me, that we are entering almost a new hobby when we discuss it. It is seen from above and usually from some distance. The landscape is live.
It would seem to the Old Dog, that the larger the scale, the better for detailing. However, perhaps one could also say, the smaller the scale, the better for operation.
I just got into N scale after being in HO for a long time…I find you can get away with the sugestion of detail instead of having to detail something all the way out…Because of the small size a little detail can look like lots …Cox 47
Chip,Actually O Scale 2 rail blows HO out of the water in many ways.The details stand out even under normal layout viewing.The layout “ground” can actually vibrate as a heavy train rolls by.
On the other hand you can make a small mistake in HO and it can be unnoticable…This is not true with O scale.Mistakes stands out.
In that case, I’d say you have to pay attention to details even more so than in O scale. Since everything is visible, errors are more prone to be seen. But I’ve never seen a large scale layout. Perhaps you could enlighten me with some pictures.
If you’re talking about adding details yourself, one thing I noticed when I switched from O to HO is there are many more commercial detail parts available in HO (because of the larger ‘fan base’ I suppose), so it’s easier in that sense to create a well detailed HO model.
S scale is hands down the best all around scale. It is small enough to be managable and large enough to be workable.
All those horrible coarse details you HO scaler’s have become the right size in S. That umpteenth layer of detail that O scale needs can be eliminated.
I know what yer gonna say:" Ya gotta scratch build everything in S scale" or “Ain’t that American Flyer and they went out of business in the '60’s” and “That BB gun will shoot your eye out”. Nah. Visit:
You ever notice the scale of plans in older Model Railroader, yeh, they used to have plans of locomotive. Yeh it was S scale, O scale was too large and HO plans gave you eye strain.
Don Dewitt’s modular layout
It also looks more real in pictures, click image to enlarge
I’ll have to agree. I personly LOVED the MR article about the A&O, I also saw an O scale layout at the Springfield, MA train show that was really cool. Have you ever seen a 37 car train with 4 engines in scale O? It’s really awsome!!![8D]
The best details depend on the skill level of the modeler regardless of the scale. Some of the best examples I’ve seen are O, ON3O and HOn3. The odd ball scratch built scales usually blow everything else away.
HO offers the best selection of factory made detail parts at reasonable prices.
