I NEED HELP DECIDING ON HO or N GUAGE FOR MY START UP LAYOUT. I HAVE A 12 x 12 LAYOUT AREA AVAILABLE. CAN SOMEONE GIVE ME THE PROS and CONS on THIS?
Welcome to the Forums [#welcome]
Number 1, how old are you and how good is your eyesight?
The basic pros of N gauge is that you can fit more on the same size layout.
Cons are they are small and usually not as detailed as a result. Also the sound quality of the sound loco’s isn’t as good.
Ho is basically twice the size in scale. Detail is better and for a 12x12 you can do a lot.
Doing things like cleaning, repairs and coupler changes is much much easier due to size.
There are also more products available since HO is the most popular.
I suggest you visit an LHS if available and listen to a decent HO loco with DCC and Sound. It’s what made me switch from N.
What about the curves in that space?
You can run some good, large diameter curves with a 12x12. 30 inch will run pretty much anything and look good. 12x12 gives you a lot of options for sure.
Can a 30 inch curve fit on a four foot wide board without to close to the end.
No but it can be used on part of it. A radius is half of a full turn so a 48 inch (4 foot) wide layout would only allow for 22 inch radius average curves.
Thanks Hamltnblue trying to find another layout plan so where i can run the three Auto Max cars that i have.
In general, smaller scales allow for longer trains, bigger equipment, higher scenery to track ratio, and more railroad.
Larger scales allow for more model building / detailing, the trains have more presence, and the parts are larger and easier to work with.
In a 12x12 area you can use any scale from Z to G so it really depends on what you want to do.
If you truely can’t make a choice, then HO is probably your best bet since it is the most widely available. Stick with the economy lines such as Accurail, Athearn, Atlas, so you don’t have too much invested. With a little practical experience, you can decide whether the scale is right or you need to move down to N or Z or up to S, O, or G.
Good luck
Paul.
I agree with the comments about age and eyesight. I first started collecting N back when it was still being called OOO, and still have some original Minitrix. I was thinking I might try a small layout in N, but after first adding a power unit to a dummy F-7B, and then converting all my Rapido style couplers to Kadee,I think I’ll stick with HO. Maybe if TT were still available in American prototype? But, I like toscratch build and crosskit, and at my age, my eyesite and fingers just don’t handle the really small stuff too well anymore. Even though at my job I retired from last year, I was soldering 0402 components onto prototype circuit boards, and even soldering #30 wire jumpers onto fine pitch chips leads. N just became too small for me.
But then, I no longer have a 10 power stereo microscope to work with, either.
First off, [#welcome], welcome aboard.
You say you have a 12 X 12 area - but what is that area. A square island in the middle of a garage or basement will have very different possibilities than a spare bedroom with a door, window and closet to deal with.
If you can build around the perimeter of your space you can arrange 30 inch radius curves easily - even if the layout is actually a series of shelves and bridges around that bedroom. OTOH, if (as indicated) you are trying to use something four feet wide for some part of the benchwork, 22 inch radius is doable but risky (especially if built with sectional track, which does not allow spiral easements into curves.) I would use 21.5 inch radius (not available as sectional track) and easements - but I built my beginner layout during the Truman administration.
No matter what form your layout takes (C, G, perfect square or some form of donut) be aware that working on anything much over 24 inches in from the nearest accessible point can become a royal pain in the sternpost. The shorter or less flexible you are, the more valid this point.
As for whether HO is or isn’t preferable to N, that is a decision that can only be made by the person who pulls on your socks. I don’t model in either, so I can be totally impartial. N scale is somewhat more difficult to work with due to its smaller size, which demands a higher general level of accuracy - but that 22 inch radius curve that’s a snug fit in HO is a broad, sweeping arc capable of handling the longest N scale cars at Acela speeds without a hiccup.
One last point. For a startup layout (and every subsequent layout) - keep it simple! There is a natural temptation to cram every possible noodle into the bowl of spaghetti. Try to resist. Don’t add a single turnout or side track unless you can justify its existence NOW. If and whe
Just my [2c] worth to the issue:
Over the 50 years since introduction, N scale has come a very long way, in terms of detail and quality. Due to the size, N scale cannot have the wealth of detail, that premium HO equipment has, but most of it would be too small to be seen, anyway. DCC is also available in most locos, but sound is still a bit “thin”. If you are into steam, N scale does not have to offer a lot - the Big Boy and Challenger are, of course, available, there is an SP Cab Forward from Intermountain and an excellent Mikado from Kato, not to forget their GS-4, but that´s about it.The range of Diesel locos in N scale is very much satisfying, I´d say.
Choosing N scale is not really a matter of eyesight and age - there are many “senior” people posting pictures of their work in N scale here, which earn a [bow].
The choice of scale, IMHO, depends on what type of operation you want to have on your layout. If you dig switching operation, spotting cars at local industries etc., then HO scale is a better choice, just for the ease of handling. If you like to run trains and see them move around sweeping curves and through spectacular scenery, then N scale should be your choice. Just take a look at the videos MR has done on their this year´s project layout!
However, N scale loses a lot when you view your layout from an eagle´s perspective. You need to build your layout at near eye level to get that real railroad feeling. HO scale is a little more forgiving in that respect. HO scale also seems to be more forgiving, when you cram too much track onto your layout. N scale is at its best, when you make best use of its size by actually having less track on your layout. Just to explain, what I mean by this:
The classic HO scale 4 by 8 layout scaled down to N measures a little over 2 by 4. As your eyes and mind deceive you when viewing it, the smaller object will look a lot more crammed than the bigger object.
Is that confusing?
Each scale has its advantages and disadvantages as mentioned by other posters.
I’ve solved the dilemma by having both. I have an HO shelf switcher (soon to become an L-shaped shelf) and an N-scale oval roundy-round. People have different perspectives but I find switching easier in HO while I get to run much longer “through” trains in N. Both layouts are light - foam on hollow core doors so I can move them around if needed.
I will second (or third) the suggestion that you not cram a lot of track into your space. I also suggest that you look up the “Heart of Georgia Better Beginners Layout” since you have a 12X12 (square?). The HOG is adaptable to N or HO or even other scales.
you can always go with HOn2 1/2, Use your old mechanisms and build new super structure.
Don’t forget narrow gauge! With H0n3 you have smaller radii, shorter trains than with standard gauge.
Wolfgang
I actually do have some old Minitrains HOn for N guage track. In fact, I took one of the sets into work a few Christmases to have a train under the department Christmas tree. I hope to incorporate them into my next HO layout, possibly to feed clay to a brick mill from an old MR article.
Another idea for using N on HO. A semi-local Outlet mall in Lodi Ohio has a train running around the property. It seems to be about a 24" or so guage. Actually a model RR to transport customers around the complex. A 4-4-0 with 3 enclosed “Coaches”. The loco is a diesel-hydraulic, with decent steam sound. Think of an N guage loco with the tender modified to have an HO scale engineer sitting at the controls. The coaches are wwide enough to have 3 adults sitting side by side.
I do kind of wish I could easier work with N, though. Actually, I still could, with care. Just that I have far more HO, and it is much easier for me to work with HO anymore. Still think TT would be an ideal compromise in size, with the ease of modeling in 1/10" = 1’.
Or how about an operating garden RR on an HO layout, using Z scale?
Hello there,
I have a friend who wants to start in Model railroading also. He has a great 20 x18 space to fill with HO, and already has some models, kits, buildings for it. However he has ‘put the brakes on’ and agreed to start small to get his skills and interests cemented first. A small island style layout would be the way to go in my opinion, in HO, to take advantage of the DCC sound and workable sizing. Model railroading is a lifelong hobby with much diversity so have a go at things, don’t rush and have fun !!. By the way, I am actually an N scale modeller in my early 40s and think N scale is great. I still believe HO has many merits though, which is why I recommend it.
regards
David