It's nice BUT, a ?

It’s certainly NICE to see and read all the pictures and information on this Forum and, I must admit, that I have learned a great deal BUT the emphasis seems to be on “HO” and “N”. I, myself, was a dedicated “HO” modeler for many years. When I switched to “O”, I implemented many of the things I had learned from working with the smaller trains.

Here’s my question: Has anyone modeled in “O” scale? If so, have you run into any specific “O” scale layout issues? As always, thanks for your comments.

PS This is a “modelers” question. Please don’t send me to the ‘Classic Toy’ forum. Thanks.

John Armstrong, for openers!

John Page (way back Model Railroader editor,) George Humann (South Shasta Lines,) almost everybody who was active pre-WWII. I can’t offer any present-day names, but I’m sure they’re out there.

On30 is O scale (1:48) and plenty of people model it.

From my admittedly biased point of view, anyone who wants to can model in any scale. And more than a few have modeled real railroad operations with ‘toy trains’ rolling stock. Frank Ellison wasn’t the first, and I’m sure he wasn’t the last.

If a person has the space, the money, the time and the inclination, the N-scale LA&SL layout in the January MR can be expanded around the walls of a basement in O scale (except that I’d substitute Las Vegas for Caliente. More action - and not just in the casinos.)

If I were to change scales (about as likely as Jupiter changing orbits!) I’d keep my present 16.5mm track gauge. My steamers would acquire new 1:48 scale superstructures appropriate to the 2’6" gauge system that once ran on the East Coast - of Taiwan.

(You might get the man out of the Orient, but you can’t get the Orient out of the man.)

Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - in 1:80 scale, aka HOj)

Hi traindaddy: I model N Scale and like traction.

There is a large amount of O Scale + HO Scale Traction but not that much N Scale Traction (Ex: http://www.eastpenn.org/). Without knowing how you feel I do have a pretty good idea how you feel (PA-Dutch verbage).

There is one O Scale blessing that could also be a curse – O Scale has the size to do detailing right. If scenic, engine, structure, rolling stock detailing is not done right – It will stick out like a sore thumb (to = toylike).

I agree with your statement about sticking out like a sore thumb. I recently went to the annual train show here in town, and they didn’t even bother to put a skimcoat of drywall mud down to smooth out the substrate. They were using OSB, with just a coat of green paint on it to represent “grass”…

Looked VERY amateur, and I KNOW this club is capable of much better. I know this is my first post here, but I’ve had some experience with modeling, back when I was a kid. (not TOO long ago)

I moved into On30. I find myself using much HO scale engineering while working in O scale space. It’s alot of fun. Cheaper too.

TomikawaTT; tgindy; Last Chance…Thanks for your posts. (I’m well “into” the larger stuff now after fifty years operating in the “HO” world. I have encountered and overcome a few obstacles along the way and have adapted many of the techniques acquired in my smaller stuff days. I was mainly interested in issues that might have arisen, similar to mine, experienced by others.)

dngrous: [#welcome] to the Forum

Have you asked at Classic Toy Trains if anyone models in O scale? It seems to me that would be the place to start as folks interested in O, whether scale or tinplate tend to go. I am sure there are nice layouts, sceniced in both “toy” and scale. Hopefully you can find some willing to share with you.

Good luck,

cowman: I am a ‘regular’ on the Classic Toy Forum. Just thought I’d “step out of the box” on this one. Thanks.

I say it’s time for Kalmbach to build a On30 subsection for us in the middle LOL.

Having said that, the only challenge in O scale is it;s too expensive and just too big. So On30 was my way of getting settled into a larger scale. I can always learn how to dual gauge O scale and make a interchange connection between O and On30 someday.

Sure I can build a O gauge layout but it will be small and suffer from space limitations. On30 solved it for me.

I had a very small O-scale layout from 1982 until 2003. I originally built it for exhibition at the first Great American Train show.

Issues:

  1. Took up way more space than I had room for. Trying to keep it, I actually moved it outside for a while. Even getting my new space 90’x60’ I don’t see how I could go with O and be satisfied with the trains per square foot issue.
    1a. I like full length passenger equipment. In HO this means 44" minimum radius. In O-scale I might be able to get by with 60" (due to larger tolerances in the larger equipment).
  2. There were no longer any cheap O-scale manufacturers. In the late 1970s and early 1980s I lived on AHM and Atlas equipment. All my track was AHM. Then they were gone and there was … nothing but 3-rail stuff.
  3. Price of everything. I can afford several brass locomotives in other scales for the price of one O-scale. At one time I thought about joining an O-scale club. Just buy one train and use that layout, right? Well after shopping around, I decided I couldn’t afford it. 1 box car kit less trucks and couplers for $40. A fully assembled one for $100. Need a train of at least 20 cars too look OK :frowning:

I was in O scale for about 15 years. What finally did me in was the lack of products, and the prices. Either they didn’t make what I wanted, or I had to spend $40 for something that cost $5 in HO or N.

Anyway, I’d suggest going over to the Atlas Forums, they have them divided in O-HO-N scales so you can talk to just O scalers if you want.

Last Chance: “Gotcha” thanks.

Texas Zepher: Wow! 90 feet by 60 feet is larger that my home. Thanks for the post.

Stix: Will do. Thanks.