[:)]
First, N-scalers, don’t flame me, because the OP already has an established HO layout.
N-scale could be fun as a display/demonstration layout (like those bookshelf or coffee table N-scale layous (example coffee table layout here - Not mine, just randomly chosen) - pick a era, area, road, etc different from your current HO layout so nothing gets stale, and have fun - have a loop with some switching, nothing too complex, and show off your N-scale locomotives and rolling stock with a little more excitment and interest than a static display case. Bookshelf layouts can go lots of places, you can cram lots of switching and building flats, or you can model a wide open run.
Actually, take the bookshelf layout idea and run with it as many people have been doing since 1974 - create a module (or two) for club duty/display layout - study your N-trak standards! BTW, when you show off your module(s) at an club open house or other venue viewing event, you are prohibited from wearing engineers hats or bandanna, so keep that in mind. More seriously, you’ll need some sort of clear plastic barrier at the module display edge to deter civilian hands from vandalism (intentional or not) or souvenir hunting.
You do NOT want to ‘interweave’ N & HO scale tracks, it just looks craptacular - you could pull off a forced perspective with the N scale in the background, but eh…that kinda loses the concept of N-scale railroading as…it’s by definition in the background, as ‘props’ like cloud painted backdrops and so on - not too much operation there (which is why most such concepts are limited to far-off buidings, farms, cars on distant roads - the art of forced perspective). Maybe you could use binoculars to view the N-scale trains 4 or more feet in the background…
And yes, some people use N scale track as a narrow gauge (HOn30?
Many of us that model in 2 scales belongs to a HO club while modeling N Scale at home due to the lack of space.Some may even have 2 switching layouts.
Now there are clubs that have HO and N Scale layouts and some members may have models for both scale.
So,its quite easy to model in 2 scales.
[quote user=“chutton01”]
First, N-scalers, don’t flame me, because the OP already has an established HO layout.
N-scale could be fun as a display/demonstration layout (like those bookshelf or coffee table N-scale layous (example coffee table layout here - Not mine, just randomly chosen) - pick a era, area, road, etc different from your current HO layout so nothing gets stale, and have fun - have a loop with some switching, nothing too complex, and show off your N-scale locomotives and rolling stock with a little more excitment and interest than a static display case. Bookshelf layouts can go lots of places, you can cram lots of switching and building flats, or you can model a wide open run.
Actually, take the bookshelf layout idea and run with it as many people have been doing since 1974 - create a module (or two) for club duty/display layout - study your N-trak standards! BTW, when you show off your module(s) at an club open house or other venue viewing event, you are prohibited from wearing engineers hats or bandanna, so keep that in mind. More seriously, you’ll need some sort of clear plastic barrier at the module display edge to deter civilian hands from vandalism (intentional or not) or souvenir hunting.
You do NOT want to ‘interweave’ N & HO scale tracks, it just looks craptacular - you could pull off a forced perspective with the N scale in the background, but eh…that kinda loses the concept of N-scale railroading as…it’s by definition in the background, as ‘props’ like cloud painted backdrops and so on - not too much operation there (which is why most such concepts are limited to far-off buidings, farms, cars on distant roads - the art of forced perspective). Maybe you could use binoculars to view the N-scale trains 4 or more feet in the background…
And yes, some people use N scal
For me it´s HO at home and N at the modular society meetings!
It´s way easier to transport N scale modules and equipment than HO…
I mean; a whole N-scale trainset fits in a shoebox, and the landscape is not as high on the modules, so I can have them in the trunk of the car.
I’ve never really thought about it I just do it.I have a large N scale home layout (25’6" x 10’6") a small (2’ x 4’) Z scale layout for shows and to just tinker with (soon to be replaced by a 34" x 60" layout).My partner in crime as I jokingly refer to him and I are building a On30 layout.
Except for the Z scale there is no major expence for me as I have been gathering “parts-n-pieces” for a long time for all of it.
Oh and while I am thinking about it we are going to be building a new TTRAK (N scale) layout to take to shows along with my Z portable and Bill’s small N scale portable.
Just remember if you do a lot of stuff like I do and some of the others on here and other forums or just contentedly build your HO layout,this is YOUR hobby,mine is in West Michigan.
It depends on what you want to accomplish.
If you just want a place to watch your trains run then you could do a two level layout with one scale on each level. If you want more realism then you do two layouts. Since N is small you could do a shelf layout above your current layout or a roll under the HO layout. If you have the space you can just have a second layout.
You also have to consider the size and time requirements of your primary scale. Do you have enough time, money, etc. left over to do a second scale? At some point I plan to do a second layout, but at the moment all my time is tied up with my primary layout, a 12x31 layout that is planned to expand into the rest of the basement.
Of course if your real desire is to have N scale, then pack up the HO and build an N scale layout. I hear a lot of talk about time and money invested in one scale, but really you have nothing invested. You have spent some money and time on a leisure activity, HO scale model railroading. Now you wish to do a different leisure activity, N scale model railroading. Spend your future leisure dollars and time on it.
Personally, I have changed scales twice from HO to O and then from O to S. Along the way I built an N scale layout for my son and dabbled in G and Lionel. I still have all of it (I know, I know, I’m a pack rat) just in case I change again.
Enjoy
Paul
I’ve seen layouts in MR where the modeler has used N scale in the background. This is based on an old photography trick known as “forced perspective”. It makes the smaller scale trains look like they’re farther back in the layout to give the illusion of greater depth.
A friend of mine has a G scale layout and one of the scenic ed houses has an N scale backyard railroad that operates. This is outdoors and the N scale layout is taken inside when the weather is bad.
Many of the members in my club are multiple scalers. One member has operating layouts in Z through O and is building a G scale garden. This club has scales from G to N. http://nausetmodelrrclub.com/
Pete
I have heard of the forced-perspective idea, I am giving serious consideration to employing it in a future layout. I have never actually seen it in practice however.
One thing I have seen done quite a bit is to incorporate small-scale trains (N or Z) into larger scale layouts by using them to represent amusement park rides. A loop of track is set up in the confines of a park or zoo setting. Fill the flatcars and gondolas with large-scale passenger setting on benches. As stated earlier however, in this context the small trains are simply props. Often they are simply static models.
Should I ever get to thepoint where I could build my ideal train room, I would build a two-level layout. I would have my American Flyer operating on the lower level, at about counter-top height. And I would have my O-scale narrow guage trains on the upper level, at shoulder height. They would operate as two distinct entities.
Yeah, I know, and it even mentionsas such in the Wiki article linked to (e.g. oNeTrak), but I figured he has to start somewhere, and Ntrak has the “name recognition” at least.
I suppose FreeMo (which seems pretty darn amphorous a concept to me) can be applied to any scale.
I had gathered from the OP that he is not interested in full-time n-scale, but wanted it as an addition to his main HO scale layout (hence the mention of incorporation it into his main layout “interwoven”). Therefore it is likely that his space for N-scale may be limited - so in that case a coffee-table layout (decorative, entertaining, and useful) can work, or a book-shelf layout - perhaps in the train room (under or above the main layout, as has been mentioned). Then from there, naturally comes the idea of the transportable module (which I feel by necessity have to be of a somewhat less delicate, less detailed nature - even in HO or larger - otherwise you may end up with piles of wood splinters, styrene strips, and plasters chips by the time you get to the venue) - “Hey everyone, the Franklin & South Manchester’s going on tour - whoo-hoo!”
Yeah, I mentioned this in my post above, but the problem is that the N-scale structures and equipment usually is more of a prop than anything you typically run. - I recall one or two with an elevated or streetcar line ru
I have a small HO scale layout. I also have N scale stuff from teen years,
My Other Half {MOH} is into N scale.
At christmas we bring out a layout that has a loop of HO scale on the outside,and 2 loops of N scale on the inside. the layout is basically set up to be N scale inside, but I can also run my HO scale trains under the tree as well.
At Christmas. MOH gets to run trains and I can the rest of the year with my HO. I can also run my N scale stuff under the tree, should I choose to break it out.
That is how we model two scales.
Here’s one way…
