I’ve been forced into a smaller abode, which has forced me to storing my HO stuff in boxes. I don’t have “a lot” of stuff (excluding “trash” I’ve picked up “just because it’s in the bin with the stuff I want”, 5-7 locomotives, maybe 10-20 cars, most of the “Modern Roundhouse” Walthers kits) … so it’s not like I’m making a switch after collecting 20 years worth of stuff.
Since there’s “zero” space available to put up something in HO – even a switching layout would be cramped with the space I have (static dioramas would be all I could do), I’m considering a foray into N scale.
That said, I’m not knowledgeable with N Scale offerings or if there’s even the same amount of available options as with HO. Most I can tell you is that Micro Trains is the way to go for couplers, and that Kato makes good quality stuff. Rather than picking up the Walthers’ Catalogue and hoping for the best, I figured it’d be a good idea to be pointed in the right direction and start off with some good things to be looking at/for that will make things enjoyable.
As for now, the only druthers that matter are:
Year - 194x
Locale - Midwest (Ohio/Indiana/Illinois), though PA is nice too
Railroad - NYC or PRR would be my first choice, though Nickel Plate, or the B&O could be interesting to do too … some of this would be dictated by what’s available (both model-wise, and “hey, look at these awesome books”-wise)
What I’m actually going to do hasn’t really been decided yet, mostly due to the fact I don’t yet have a full workup of the actual amount of space that’s available. Probably only something like 18x36" (if that).
First, I wouldn’t try and run steam unless you can see it first hand. I do have a Bachmann 2-6-6-2 and it runs OK but is not a great puller. Putting a decoder in it was not easy and the light board was not isolated from the frame which caused some problems. N scale diesels are much better. Atlas is good, Athearn is OK, and Kato is good. Try and get locos that were produced from the late 1990’s on because they will be easier to put DCC decoders in and most use the Kato chassis. Most decoders are drop in now which make it really easy. TCS makes good decoders for N scale and shows installation photos.
N scale trackwork has to be really good for it to run well. Not like HO where you can get away with some slop.
Well-intentioned advice here, but some is slightly out of date. N scale locos built in the last ten years or so run great, and there is some good-running small steam from Bachmann and others. It’s been decades since “most” N scale engines used the Kato chassis. Atlas, Bachmann and others have their own designs. Many N scale engines are now available with DCC decoders already built in such as Bachmann’s 2-8-0 Consolidation and many more. So there’s no need to do DCC installs in many cases.
For a broader view on N scale, the Original Poster might be well-advised to also ask on a forum that has a larger population of active N scalers such as Railwire or Trainboard.
Thanks guys, a lot of the “normal” stuff is covered in the NMRA RPs (weight, minimum radius, etc), or it applies just the same (e.g. 1:1 scale hands still need 4-6" if you’re going 2 levels, watch for kinks in trackwork, feeders, etc).
The other sites might be helpful, will peruse them as time permits. This is honestly going to stay small, probably just a little thing to play with until I’m able to go back to HO scale… or not, we’ll see [;)]
There are a number of small (2x4) layouts in the track plan database. Sept 12 MR has a couple too. If you have space to store a hollow core door, there’s a larger, yet still lightweight possibility.
If you will have to store it, think about under bed. Standing one against a wall behind furniture works in some cases. If you do have to stand the layout on its side or end make sure your buildings are well attached or easily removable. A piece of foam board from an office supply store could be cut to fit just inside the base of each building. If you choose to leave the buildings on the layout, attach the foam board to both the building and the layout. If you choose to make them removable, attach the foam board to the layout and set the building over the base when you set the layout up.
I’ve had my space cut too, but have a considerable collection that was meant for a much larger layout.
