im just starting with the hobby and i just want to know what scale to start with. HO, N ect.
thank you
adam
There’s a lot of factors that can go into that decision. One of the most immediate to you will be, which size appeals to you? I’m in N-scale, partly because that size just feels right to me.
HO is the most popular and will give you the broadest range of selection. If you discover that you really like the thought of having onboard sound in all your engines, then you probably want to stick with HO since that’s where most of the sound-decoder equipped locos are being released, for instance.
If you really like to see all the rods and pistons working on a steam locomotive, then a larger scale might be appropriate, or just feel better to you. Though I’m in N-scale, I model the diesel era; if I was into steam, I’d probably go for a larger scale, just to feel the weight of the big steam engines.
How much space you have to devote to a layout is a big factor, too. Consider whether you like running long trains over long mainlines, or if you prefer switching a few cars at a time through a maze of industrial trackage. If you lean towards longer mainline runs, then a smaller scale will fit more into the given area.
Scenery can be a factor, too - what kind of geography do you want to convey? What ratio of scenery to trains feels right to you? This is something that you can figure out by visiting other layouts, or at least reading about them in magazines and online.
Find out about local clubs that you might join; the collective expertise can be very helpful. That might sway you towards one scale or another, too - say you join an N-Trak club, you’d probably then go into N-Scale and build a module. But you don’t have to! You can just enjoy running trains and picking up skills, all while learning the ins and outs of that particular scale.
The popular gauges, G,O, HO, and N can make you a good model railroad. There is plenty of commercial equipment available and it all runs well. The smaller scales let you pack more railroad (track and scenery) into the same space. The larger scales are easier to made models in, kit build, scratch build, paint and decal in. If the model building aspect of the hobby appeals to you, I would go with HO, it’s large enough to work on and small enough to allow a good sized layout in reasonable space. HO is the most popular gauge and the equipment is cheaper than other scales.
O gauge is fun if you have the room but the O equipment costs more than HO equipment. G is so large that many railroaders build outdoor layouts for it. G Gauge equipment is as expensive or even more expensive than O gauge.
Scales S, TT, and Z exist, but commercial support is thin. The people modeling in those scales are old pro’s who scratchbuild much of their stuff. Not a scale that I would recommend to a beginner.
There are narrow gauge models available. HOnxx is HO scale narrow gauge, Onxx is O scale narrow gauge, where xx is a number indicating the narrowness of the gauge. HO narrow gauge can be fussy about track work. Narrow gauge prototype were steam logging and mining rail roads in the 19th century. Unless the Old West appeals strongly to you, I would stick with standard gauge models. Even if you like the Old West, you can do standard gauge. The most famous western train, the train that brought Frank Miller into town to confront Gary Cooper in High Noon was standard gauge.
To some extent very true - but there is more support for Z scale every year, and that is where I’m starting for space reasons. Z scale is even having it’s first scale specific convention, next April.
Please don’t take this the wrong way but if you have to ask such a basic question, your not ready to start.
Do a little more anaysis and ask yourself these questions, what are you trying to achieve? very importantly - how much space to you have to work with? and how much detail do you want to have?
N is great for small spaces but has very limited detail prospects, HO is better for detailing but needs more space, pricewise and supply wise they are both fairly similar with lots to choose from.
What layouts or modelers do you already like? I found that often helps determine what direction might work best for you.
One thing to consider that has not been directly addressed is how much detail work you want to do. The smaller the scale the more intricate each detail job is. This can even include things like painting buildings or some wireing/electrical tasks, I mention this because as I got older a combination of eyesight, fine hand touch, and sometimes patience with my fumbling all played a larger role regarding the jobs I felt confident in taking on.
I model HO for a number of reasons, but I’m regularly tempted to do a smaller N layout just because of some of the positives already cited. So far I’ve talked myself out of it simply because of the difficulties I can see in doing minute tasks. For a younger, more dextrous person there would like be no big deal.
Other modelers who can also get the ‘Senior’ discount at the movies, may have none of these problems, but for me it has become a consideration.
Good luck.
hi. thank you for all your help. i will probably stick with HO because space is not a problem. also i have built many ww2 dioramas in 1/35 scale and i know alot about terrain im mostly concerned about wiring and price. i can probably spend about $300 on a train and $500 on terain at the moment. is that enough?
Before discussing scales there is one basic question to be answered:
What is it about full scale railroad activity that makes you want to model it?
The second basic question is, What is the smallest scale compatible with your present and future probable physical size and condition? The best way to find out is to go to a well-stocked hobby shop and get a feel for the actual sizes involved.
The third question is, How much space do you have now, and how much might you have in the future? Almost every new model railroader has 4 x 8 feet as a default setting, but you can build a lot more railroad, and a lot more interesting railroad, if you go to different dimensions and consider different track configurations.
The fourth question, which is a delicate one unless you won the lottery and have a LOT of disposable income, is, how much can you afford to spend? Model railroading isn’t the world’s most expensive hobby, but it costs lots more than jigsaw puzzles. (Some of the things that go into model railroading resemble jigsaw puzzles - but cost more on a unit/unit basis)
Ultimately, model railroading encompasses every known technical subject - agronomy to zoology and all the -ologies in between. The good part is that you can learn at your own speed and make up your own final exams. I have been involved with toy and scale model trains for all but the first five months of my life and am still learning - and enjoying every minute of it.
Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
i know the sizes and how they look. i also wrote in my other reply that space is not a problem. yes i am a new railroader but i will make this a big pricy project so none of that is a issue.
If you enjoy building diorama’s in 1:35 scale, I’d think you will enjoy building HO scale model rolling stock and structures. If you have lots of space, I would suggest building a small “subset” railroad first, and later adding expansion sections. If you launch into building a room filling super layout, you may find the amount of work required before you can run trains exceeds your available time and energy. John Allen started with a 3 by 5 foot HO layout that later grew into the room filling and world famous Gorre and Depheted.
To get started you only need a single locomotive, a few cars , a DC power pack and track. As funds permit you can grow your rolling stock fleet, but you don’t need that much to start having fun. Second hand equipment can be had from train shows, E bay, yard sales, or Craigs list for much less than list price. A paint job and decals can transform low grade train set cars into quite respectable models. A simple hand made overcenter spring will make turnouts operate without expensive Tortoise switch machines. Surplus wire can be had for little money. Try All Electronics on the internet for low cost LED’s and toggle switches. I made my own roadbed from ordinary pine boards with a Craigslist bandsaw. My train club donated a supply of flextrack sufficient to get my humble round the walls layout running.
In short, I think you could build a very respectable HO layout with an overall $800 budget and a good deal of scrounging.
1/35? Shee-oot why not go Large Scale?, I’m doing 1/22.5 indoors but then I’m nuts!
HO? $300 bucks should get you a small but good set of rolling stock (two GOOD not great but good engines, a small (10-15) variety of freight cars and a couple passenger cars) and $500 is more than enouch for benchwork and scenery if you are budget conscious and dont insist of fancy woods for benchwork and high end scenery materials. almost all scenery can be made from easily obtainable materials fromm hardware stores, craft stores, etc.
I used Home Despot 1"x4"x8’ footers at about $2 a pop to build my benchwork, lately I’ve been using 1 x 3s for about a $1 a pop, I’ve read about benchwork being built out of solid birch plywood or some other high dollar wood, if you got the bucks go for it, but my cheepo benchwork is still going strong 3 years later. Lots of good advice here, dont be afriad to ask questions.
Money will be a problem if you make early mistakes. I think your question is a sign you are in the mind-set to inquire and to learn. Excellent! [:D]
Ideally, you would contact a local train shop and find where people meet if there are clubs in your area. Invite yourself to a couple of meetings and develop a sense of what you might enjoy the most in the hobby. Scale is one thing, but what is your layout going to do that mimicks any revenue generation in the real world? People learn in a hurry that a loop with an X-crossing in the middle and a couple of sidings will not be favourably regarded in just a couple of weeks. Railroads do stuff, and what they do costs them to do it. So they plan everything and don’t place track anywhere, or configured in any way, that doesn’t fit their (successful) business model. If you want the most out of the hobby, you would be well advised to do likewise.
If you are under 50 years of age, still limber and mostly ache-free, and your eyes are good, you would probably have a blast in N scale. However, in about six years you may find it dimmer during playing sessions, and the trains are harder to handle and to appreciate. That is the point where most of us abandon what we have and jump up a full scale, sometimes two so that we don’t have to go through the process in another 6-10 years.
These are general guidelines. We have some old 'n crusty guys here who are still in N scale and exceedingly happy…and skilled!
A safe all-round bet is always going to be HO scale. It is widely popular, well subscribed as a market by both sellers and buyers. There is lots of information shared here and elsewhere, so little of it remains a mystery very long.
Good luck to you.
-Crandell
Wow, what a question - and what an opportunity!!!
I’ve been playing with trains since the mid-'50s and like most of us “senior citizens”, I started out with Lionel O gauge, although American Flyer S gauge was an “almost”. Since then I’ve migrated to HO, but did build a layout in N scale.
Much of what’s been previously posted here is excellent advice. I would strongly suggest that you buy nothing (other than some Kalmbach intro books and the like) until you are absolutely sure what you want. I would attend shows, visit the hobby shops, and local clubs if you can. Ask a lot of questions, and picture yourself with that particular scale railroad.
Another question you need to ask yourself is “how serious am I about getting into the hobby?” While you don’t have to spend a lot of money, you do want to buy quality stuff (not the most expensive, but certainly not the cheapest).
Specific questions for opinions on scale (which you asked here), manufacturers, operating format - DC or DCC), time frame, railroad, location, construction method, etc., etc. can be asked on this forum. Remember, we all have our preferences and opinions, but you will soon get a good idea as to what works best for your situation.
Hey, this hobby can really be rewarding, and will last a lifetime!
ENJOY,
Mobilman44
My only beef is that quite often folks at clubs and train shops quite often have a favorite scale and shamelessly promote it over the other scales, as " the only scale worth consideration ", and so people end up working in a scale that really doesn’t suit them - because everyone else is doing it.
If you can find folks who are willing to support you in a scale that they don’t normally work in, you can be sure that you probably found mentors and some future friends. If you run into folks that only want to talk about their scale, and keep pushing it, then you probably want to keep looking even if that is the scale that you are interested in.
I agree with you, Greg. I should have made it clear that the purpose of attending some meetings is to find out first-hand if what they do makes sense, feels right, and is generally interesting. If they do 3-rail and our friend finds himself smiling as he did when he was a child, maybe his large space should be pressed into service that way. On the other hand, if he finds that one club is strictly N scale, he may find that he loves it.
I would hope he would listen critically to what members of an organized group would attempt to ‘sell’ him, and one way to help even the playing field is to broaden the exposure to at least two clubs and hobby shops.
-Crandell
like most on this subject i agree the main things you have to look at are the size you are wanting to build and the amount of detail. but the other thing is are you going to be doing this mail order or do you have a good LHS?
I prefer N-scale and my father like HO and O and my brother is doing N and HO. so we talk alot about what we are doing to our layouts. because the LHS at my fathers house is a lot better than here in KCK.
[#welcome]
Z, N, HO, S, O, and G (or Large Scale) all have sufficient commercial support in terms of engines, rolling stock, track, buildings, etc. to support building a model railroad without having to scratchbuild anything…
If you want to run long trains, have a long mainline, big yards, watch the trains run through the scenery, or run a class 1 railroad with your friends. Then N scale is the way to go. It also is the choice for small layout spaces - spare bedroom size or smaller.
OTOH if you like being up close to the action, watching a big locomotive go through a turnout, listening to locomotive sounds, like building/detailing then G is the way to go. It is popular with the outdoor crowd but can be used in doors especially if you have something like a 2 car garage or larger.
If you want a balance between the two then S is your choice - small enough for a layout that goes somewhere, big enough to enjoy building things and watching/listening to the trains. This size works well if you have a one car garage or larger size.
HO has some economy lines if cost is a major factor. It also has the widest selection of different railroads if you a favorite that might not be available in other scales.
O scale is a good size for modeling narrow gauge especially in On30 which captures the flavor of the Maine 2 footers at a reasonable cost…
Z scale is the smallest and some good size layouts have been built, but it tends to be fairly pricey compared to N scale.
In the end they are all fun, so jump in and don’t be afraid to switch later on.
Enjoy
Paul
Hi elite?
You are not so elite as you might think.
$800 is buying you just one train in O-scale; with no money left for benchwork and scenery.
So, how big is your space? I have seen pikes ranging from 2 square feet to 3000.
The last question implies making a scale.drawing of your “room” with doors, windows etc.
You seem to know all about scales; you first question has no answer. You can build in any scale you want, (space is no problem); it is about your dreams. Running 30 autoracks with 60 miles an hour through the Taxas Panhandle or a logging camp high in the mountains or Brooklyn at 3AM. BTW that 30 autoracks alone will cost you all the bucks you have.
Some people estimate the costs of a modelrailroad at 50 dollars per square foot. John Armstrong once added the real estate value of the pike-space to that sum. Spending $ 800 a month is no problem at all if you want the “right” stuff.
Without knowing your possibilities and preferences I can’t tell you anything. Professional designers, like L.Mindheim, B. Henderson, let you go through a long list of questions. I would start searching the internet and make their questions mine. Your way is your way.
Paul
N Scale. You have to start with N scale.
Resistance is useless.
Lee
I take issue with S scale being practiced by “oldtimers” We have a broad selection of ready to run that is the equal of HO in quality and price, check these sites. www.americanmodels.com and www.showcaseline. I find S the perfect size, 10% larger then HO but a S layout can be constructed in the same amount of space. What you won’t find is S on the shelf of your LHS, darn shame, but hope springs eternal, times they are a changing with a new campaign being supported by the folks at Railroad Model Craftsman and manfactures to encourage others to consider this long mis-understood scale.
Dave