Hello,
I wonder why the N-scalar chooses the N-Scale Could you please share with us why? Was it the limit of the space, you can put more stuff in relatively small area, neat looking, etc. I am sure there is tons of other reason why did you choose the N-scale.
I am in N-Scale because my wife gave me an N-Scale set as an x-mass gift. So that how I started in this hobby.
Thanks.
Mo:-)
[:)]
Well I didn’t choose N scale exactly, but I’m hand laying N scale track for a micro layout in HO scale, 30" narrow gage . The layout will be only 2’ X 2’.
Some N scale locomotive drives are used for building HOn30 engines. I’m also using the drive from a N scale SW-1200 to build a Class A Climax.
In real life, trains are much smaller then the massive scenery around them. So too with N scale. I can have a grand vista in only a couple of feet that dwarfs the trains that run through it, just like the prototype.
When I saw my first n loco I was hooked. I loved the detail in such a small engine. Then when I decided to get back in the hobby, size was an issue. After almost completing my first layout I am still glad I went scale.
Peter
Picture this:
Boston, 1967, basement studio apartment (ONE room, 4’ long “kitchen” and bathroom), part-time student, full time job . What scale would YOU have chosen?
Fast forward 10 years. Midwest suburb of St. Louis, two bedroom house with FULL basement, recently married, no children, both working full time. Sounds like room enough for an EMPIRE if it’s done in N Scale! (It WAS an empire, completed benchwork, mainlines and yard, no scenery, wife wants to move!!!)
Fast forward 25+ years, same town, FOUR-bedroom house, FULL basement, divorced, tolerant girlfriend, grown kids, growing grandkids, both of us retired or semi-retired and a HUGE collection of N scale equipment garnered over the last 40 years. Would you switch scales at this point?
Neither would I! LOL LOL LOL
BTW, I STILL have the FIRST N scale loco bought way back in 1967, and it runs better than most of my newer locos! Go figure!
Darrell, planning the “Dream Layout”, and quiet…for now
pretty much what every other post has stated (except for the wife and girlfriend parts). I am 22 and I am barely starting to take model railroading seriously. I used to have a bunch of HO scale trains but i could not really do much with them because of the space i did not have. N Scale, even though a bit more expensive, is more flexible when it comes to space. I hope to one day be able to create a huge layout with all the locomotives and materials that i have been buying and will continue to buy for the next 20 or so years. Me wishes
Space! Actually it is the lack of space!
Never regretted the choice.
Cheers,
Cliff
http://cliffordconceicao3310.fotopic.net/c328807.html
Part space, part a comment my wife made when she went to a train show with me. When I say space, at the time I had plenty of space in HO. But I could not come up with a plan to satisfy my givens and druthers and maintain what I considered to be a minimum aisle width. Redrawing the plan in N scale with a smaller radius eliminated the problem.
That led me to the whole ratio of scenery to track and other benefits of the smaller scale. Then we moved, I inherited a space that would have worked fine with my original givens and druthers for HO, but I was committed to a new era, freelanced railroad that I had developed a history and rationale for and equipment.
We’re probably moving again later this year, and I’ll stay the course.
I didn’t choose N Scale, but I have noticed the incredible detail and space-efficient size of N scale. Good luck on your choosing.
Then there’s Z scale. Except everything is five times the price of N scale. Or more!
I KNOW your Q was why did you choose N… This quote is exactly why I would go for N… but I went for H0 because I want to get closer and to do a reasonable amount of switching. I grew up with 0 which is the way to go if you want to " walk up close"… I would beware switching layouts though… coupling and uncoupling gets boring… just watching the trains roll by is great relaxation… another reason for N.
Have fun 
I have a foot and a half by three feet and a half to work with. Now that i’m in N scale I like it. I used to think it was to small.
Lack of room, ultimately. However, I used to be in HO but always thought n was interesting.
I’ve found that a decoder instalation is difficult in this scale too.
I do N because of space limitations. Plus i enjoy the fine detail of N. Gives a lot more of a challenge I think
Switching can be quite rewarding in N too. The main differences between HO and N, besides the one I mentioned earlier, are the threshold of diminished return in regards to details and pulling power. Because HO is larger, it has more weight and therefore, pulls harder. Also, because it’s size is larger it can show more details. After that you get into minor differences such as decoder installations, loco availability, things like that.
Myself, I plan my N scale RR much like you would plan an HO RR, I just change the track centers and such. By using a curve radius that would be concidered “normal” in HO, you get very broad curves in N and lots of room for scenery. I did this on my last layout and now that I’m moving and have to start from scatch (darn![;)][:D]) I’ll do it again.