My first N scale trains (next to their HO scale equivalents), taken November 6, 2006. Those same cars today (now with low-profile metal wheelsets), at the very same spot on my layout, November 6, 2016. 10 years ago today, I officially became an N-scaler! I bought my first N-scale trains - two Athearn boxcars, a piece of Atlas Code 55 flextrack and a section of N scale cork roadbed on [N]ovember 6, 2006 at Burbank's House of Hobbies in Burbank, CA. A few months earlier, after being depressed after getting laid off from a job, I decided to spend my time dismantling my dusty old 4x12' HO scale layout, sorting out what scenery to keep and packaging what to sell, and planning a new 4x8' layout, this time in N scale. The whole process totally changed my outlook on life. After my small but important hobby shop purchase, I found an Athearn Metrolink Bombardier coach + F59PHI commuter set on eBay, and discovered the seller was local to me. So I made arrangements to pick it up and discovered they had even more N scale trains, and were willing to sell them to me for real good prices. So began the addiction! In January 2007, I sold a good percentage of my HO collection at a model train show, and used the proceeds from that to buy N scale trains from the vendor next to me In 2010 I completed my mainline and in 2013 I finally took the leap into DCC. I left HO scale because of the curve radius issue - I had 18" radius curves but wanted to run long, modern equipment, and was a disappointed HO scaler for over a decade and a half. I've always had a wandering eye towards N scale, I'd always check out the N scale section of hobby shops just to see what was up, bur was always turned off by the toy-like quality of many of the trains and the lack of equipment in my era. But by 2006, N scale was already looking less toy-like and more like a smaller HO scale. I made the leap and never looked back! N scale has reinvigorated my interest and excitement in the hobby, which I've been involved in since I was a kid. I also joined Trainboard about 10 years ago as well, and thank all of you for your hospitality, knowledge and insight, without which I would have never known this much about N scale today.
Cool. It's amazing what has come to N over the years. So much of which we were told by other scalers that could never happen.
I agree with the OP it was the curves that drew me to N scale especially after I saw an Ntrak layout with those broad curves. When I see HO layouts I can only think what could have been if only in N scale.
Happy N-niversary! I ended up in N scale after getting downsized on space after a long time in HO. I enjoyed starting over in a new scale that has changed a lot for the better since the late eighties, early ninties when I first looked at it . How many times have we all said " if I had to do it all over again....". Well I am really enjoying the chance to do just that. Thanks for sharing and allowing me to do the same. Ralph
Yep can sure relate to what you are saying. That is why I have some of all three scales HO, N, & Z. LOL But I have N Scale the largest of the collection
Happy anniversary. My start in n scale was an addition to my O guage layout to obtain a forced perspective of distance. That original layout has been dismantled for space reasons but I have continued in both n scale and O. Currently I am doing a HCD n scale that sits atop an 8' extension on my o guage layout and can be taken off and on easily. I enjoy both N and O both.
