When we lost SDK all production stopped..those are done in china. We have a new vendor and expect to have the track re-stocked as soon as possible...nothing to do with "fesable" Joe
If I were you, I'd run both, I never did get rid of my N and I am glad I kept it. Robert hit the nail on the head, if feeds a need like when a loco comes out that you want N like the 10 wheeler, you get to run it. Plus it is great for my kids to play with and learn. That way they are gentle and skilled when they get to play with the "real" layout in Z
Even though my wife thinks I'm crazy, I've decided to stay with my z scale. I have too much invested right now to simply sell it and start all over in N. Besides, I have a 20 year plan that will give me a rather significant Z scale layout size wise, and I'm already falling behind do to my surgery, so I don't want to delay it any further then it will be. I'm just going to have to accept the fact that there are certain things available in the other gauges that don't now, nor will ever exist in z scale. This is unfortunate but I guess that's the way the choo choo chugs. So the bottom line here is, in spite the lack of product, the expense and my wife's questioning, I'm going full steam ahead with my z and hope to hell she doesn't have a melt down when the final tally comes in at the end of my quest.
Follow your interest in Z. I am an N scaler but visit this Z site often as I am amazed at what Z modelers do. Not having every make, model and roadname is not necessarily a bad thing. It used to be that way in N. Now with the increase in product, it is my opinion that we tend to become collectors vs. modelers. I know I have way more locos and freight cars than I will ever need and all I did to get them was spend the money. I much more enjoy kitbashing and custom painting. As far as locos and rolling stock I believe that is where the modeling occurs. There is tremendous satisfaction creating a one of a kind piece and running it on your layout. You may not feel comfortable doing it right now, but the great thing about the hobby is that your skills grow with it. As far as the wife, I remind her of all the worse hobbies I could have that would take me out of the house and cost a lot more.
I would have to echo this. I'm an HO scaler but it's fascinating to see what you guys are doing in Z scale. The Hallmark ornament conversions are incredible. I personally love Z-scale, my return to the hobby was inspired by a Z-scale Marklin set I had picked up in Germany years ago, trying to set it up and get it running around our little Christmas tree. I learned 2 things by that: 1. I had to get back in the hobby, and 2. Z scale was WAY to small for me to work with! One thing common to all our scales is that as we increase our skill, the less satisfied we are with what is available, the more we have to built it ourselves.
As I once mentioned somewhere in a post on this site, that when I was a much younger person, I used to build pastic model airplanes, ships, and autos and got to be pretty good at it. I even did customizing by adding things like thread for antenas on ships and planes and painted yarn for pipes and wires on cars. I even tried my hand at cutaways exposing the interiors of a couple of the B17 and B29 bombers I had and added some crewmembers. But those days are long gone. I don't have the eyes, steadiness or patience for kidbashine, or custom painting. It's beyond my capabilities now. It's difficult enough for me to create a mountain and have it looking like one instead of coming out like a blob. All the talent I used to have for that kind of stuff, left me years ago. One of the disadvantages of growing old. So I have no choice to use ready made items. I don't mind though. But the bottom line here is to have fun and enjoy the hobby, and as frustrating as Z scale can be sometimes, I do enjoy it, and I'm eagerly looking forward to getting back to it again once I can get downstairs and spend the hours working at it. C'mon leg. HEAL!!!!!!! I've got work to do.
Just remember it is your railroad and you can do whatever you want. Run modern equipment with old, etc. There are a number of people on this forum (and others) who can do painting, etc. for you. There are also folks who will help any way they can with difficult tasks such as installing couplers. Don't hesitate to ask for help. I have helped others with physical and or visual limitations and would be glad to help you any way I can. I hope your leg heals quickly and you get back on the rails soon. You've got freight and people to move man! Clint
Thanks so much Clint. Perhaps I will take you up on your offer. Yes I agree with you that this site is a fantasic place to come for info etc. I've learned a lot just in the short time I've been hear. My only regret is that I don't have anything of value to put into this group. Perhaps at some point down the road. Thanks again.
In the fullness of time we will find out that you actually do have something of value to put into the group. I am a firm believer that everyone has something they can share or teach and something they can learn.
Newto, I haven't posted anything for a while, but this thread hit close to home for me, except I went the other direction, and switched to N, and I am not regretting the decision, but reading this thread, I am probably going to change my plans somewhat and keep some of my Z as a side project. There's no rule says you can only have one scale. I have N, Z, G and even some HO(buildings only, does that count?). Don't have any O or S scale, better get on that, I guess. My decision was that I wanted to get into more realistic operations with a specific prototype, and Z wasn't going to let me go there without all kinds of scratchbuilding and such, which just isn't my thing. That said, Z is still just about as much fun as anything you can do in the hobby. There is just something magical about watching those little jewels run that is hard to beat. So after reading this thread, I think I will build a project Z railroad in addition to the N scale, other something lightweight that I can throw in the back of the car and take to shows or club meetings and run trains on. Thanks for the inspiration.
As a former HO scaler now in N, I don't have any reason to go Z scale (It was long enough waiting for N scale to be up to my requirements before I jumped in) but I gotta say, if there's one thing that makes me jealous of you Z scalers, it's AZL. Hot dang, you guys got Amtrak Surfliner cars, 60' TTX boxcars and all that! I kinda wish AZL had an N scale division (ANL?) Do you Z scalers also feel insulted when Walthers lumps your scale together with N in the same catalog? Can't they recognize each scale as its own unique market instead of lumping "those small scales" in the same book? N is the new HO! Z is the new N!
Oh, we don't feel all that bad because we're kind of strange in our own way. We know that we are joked about and made fun of, but more and more we see N scalers coming over to Z scale or doing both scales. If the larger scale folks give us too bad a time at train shows, we just turn to them and politely say...."Z is for those who want a challenge" A lot of HO scale folks can't go to Z even if they wanted to because many are in advanced years and have been doing HO all their modeling days. Nothing wrong with that, but even so, the years has taken its toll on their eyes and hands. Each modeler should do the scale that personally meets their needs and turns them on. It will take much longer to have the modeling world in general recognize that Z is real, viable, and here to stay. Small can be beautiful too.
Here in SW Ontario not a lot of model railroaders have been exposed to Z. I try to attend as many shows as possible to "spread the word". I was at a show yesterday and I had quite a crowd gathered around my tables. Most were amazed at how well the locomotives run as well as the great detail found on these trains. Many were also impressed with what is now available in Z. Quite a few people I talked to are now living in smaller homes (or apartments) and see Z scale as great alternative to getting out of the hobby altogether. A real plus is their wive's love Z scale as it doesn't have to take up a whole room (although it would be cool if it did!). Todd
Hey Todd. Is the huge annual toy show and sale which is held every November still happening at the International Center on Airport Road and are there model railroaders still participating? There also used to be a huge train show held somewhere in Markham every year. Do you know if that is still happening? I was thinking that the next time I go back to Ontario, I might time my visits to happen during these shows. Ken
I believe that show still takes place every November. I haven't been to it as the table rentals are VERY expensive!
Thanks Todd. Can you send me a list of trainshows coming up in the GTA this year and their dates. I'm planning to come back to the Toronto area for two weeks and I'd like to time it with any shows that are on between Trenton to Niagara Falls and north to Barrie. Thanks
I'm still pretty new to Z... had a couple of Marklin starter sets for a bit over a year now. Unfortunately work, moving house constantly, lack of time and lack of money has got in the way of starting work on a proper layout, so I'm still playing with my very basic test track and collecting ideas. In my early teens I got started with a Bachmann Explorer (dual Santa Fe F9s... I think it was called something else back then actually) had a small but pretty detailed and complete N layout. I would have loved a Z layout, especially as my bedroom wasn't very big and the 4'x2' board I had didn't give a lot of scope for track layout, but both the cost and complete lack of support from the local hobby shops meant that it was never a practical proposition for me back then. Fast forward 15 years, in terms of local shops carrying Z, nothing's changed. Not a single hobby shop in Tasmania carries anything Z, though one (Nick's Hobby Shop in Sorell) will bring it in on order, at full RRP - which is over twice what US retail prices are. For the handful of shops across the country that do actually stock Z, I can't imagine the current parity between the US and AU dollar is helping their resolve to support the scale. On the flip side, who in their right mind is going to pay AU$600+ for a starter set when it can be had online from the US for under US$300, inc. shipping? It's little wonder then that modelling here is primarily HO or N (or narrow gauge versions of either). None of this of course helps Z's cause, and it is perhaps then no surprise that the number of Z modellers in Australia is in the dozens rather than the hundreds or thousands. I've only ever seen one layout displayed at a fair - that was nearly 20 years ago. Ironically it is this lack of support and lack of like-minded local modellers that is one of the main attractions to Z for me. Let's face it, in HO/OO or N, anyone one can pick just about any location or era, roll into a shop and have a wide selection of off the shelf locos, rolling stock, scenery, structures and accessories to choose from at a pretty wide variety of price points too. Y'know - open up your wallet and say "ah"! ;-) With Z, it's not quite that easy. You've got a limited range of locos, stock and structures available off the shelf, especially if you stray outside of the popular German and North American prototypes. That puts the emphasis on kit bashing and scratch building, and as a result, makes a completed layout much more the result of the person's own talent and imagination, than just a collection of pre-made stuff stuck onto a board. Everyone's work is unique. The fact that 'rolling your own' in a scale as small as Z requires the skills and steadiness-of-hand of a microsurgeon just adds to the reward. I've seen work by some very talented individuals; not only does it make you say "holy crap! how'd they do that!?" but it also inspires you to try yourself. Case in point: once I've done a couple of German layouts, I really want to do a big (many metres) proto layout based on an actual Tasmanian rail junction and nearby town (Conara Junction, if you're interested). It will be an ambitious project, because literally everything other than the track itself would have to be scratch built. No one makes Tasmanian or Australian prototype locos or stock in Z, no one makes Z kits that look like run down 1960s Australian houses, no one makes ready-to-glue Z Eucalypt trees, etc. etc. Needless to say it will take many years to do and considerable skill and talent, most of which I don't yet have, but if I did manage to pull it all off, I'd have something completely unique... probably the first and only Tasmanian Z scale layout in the world. That'd pretty damn special, if you ask me! I don't think Z is ever going to achieve the popularity of N, no matter how much we want it to. The admittedly pretty awesome developments in digital control achievable in the larger scales like opening doors and selective decoupling will never be achievable in Z - at best we might get drop in DCC decoder boards or new trains with DCC built in. HO/OO and N will continue appeal to trainset modellers and those who like the "toy" aspect of model trains. The wide range of available commercial products will appeal to those who want to put together a detailed realistic layout without scratchbuilding or kitbashing. Conversely Z will continue to appeal to those who see the miniaturisation and relative lack of commercial products as a challenge rather than a con. I think the place for growth, from a business point of view, would be for products that make Z scratch building easier and thus lower the "barrier to entry". I hear that Zthek is working on something of a "universal" loco base kit; that sort of thing would allow those wanting to move past the confines of the Marklin catalogue (!) the confidence to try making their own near-prototype without having to tear apart an existing model or attempt to build their own functional base.
