Hi. I`m not new to modeling but am keen on starting a scale model railway . I would like to hear from members as to which railroad model scale they would recommend before I start. I have the idea of a small English village siding with a mainline running through and perhaps a brewery and stone works / quarry to provide an excuse for shunting. Obviously bigger scale = more realism = greater expense = more room required, nevertheless your words of wisdom around this theme will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
How much space is available? Budget constraints? Any idea if you'd desire continuous running? Point to point? Just a small switching module? Boxcab E50
Actually, in some instances, your logic on scale/realism is backwards. HO scale includes more secnery to set the layout against than does O scale. N is likewise going to give you a larger hunk of the world compared to the trains. Larger scales will give you more detail to the trains themselves though. That said, I personally prefer HO, it's a preference of what I already have and how the size feels for me.
If I had the room for it I would go with HO. Just something to think about. I started out with S Scale, no room for the curves. I dropped to HO hoping I could use tight radius curves and make it fit. That didn't work due to the space restraints. So, I dropped to N scale and now I have what I want in a layout. Decide on your priorities and build accordingly. I operate HO on a club layout and N scale at home. I hope that helps.
My understanding is that for UK equipment, N-scale just doesn't have a wide selection at all, Whereas OO/HO is loaded. So think about that. For American Prototypes, N-scale is pretty close to HO in terms of available models.
I might also observe that the smaller the scale, the more expensive the layout can become, as you tend to buy more stuff. N scale engines can be more expensive than HO engines.
With H0 you have better chances for sound. Running an engine with your ears is another sort of fun! You run slooowly. And you can have fun with only one engine. Wolfgang who is now in Hon3 narrow gauge
Yes, I agree...while you may see more details on some items in the larger scales, those details take space...volume. So, in a given square footage, you may get a larger engine with more eye-candy on it, but that engine's necessary volume reduces what is left for the rest of the layout that is meant to make the locomotive's passage interesting and realistic. Therefore, if you would like realism in any scale, you must have details of all kinds to make both the trains, their rails, and their mutual surroundings look like a real scene. It means tighter curves, generally, in the larger scales in the same defined space as you could also have a choice of the smaller scales. One thing to consider: eyesight and its direction of change. As we move through our late 40's and into our 50's, most mortals need more light to see the same details. Even then, our pupils don't dilate as much as they did 20 years ago, and that has an effect on the resolution of the small things set close to each other...which the smaller scales force on us. It is true, there are perfectly capable and content guys in their 70's modeling in N scale, but they are exceptions. Most of us get by in HO by the time we near 60, and tons of us wish for, or are actively pursuing, changes to S or to O. If you are still youngish and in good health, either N or HO, but later on O scale holds more promise for many/most of us. It is a perfectly natural progression, and inevitable...or so it seems.
Thanks Thanks so much for your interest, sorry that the same thread got into the forum twice, I wasent sure whether my first effort was successful. regardless of which model railraoad website I have visited, the level of enthusiasm is amazing. thanks again.
