What Scale did you start in?

Just curious...

Out of all who are currently modeling in N-scale, did you start in N-scale? And in what year? If not, what scale did you start in?

I'd start a poll, but it would not allow everyone to go into detail.

I started in N-scale in the mid-70's. Those were the "dark ages"...

 

1938 was the earliest I remember running trains ... my older brother's Lionel "0". In 1947, sold the Lionel and bought HO (Mantua, Megow, Tru-Scale). In 1980, sold the HO and been running N ever since ... very happy!

 

Started with Lionel in 1964, HO in 1974, and N in 1976. Been with N ever since (except for a case of backsliding to HO two years ago).

 

Well, if I go to the very beginning I would have to say S guage. When I was 5 or 6 years old. Then HO, then N in the late 70's, then back to HO and then N again about 4 years ago.

 

I started playing with some Tyco HO when I was a little un, then got a brand new Bachmann HO train set for christmas when I was 12, and started building a layout. Soon, I picked up a Bachmann N train set to mess with, and of course had to replace the track because of how crappy it was. Within a few years, I had started an N scale switching layout (still under construction) and about 5 years ago I totally dropped HO.

 

Back in 1939 I think it was I made arrangement with Woolworth store in Bellingham Wa. to buy a American flyer Train on payments. I was 7 years old at the time and had paper route which I delivered on my bike. It took me 5 months to pay it off and I was the proudest kid in town.
Around 1960 I started a HO in my garage. It never got completed as we had to move. In 1975 when all the kids left home I started my first N in one of the bedrooms. My wife took over the other bedroom for her sewing and my desk (office). Three month after I started that N scale one of the kids came back home so there went the railroad.
In 1998 I started my last N scale and just about had it completed when I started having to much trouble with derailments so tore it down just before Christmas. So far haven't had the finances to start another one.

[ 28 February 2002, 16:17: Message edited by: Telegrapher ]

 

Started with Marx (Marks?? - it was 50 years ago) as a kid, whatever scale that was. Dabbled in HO as a kid but nothing serious. Now dabbling more seriously in N.

 

Started out with AMERICAN FLYER S-Scale. I even know who still has most of my old S-scale trains. I see the guy ever so often, and mention that if he is going to get rid of all of it, I would like the chance to buy it back.
Changed to HO in the mid-60's, N-Scale was not even around then. (That I knew of) Changed to N-Scale in about 1972-3 after being given a lot of trains by a guy that didn't know what to do with N-Scale trains. I remember that the early stuff ran poorly, and was very cheap. But I was hooked, and as they say"the rest is history" I have been in N-Scale ever since.

 

I started with an English Hornby OO scale train set I received as a Christmas present when I was about 6 years old. That would make it around 1950.

I seem to recall that for the first couple of years, my dad played with it more than I did!

 

Started N scale when I was about 10 or so back in 1980-82 don't quite remember but around then. The only place I could find N-scale was at TOYS-BY-ROY at the mall. I have never completed a layout and am probably on my 5th or 6th of my life now. This one is by far my best but I can't guarantee it will ever be finished either. It has been cool to see how far this scale has advanced. I remember buying Bachman crap and being very frustrated. I think it had a lot to do with poor track work. Laying track on plywood with nails is not the best way. If I only new then when I know now.

Bryan

 

Wow, I am surprised how many American Flyers out there - My Grampa gave me his in 1966. I switched breifly to HO in 1968 - 69 because you couldn't get much for S then. The HO of the time - Tyco and AHM wasn't very good. My mom bought me an Arnold N set from Penneys about 1970 and an MRC set shortly after - been in N ever since - except for about a 20 year period 1978 thru 1997 due to other interests and demands. Having children of my own and the huge leaps in quality rekindled my interest.

 

American Flyer S gauge 1955-1961
Revell HO 1961-1963
Nothing 1963-1978
Tyco HO 1978
Athearn 1979-?
Nscale Permnantly 1992-2002

 

I grew up building 1/25th scale model car kits, then moved into 1/72 scale aircraft. During college built several dioramas with aircraft.

After I got married in 1981, I started with HO scale. We had a garage with room. I stayed with HO until about 1990, when I gave up the hobby for lack of space.

Then in 1993, while recovering from open heart surgery, I started back into model railroading. Only we lived in an apartment, and the space available dicated N-Scale.

Now, we own a house, with a large basement, but I will stay in N-Scale (my beloved would kill me if I tried to switch).

Jeff
Augsburg & Concord R.R.
(a fictional shortline in Central Illinois)
http://www.pegnsean.net/~revnjeff

 

Had the usual HO trainset (I think either AHM or Tyco purchased from Sears in Glendale, Ca. They use to have operating trainsets down in the toy dept) as a kid in the early 60's...then didn't get really interested until 1977 when I bought my Dad a Arnold-Rapido N Gauge set. He gave it back to me a year later, and have been involved ever since.

[ 28 February 2002, 22:47: Message edited by: NSCALEMIKE ]

 

Started with Fleischmann HO in 1952 in a small room in the basement.
Moved to an apartment 1969 and planned for N scale, built some modules but was not able to go further (no spare time for some years).
Member of a local HO RR club in the 70´s.
Moved around a couple of times without any railroads until last move to our house 1988.
Then I pic upp all old plans and ready modules and started to build Sandy River & West Forrest RR in the basement.
It has grown since, and I´m on my 4th extension nowadays.
--------
Helge

SR&WF
NARA member #5

 

In 1949, my brothers bought me a Marx 2-4-2 set, which got me going. In the 50's I tried out HO but college, marriage and two little rug-rats brought that era to a halt. In the late 60's (the real dark ages) I bought my first N scale stuff... Atlas FMC, E8, and a Concor PA1 (Sekisui) and have been in N scale ever since. I had a 5 year run with a British outline layout in the 80's (still have a lot of wagons and a 2-6-0+0-6-2 Beyer Garratt) , but have been US prototype at all other times. I still have several pairs of FMC's I painted NH and NYC that I just can't retire! My main interests now are Maine RR's. Dick... Maine

 

Well, when I was born up until I was about 7, my dad and my uncle had a N-scale layout which I used to watch/run, then when I was 8 I got a HO scale SOO line assortment, and went to that, but as I turned 10ish, I gave that up to my uncle which had the N-scale layout with my dad who now is still working on his HO scale layout to this day, and have been modeling N scale ever since. Wise choice I'd say. I am 4 months from 16 now by the way.

[ 01 March 2002, 00:09: Message edited by: sd40 ]

 

This was a great thread!

I started in HO scale w/ a Tyco train set probably around 1972... I continued to run and collect Tyco for a few years until I found Athearn kits; then I thought I had found my true calling. That lasted for quite a while, and in the mean time I accumulated quite a collection.... All the while, I was questioning how I was going to be able to build a layout that would be able to accomodate my favorite Athearn models: 86' AP flats and Hi cube boxcars. But one day (around 1991)
I was reading Model Railroader and I saw an ad for M-T (N scale) 89 foot TT flats with trailers... the ad said they could negotiate a 7" S curve...... that equalled REALITY to me! I thought about it for a while, then investigated the loco offerings (Atlas (Kato) had recently released their creamy smooth SD7/9's...) and decided to change. I also found a local N scale club,,,,, and never looked back!

Harold