Feeling Guilty

C

Cannonball

More Trains Than Brains
Dec 4, 2006
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0
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St. Joseph, MO
I've really been getting attracted to N gauge trains. I feel a little guilty about it because I've grown up on O27 and I love the big engines. Not to mention, I just bought my daughter an HO for Christmas. Still, it seems like I could do so much more with N gauge using the limited amount of space I have. Would I be considered greedy for wanting all 3? (4 if you count the G scale I want to set up in the backyard as well. :oops: )

I just feel like I'm betraying my old Lionel by going to another gauge. I know it sounds goofy but that old O27 was with me though the better part of my childhood and early/mid teens. Anyone else get overly sentimental for their old trains?
 
No need to feel guilty...you're just embracing diversity! :) I believe there are a number of members on The Gauge who model in more than one scale! Go forth! :)
Ralph
 
Ralph said:
No need to feel guilty...you're just embracing diversity! :) I believe there are a number of members on The Gauge who model in more than one scale! Go forth! :)
Ralph
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Cool. :)
I dunno why but the N gauges hold a real facination for me.
I think I'm just amazed that something so small can atually run on a track.
 
I do 2 scales; HO primarily for modeling and N scale to have an operating layout---'course, an email offering a complete N scale layout free for the hauling helped in that decision, too:D
 
Cannonball said:
Cool. :)
I dunno why but the N gauges hold a real facination for me.
I think I'm just amazed that something so small can atually run on a track.
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I just saw a mrklin micro (z scale??) run at a hobby shop last night. You can have the whole east coast on a 4x8 layout they are so small!! I am also facinated by n scale. I can setup one on my desk at work.

wow just looked at the price tag of the z scale setup ... yeah .. i think i'll stick w/ good ol' ho :). I did notice that the n scale starter sets are relatively inexpensive. I may have to get myself one for my bday.
 
YmeBP said:
wow just looked at the price tag of the z scale setup ... yeah .. i think i'll stick w/ good ol' ho :). I did notice that the n scale starter sets are relatively inexpensive. I may have to get myself one for my bday.
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The pricetag is the main reason I've not even considered Z scale. For the same price as a bottom end Z scale set, you can get some pretty good N and HO stuff.
 
Maybe you've just outgrown your 027 stuff. I remember, as I got older, I started to question the lack of scale, tight turning radius etc. Religate it to a display shelf and move on to the next phase.
 
Jim Krause said:
Maybe you've just outgrown your 027 stuff. I remember, as I got older, I started to question the lack of scale, tight turning radius etc. Religate it to a display shelf and move on to the next phase.
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Next you'll be telling me I want to go DCC! :eek:
:D

Nah... I think I'm gonna do one big layout in the basement with the O27, do a small layout for my daughter's HO that will fit under her bed and then start working on N scale stuff.
 
I have a friend who models ho, n, & then just skipped over LGB to go into building whatever scale it is that you actually ride on the trains. He has a couple of GE dash 8 40B's powered by Briggs & Stratton that cost @ $3500.00 each! If you like trains, build as many sizes as you like and can afford.
 
Why not get your feet wet in N-scale before doing anything permanent...that way you know exactly what sort of a decision you're making.

N-scale used to be predominately desiel scale, but recently their is a bunch of nice steam engines out there too...Bachmann's 2-8-0, 4-8-2, 2-6-6-2, etc...so you can model anything you'd like in either scale with out much effort.

You can also look into building an N-trak module to embrace the desire to have a quartet of SD-45s pulling 100+ cars around an N-trak convention layout.
 
nkp174 said:
Why not get your feet wet in N-scale before doing anything permanent...that way you know exactly what sort of a decision you're making.
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Don't worry. On a limited budget, I have to start small.

nkp174 said:
N-scale used to be predominately desiel scale, but recently their is a bunch of nice steam engines out there too...Bachmann's 2-8-0, 4-8-2, 2-6-6-2, etc...so you can model anything you'd like in either scale with out much effort.
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I've seen a lot of cool steamers. Those are really what caught my eye when I was browsing for O and HO stuff at the LHS.

nkp174 said:
You can also look into building an N-trak module to embrace the desire to have a quartet of SD-45s pulling 100+ cars around an N-trak convention layout.
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What's N-trak? :confused:
 
N-trak is something I really envy about N-scale modellers.

There are two primary reasons people model in N-scale...a lack of space and a love of really, really long trains.

N-trak is a little of both. Instead of building a full layout, you build a 2', 4', 6', or 8' stretch of layout (module) with two mainline tracks and one branchline that run the length of the module. You can do whatever you'd like in your section, but within certain limitations for the main..and softer restrictions on the branch. You then take your section to N-trak conventions and combine it with many other modules to build a huge layout. Some modellers chose to built a layout within a layout for their modules...such as an Nn3 layout within their modules.

I'd recommend picking up a Spectrum 2-8-0 in N-scale...they are at home pulling passenger or freight anytime from 1920-1956 on branchlines and local runs on mainlines. It'll set you back $70-90...there are several buy-it-nows on ebay for $58 plus $8 shipping. I love my HO version of it.

The 4-8-2 would be appropriate for either fast freight or passenger trains. The 2-6-6-2 is perfect for coal drags, but freight drags in general are fine (slow freight). There are also Life-Like 2-8-4s which pulled fast freight...and several NKP 2-8-4s were used as passenger engines from the start of ww2 through 1946 (when their 4-6-4s were rebuilt). There are also Kato 2-8-2s for freight and some lower quality switch engines. I'd use those with Code 55 track (unless it's an N-track module...then I'd follow their track requirements).
 
nkp174 said:
N-trak is something I really envy about N-scale modellers.

There are two primary reasons people model in N-scale...a lack of space and a love of really, really long trains.

N-trak is a little of both. Instead of building a full layout, you build a 2', 4', 6', or 8' stretch of layout (module) with two mainline tracks and one branchline that run the length of the module. You can do whatever you'd like in your section, but within certain limitations for the main..and softer restrictions on the branch. You then take your section to N-trak conventions and combine it with many other modules to build a huge layout. Some modellers chose to built a layout within a layout for their modules...such as an Nn3 layout within their modules.

I'd recommend picking up a Spectrum 2-8-0 in N-scale...they are at home pulling passenger or freight anytime from 1920-1956 on branchlines and local runs on mainlines. It'll set you back $70-90...there are several buy-it-nows on ebay for $58 plus $8 shipping. I love my HO version of it.

The 4-8-2 would be appropriate for either fast freight or passenger trains. The 2-6-6-2 is perfect for coal drags, but freight drags in general are fine (slow freight). There are also Life-Like 2-8-4s which pulled fast freight...and several NKP 2-8-4s were used as passenger engines from the start of ww2 through 1946 (when their 4-6-4s were rebuilt). There are also Kato 2-8-2s for freight and some lower quality switch engines. I'd use those with Code 55 track (unless it's an N-track module...then I'd follow their track requirements).
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Man... You guys get SO into this! I just thought about buying a few ready to go sets and some extra track..... You're selling me the good stuff. :D
 
That's the thing when i started (a whole month ago) it was the same way. But they put me on to the better track (nickle silver) and some great loco's for 30 bux (athearn blue box) and some other stuff i got the hookup w/. So now my next purchase is a dcc starter set and some decoders.

I was also thinking of getting an n scale layout for my desk at work. I saw there is a ton of n scale stuff on ebay :) but i've learned already there is a reason why it's so cheap ... so i'll have to do some hunting to see what the good stuff is.


Cannonball said:
Man... You guys get SO into this! I just thought about buying a few ready to go sets and some extra track..... You're selling me the good stuff. :D
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YmeBP said:
That's the thing when i started (a whole month ago) it was the same way. But they put me on to the better track (nickle silver) and some great loco's for 30 bux (athearn blue box) and some other stuff i got the hookup w/. So now my next purchase is a dcc starter set and some decoders.

I was also thinking of getting an n scale layout for my desk at work. I saw there is a ton of n scale stuff on ebay :) but i've learned already there is a reason why it's so cheap ... so i'll have to do some hunting to see what the good stuff is.
Click to expand...

Man... I don't even want to think about DCC. I'm in over my head trying to get some of my old O27 accessories to work, let alone Digital Command. :D
 
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