Help Me With A Dilemma

[Cannonball]

I've been in O27 gauge since I first started playing with trains 32 years ago. (Man... Has it really been that long???) I love my steamers and the noise those bad boys make rolling over that three-rail track. I even enjoy my Beep Diesels and that goofy little trolley. The problem is a serious lack of space to make running them enjoyable. A 4x8 space just doesn't cut it for O/O27 gauge.

I know I've talked about this before but I am seriosuly considering selling off everything I've bought over the last several months and switching to N scale. I would keep my original Lionel set and probably the battery powered Christmas train. Everything else would go. The Beeps, the Marx 666, the trolley, all the track except enough for a figure 8, and several pieces of rolling stock. I know I wouldn't get my money back. I've bought what I liked rather than looking at each peice as an investment. However, if I switch gauges, most of this stuff would never see the light of day again.

I thought about HO since my daughter already has a set that we got her for Christmas. However, she is more interested in her battery powered Thomas trains right now and HO track really wouldn't save me much room layout wise. I think I' am going to put the HO set away for now. At some point my daughter will outgrow the battery powered Thomas and want to move on...... maybe. I've seen a lot of adults on YouTube playing with these things.

So that leaves N gauge to consider. I figure with N gauge in a 4x8 area, I should be able to lay enough track to keep at least 2 trains going and still make a fairly interesting layout. Plus my sidings could be more than 2 or 3 track sections long and actually be functional.

As I said, I know I've talked about this before and decided then to stick with O27 but I need more trains and more track!!! (And probably a more realistic layout.... )I think I will have to take the old Lionel out of it's box and run it on a floor layout at least once a month to get rid of the guilt though.

 

[myltlpny]

Well, based on your public profile, you're a couple of years younger than me, so going N-gauge should pose no real problems right now. I belonged to an N-gauge club for a long time and the older members sometimes found it hard to work with N-gauge.
HO is nice, that's what I model in now. I have a nice layout, but you're right it takes almost as much space. I have quite a large stock of N-gauge stuff, and still enjoy running it from time to time on some Kato track I set up on my dining room table. But, let's face it. Whatever you get into now is what you'll be working on when you're 50 or 60 or 70. So, having observed first hand what the older members went through, I'll stick with HO as my primary gauge. Nothing against N-gauge. I love it. But I can easily see why many older members go to HO or even O gauge. Heck, if I had to do it again I'd probably do a G-gauge logging layout.

 

[Cannonball]

Heck, if I had to do it again I'd probably do a G-gauge logging layout.

If I had the money, my entire back yard would be a G scale railyard.

Yeah, I've heard the hazards of N gauge being tough to work with because of it's size but I doubt I would do much customizing or detailing. The hardest part for me would be getting the little buggers on the track and coupled up. I don't see myself getting any more space in the near future, however so N scale is about the only hope I have for having a decent track layout.

 

[MCL_RDG]

I think...

...you're coming to grips with reality.

Geesh, hate when that happens!

I think you wanna run trains but ain't got the space. N is great for running trains. Ahhh but, the smell of ozone off those big motors. And don't try to paint me into a corner with your daughter's interest.

I'd keep everything I have and stop buying everything I want. If you're "N" curios, well, heck, I've dabbled in HO and G. I can't afford G, wouldn't want to until I have a ranch. HO- too little space here(would need a few acres). N. Yeah. For me though. Not perhaps for you.

Geesh, I'm glad. I was excited so many years ago when my dad brought home some Postage Stamp trains from Aurora and decided the HO needed to retire.

Oh man, you've got problems. But, like I always say, better you than me.

Mark

(did that help?)

 

[Cannonball]

...you're coming to grips with reality.
Geesh, hate when that happens!

Me too dangit. :curse:

I think you wanna run trains but ain't got the space. N is great for running trains. Ahhh but, the smell of ozone off those big motors.

Yeah... ozone is great for the sinuses.
Of course, the smoke from the steamers sort of negates that.....

I'd keep everything I have and stop buying everything I want. If you're "N" curios, well, heck, I've dabbled in HO and G. I can't afford G, wouldn't want to until I have a ranch. HO- too little space here(would need a few acres). N. Yeah. For me though. Not perhaps for you.

I'd have to sell off most of the O stuff to pay for the N gauge stuff.

Oh man, you've got problems. But, like I always say, better you than me.

I got worse problems than I'll ever talk about on here.

(did that help?)

A bit.

 

[Gil Finn]

NO DONT SELL OUT....you will regret it

Box them up and start again in N.

Or make a shelf rr about the door and window hight in some room.

 

[Cannonball]

NO DONT SELL OUT....you will regret it

I wouldn't sell off everything just most of the stuff I've bought recently.
I couldn't part with my original Lionel set. Too much sentimental value for that.
Also, I'm going to do a 3x7 door layout with the Chirstmas train for our front porch this year.
Although I would really miss that old Marx as well.

 

[CNWman]

Stay with O scale Cannonball. N scale is MUCH more expensive than you think. Plus, who knows if daddy's little girl might accadentaly cause the greatest train destruction this side of the millenia? O can handle a little abuse, N can't handle but only a bit. You were talking about the garage a slight possibility, right? one way to clear that room is in two words: garage sale. You make money AND clear the $%#%#$ in there out. Everyone wins!

 

[Cannonball]

Stay with O scale Cannonball. N scale is MUCH more expensive than you think. Plus, who knows if daddy's little girl might accadentaly cause the greatest train destruction this side of the millenia? O can handle a little abuse, N can't handle but only a bit. You were talking about the garage a slight possibility, right? one way to clear that room is in two words: garage sale. You make money AND clear the $%#%#$ in there out. Everyone wins!

The garage would be a slight possibility if I had the money to fix it up well enough to house trains and run them year round. It's not an issue of stuff in the garage, just the condition of the garage. It needs new electrical wiring, insulation, drywall, new windows and doors, heating and cooling.... etc. We're talking at least a couple grand to make it usable.

 

[Jim Krause]

I wouldn't jump into selling everything on the spur of the moment. I doubt that you will get enough from your O gauge stuff to get a good start in N.

 

[SeriousSam]

Hey, I say go for it. What is the point of staying with O scale if you arent enjoying it because of your lack of space? You obviously want longer trains, and if O cant give that to you at the moment, try something smaller (N Scale in these circumstances). N Scale is great to work with, especially if, like you said, you dont plan on doing much detailing and such. Remember, N Scale has a very wide variety of products. Im sure you can find what you are looking for. You want cheap rolling stock? Easy to find. Cheap locomotives? Easy to find. Unless you want all your locomotives to be Kato, Precision Craft Models, Atlas or Athearn locomotives, you are in for some pretty good deals on your trains. Do like I do, I have all kinds of locomotives from different manufacturers. And nowadays, it seems as if everything outside of N and HO is more expensive. But yeah, keep those sets that really mean something to you and your family because they are priceless.

 

[Cannonball]

I wouldn't jump into selling everything on the spur of the moment. I doubt that you will get enough from your O gauge stuff to get a good start in N.

What would you consider a "good start?"
I only ask because I don't know much about N scale period.
I know I'm not ready for DCC.
I wasn't even ready for TMCC in O gauge.

 

[Marxed]

i got your solution... KEEP THEM!! i'm not going to try and keep you from your N gauge, but you should keep your Marx and lionel.. none of those N gauge trains are going to be quite the same as that awesome, heavy, solid American made classic piece of train. do you got a fireplace? do you got a mantle?? do you have shelves? do you got book case?? display your favorite engines and cars on them? i have a lot more trains than i have room to run, i they aren't running, I'll display them somewhere.


in your future, you may have enough room for a bigger layout... and you'll wish you had them then... plus you could also consider putting up a ceiling lay out up sometime to circle a room

or you can build and purchase a display case for on your wall?

or you can mail them to me


i know people with N-Gauge... they are not as cool... they cost a lot, they are tiny, and they are a lot harder to work with... it lacks the solidness of that solid cast iron you have learned to love with your 666! before you totally switch, don't dive in all at once, maybe get one set and some track, to besure you like it!

 

[CNWman]

It's not an issue of stuff in the garage, just the condition of the garage. It needs new electrical wiring, insulation, drywall, new windows and doors, heating and cooling.... etc. We're talking at least a couple grand to make it usable.

Solution: get on Trading Spacessign1

 

[Renovo PPR]

I have a very easy suggestion for someone that can never be satisfied with just one layout. Scrap your table and when you’re in the mode to run trains build that great floor layout. Space isn’t a problem since you can use every floor in the house.

When you need to you can either take the track down or just redo it again in another layout scheme. In any event you will never be bored with having just one layout.

N is ok but I doubt it will solve your need to have a different layout each day of the week. There is nothing wrong with being a floor layout train runner. As a matter of fact working with 0-27 it isn’t all that hard to set up and take down in the same day.

[FONT=&quot]I do it so I know it is fun to run the train through several rooms on all of my old 0-27 track.[/FONT]

 

[SeriousSam]

I have a very easy suggestion for someone that can never be satisfied with just one layout. Scrap your table and when you’re in the mode to run trains build that great floor layout. Space isn’t a problem since you can use every floor in the house.

When you need to you can either take the track down or just redo it again in another layout scheme. In any event you will never be bored with having just one layout.

N is ok but I doubt it will solve your need to have a different layout each day of the week. There is nothing wrong with being a floor layout train runner. As a matter of fact working with 0-27 it isn’t all that hard to set up and take down in the same day.

[FONT=&quot]I do it so I know it is fun to run the train through several rooms on all of my old 0-27 track.[/FONT]

hey, thats a great idea.:thumb: I used to have enough EZtrack to do a three room layout on my floor. It equaled a total of 7 N Scale miles

 

[ozzy]

I have a very easy suggestion for someone that can never be satisfied with just one layout. Scrap your table and when you’re in the mode to run trains build that great floor layout. Space isn’t a problem since you can use every floor in the house.

When you need to you can either take the track down or just redo it again in another layout scheme. In any event you will never be bored with having just one layout.

N is ok but I doubt it will solve your need to have a different layout each day of the week. There is nothing wrong with being a floor layout train runner. As a matter of fact working with 0-27 it isn’t all that hard to set up and take down in the same day.

[FONT=&quot]I do it so I know it is fun to run the train through several rooms on all of my old 0-27 track.[/FONT]

i do that all the time, drives the wife crazy!. but i do pick it up when done. and i have a n scale layout as well. i like them both.

 

[RC BOAT]

I switched to N- Scale model railroading after 50+ years of building RC Scale model boats. Lugging hundred pound boats around became too much work.
When I started in N-Scale 3 years ago, I bought 300 pieces of 3 foot Flex Track used, for $50.00, 3 "starter trainsets" on-line for under $150.00 and haven't looked back. Since then I have scratch built 33 structures, (buildings, bridges, portals, etc), a pile driver car, a rotary snow plow car(kit), ore cars, log cars, 15 Micron-Art photo etched vehicles, and a lot of scenery. I also added an Atlas Shay to the motive power.
I don't find working in N-Scale all that difficult, and I am 64. I have 60 some feet of benchwork to fill and will be busy for quite a while.
George

 

[Cannonball]

In any event you will never be bored with having just one layout.

It's not having one layout, I just want to run more than one train at a time. In a 4x8 space, there are rather limited options for doing that. I couldn't be a floor runner because I hate constantly setting up and tearing down track. Once it's set up I want to leave it. (And my wife would get really tied of track all over "her" floors.)

 

[riverotter]

NO DONT SELL OUT....you will regret it

Box them up and start again in N.

Or make a shelf rr about the door and window hight in some room.

Those O trains would be very cool zooming around a room on a high shelf. For example, see A Model Railroad Around Your Room (no, I don't work for them or get a commission! There are other suppliers for this kind of equipment; do a Google search and check them out.)

I'm doing something like this with my G train (I love the size, but I know I'll never build a garden railroad).

Another thought: "dabble" a little in N before making a big financial commitment. That way if you end up not liking it you're no out a lot of money.