[RnR]

Holy smokes. I was wanting to create a train diorama of a local place with special meaning to me with lots of characters and animals that reflect family and loved ones - but now I'm thinking they'd be so small I could NEVER mod or paint the figures to look how I want...plus I'm old and my eyes are bad and my hands shake. Hmmmm.

 

[MichaelE]

Figures and other details are painfully small in N scale. Z is even worse.

You might want to bring up the size to HO. Much easier on the eyes and hands.

 

[bewhole]

Yes HO and above would be better for things like that. N scale is great if you do not have space but for dioramas it is not.

 

[DonR]

There's another factor that works against N scale...track work must be very exact...just a fractional rail gap can mean 6 or 7 inch (in real terms) break in
the rails...think derails. Might be the right time for a change of mind.


Don

 

[Old_Hobo]

There's another factor that works against N scale...track work must be very exact...just a fractional rail gap can mean 6 or 7 inch (in real terms) break in
the rails...think derails. Might be the right time for a change of mind.


Don

Well, not quite the right time......he just got the N scale set in the mail.....missed it by that much.....

 

[CTValleyRR]

Unfortunately, you have discovered the scale dilemma: smaller scales let you get more in the same space, but are harder to see and work with.

 

[RnR]

I still haven't unwrapped the packaging. Giving it a good think or two.

 

[TommyB]

When I started building my layout about 8 months ago, I looked at my "available" space and decided to go N scale so that I could get more railroad in that available space. My previous experiences with model railroading many years ago, was with HO scale. I was also shocked at how small things are in the beginning, but I have gotten used to it, mostly, and I am happy to be able to get more out of that available space. But, if you are unsure, then now is the time to make that decision.

Now, a story. The available space was in a room shared with my wife and her sewing machine and stuff. Recently a friend of hers was over and she had some HO stuff hanging around her home that was left behind by her husband when they divorced. I explained that I don't model in HO scale, and explained the available space as the main reason. I almost broke my neck when I did one of those old cartoon "double takes" as my wife says "Oh. I would have moved my sewing machine and stuff upstairs to give you more room if you would have asked me". Queen of the after-the-fact statements, that's my wife. Anyway, there will be no switch to HO. I am settled into N scale and don't mind the tinyness of it anymore. But.....if that railroad needs to expand in the future...I think I know who can be reminded of one of her after-the-fact statements.

 

[traction fan]

Holy smokes. I was wanting to create a train diorama of a local place with special meaning to me with lots of characters and animals that reflect family and loved ones - but now I'm thinking they'd be so small I could NEVER mod or paint the figures to look how I want...plus I'm old and my eyes are bad and my hands shake. Hmmmm.

RnR;

I'm old (72) and my eyes and hands don't work like they used to, but I can still paint N-scale figures, and do all the things people do in other scale. However each person is different, I'm not you, & you're not me. For a static diorama where the train doesn't need to run, and you're not trying to show much real estate, a larger scale may be the right choice. The scratchbuilt N-scale train station below is somewhat bigger than a breadbox and it's only 90% of scale size. Modeling that in HO-scale or O-scale would mean dedicating a lot of layout space to just one building.

Good luck with your diorama in the scale of your choice, and please post pics of it.

Traction Fan 🙂

 

[BigEd]

So @RnR - what did you get...😈

 

[RnR]

So @RnR - what did you get...😈

I appreciate the replies and pics I ordered an O scale set similar to the N scale I have. I have not opened the N scale set. The O scale will be here on Saturday. I will gaze upon both and imagine...

 

[bewhole]

Going from N to O scale is like going from a 2 door smart car to a mack truck size wise.😁
Well you can see the O scale anyways. LOL

 

[Old_Hobo]

In O scale, you’re going to need 10 times the space of the N scale setup that you want to build.....

 

[RnR]

In O scale, you’re going to need 10 times the space of the N scale setup that you want to build.....

I got a whole basement. No worries there.

 

[Old_Hobo]

 

[RnR]

Ok set up and ran the N Bachman Roaring Rails set. Yes the small track size and connectors gave these shaking hands problems, but I liked the DCC sounds and controller. However, I also purchased a Kato ES44AC locomotive and it derails every two circuits - is The curve on this intro set too tight? The Kato has six wheels per truck and the Bachman locomotive has 4. And the Kato is noticeably bigger.

 

[MichaelE]

Curves probably too tight for 3 axle trucks.

 

[bewhole]

Yes they are right now. If you expand the set and open up the curves then you should be fine.It comes with a GP40 so that should run fine till you expand.