[Yellowstone Special]

My 2 cents:

O is what a grew up with. Received my first Marx train at age 3 and first Lionel set at age 6. You can do more with O, it's easier to operate, looks more realistic in motion than other scales, and not so difficult to see the detail in the locomotives and cars. The center rail makes wiring and accessories easier to work with and O just seems beefier and more like a real train to me.

 

[bill937ca]

Its big enough to be easy to work, yet small enough with trolleys and streets for a small space. There is all the history, the legacy as an ultimate Christmas gift and memories of displays and layouts in stores at this time of year. I like the center rail as well.

 

[weirdtolkienishfigure]

My brother got a Lionel Train when I was a kid and I always remembered how nice it was. I had HO trains from the 80's and was not a fan. I really like how O scale trains fit into holiday village scales (Lemax, Department 56, and Lowe/HD villages).

Just so much flexibility and detail.

 

[MOVL]

Like many, O is what I had as a child. When I got back into the hobby in 2006, I chose to stick with O. Mainly because I wanted to run that childhood set again and also I wanted a Lionel Christmas set bad. That started me going into the hobby full speed ahead.

 

[400E Blue Comet]

They're a big size too and also they have the interesting older engines that run on it... and the Crusader. A really useful aspect of it is that the common track has tight curves. Even though HO is half the size of O, a U-turn in O gauge is ironically half the size of a U-turn in HO. Although one disadvantage of it is the three pins- if you want to have a turn that goes in a different direction you have to move all the pins.

 

[milehighxr]

Dad had it, and it's what I remember running as a kid. It just seems so natural. Anything smaller is too hard to see(and I'm not even 40 yet), anything bigger consumes too much room(not that I have much room now).

 

[MacDaddy55]

Oh Brothers!!

My brother got a Lionel Train when I was a kid and I always remembered how nice it was. I had HO trains from the 80's and was not a fan. I really like how O scale trains fit into holiday village scales (Lemax, Department 56, and Lowe/HD villages).

Just so much flexibility and detail.

My oldest brother had a Lionel 2-4-2 Scout set and wrecked it...my uncle Milton worked as an electrical engineer for NY Niagara Mohawk and could fix anything electrical...he would fix it and Will would just wreck it again...which probably took a lot. He just laughs at me now when he see's what I have planned for the Tree this year and our little collection of Lionel Loco's & Rolling Stock!! Merry Christmas!!:smilie_daumenpos:

 

[Todd Lopes]

History and ease of use for me. I did model HO when I was younger, but eventually moved back to O.

 

[Papa]

Another guy that has been into ho,n, and O. At 73 years young my eyesight is still pretty good but patience is not. So for me it's O.

 

[86TA355SR]

Grew bored/tired with semi scale stuff in late 80s/early 90s. Left the hobby just prior to MTH arriving and Lionel scale items. In 2009, I saw Norm C’s layout on “I Love Toy Trains” by chance-he did exactly what I wanted-scale 3R trains in a realistic setting.

A few years after I started in 3R scale, I bought a few very high end 2 rail brass locomotives with the intent of modifying for 3R use. What I never expected was how incredibly beautiful the 2 rail models were and that I was starting a new chapter in model railroading.

My hobby is building variations of locomotives never built in O Scale. Love the challenge and great folks I meet along the way. And, the search for limited production quantity locomotives from years ago, often decades ago, is a hobby and great fun in itself.

 

[Lee Willis]

Why not?

Truthfully, I choose it because they're large enough to easily work on .

Hear here!! Me too. I can repair O-Gauge locos. Plus they are pretty robust to begin, so not much is required.

I also like the fact that an O-Gauge loco is large enough to be a really good, detailed model, at least if you pay enough for the detail. I love that. All that detail - separately applied pipes and ladder rungs and lights and valves and opening and closing cab roof hatches and doors, and see through grills and vents with operating fans, does not make the loco run any better, but it looks fantastic. Just incredible models. Wow. I love O-Gauge.

 

[JCIS4ME]

Had Ho as a kid then built a small ho lay out for my son, then life happens fast forward to a few years back and the above pic says it all! 1/32 scale slot cars.(now gone) Job had me move to Jersey shore where I was in an apt, so N scale on the kitchen table for 3 years, now that I have moved again to a house (GARAGE!!!) I am rigging up an O Scale ceiling mounted track. Mainly like others have said easier on the old mans eyes and easy handling!