Within the constraints of the plastic roof profile N v 2mm is "which button do I decide to push". The test ones are 2mm, in part because Colin originally drew them in 2mm and because in my experience is 2mm folks want 2mm, N folks aren't so fussy although for longer vehicles it gets more visible.

Primarily its a matter of whose bogies you decide to pick.

Saying folks are happy with a generic suburban is questionable IMHO - all the suburbans in N generic or otherwise are 57ft plus. There are no 40-50ft SR coaches, no 51ft Gresleys, no odd length RTR staniers, etc. That's a real problem in terms of the look of stuff prior to the mass extermination of pre Mark 1 stock and the replacement of most suburban services with DMUs. Other whole styles of coach are missing too - try finding anything with a birdcage.- and the birdcage style brake stock lasted a long time - and in engineering use until the early 1970s.

I'm not holding my breath for a Farish 'trio' set either ..

Hi etched pixels- nice to see more projects coming on- the ballast wagon looks particularly cool and I imagine it would service well for a wagon of any of the railway co#s from ay 1860s.

Regarding the Thompson carriages. I thought Worsley Works make these in N (1:148) scale? and Masterclass models have had them in their 'not yet available' list too, but for 2mm (sides ends roofs and underframes). The Masterclass Thompsons would be exciting as their current Gresley suburbans include resin roofs, interior partitions, underframe detail and bogies- the full job!

If it helps slightly, the 2mm f/s scale Gresley bogies available from the 2mm association are not that hard to put together but more importantly, you can fit N gauge carriage wheels (7mm dia) in them with no modifications. I agree with your comment that generally 2mm chaps want 2mm scale etches and N gauge chaps are happier to mix.

I imagine N gauge modellers use generic non-corridor stock because that's all there is available without resorting to batch-kitbuilding carriages. It isn't all doom and gloom though as I'm lucky as a GCR modeller that the generic GWR/SR Farish corridor stock looks remarkably like GCR mainline 'matchboard' stock. but even so I'm gradually replacing the whole lot with etched stuff. Thankfully the GCR used generally quite short trains, but this is still a very slow process because cost is always an issue in trying to do this. and the time taken to build the kits also slows things down.- And I do still cling to the idea that N gauge is supposed to be cheaper than larger scales!! I certainly wouldn't fancy etched kitbuilding a 10-coach rake, and I guess I will never fulfil my dream of a 20 coach rake of 6-wheelers on a turn of the century express! The cost and time would be preclusive.

I wish a Robinson 'London Extension' Clerestory carriage was widely available in N gauge as I could use a good number of them! Similarly a 6-wheeler of 1890s vintage. Like Etched pixels says= these lasted a suprisingly long time on all sorts of routes and the ex-GCR 6-wheelers even survived in service to at least 1943.

I wonder how many people are put off modelling N gauge steam era (especially 'Big-Four') because of the lack of easily available carriages and wagons. I would guess quite a number are?

Will

Worsley do some Thompson scratch aids - but you still need fittings and I wanted something a bit easier to build. For bogies most of the N folk I've talked with about it favour the slightly inaccurate (8ft v 8ft6) bogies from the NGS as they are plastic mouldings with couplers, springs etc.

I've done some six wheelers - LSWR and LB&SCR so far. I must get around to other regions one day . Takes me about 20 minutes to build a six wheeler using Peco chassis components but thats without things like fitted handrails and doorhandles, and its not painted which takes me forever in comparison. I've still yet to line some of the coaches, and in the SECR case I'm still not sure *how* I am going to line them like that.

Now I would quibble the 'chaps', they may be the minority but they are not all 'chaps'.