Becoming disillusioned with the hobby

[jjb1970]

If you want to run big trains and have a large layout and space is tight then my advice would be to go to N gauge. These days N gauge models are superbly done and lose little to OO and you can get in an awful lot more within a given space. You have a lot of OO stock, but if you're losing interest in the hobby then it may be better to sell your OO and start out with N rather than just drifting out of the hobby with a lot of stock. Another option is OO9, there is a growing range of excellent narrow-gauge models and you can do a lot in a compact space with narrow-gauge. I have a lot of Japanese N models but have decided to do a combination OO9/HOm loop because even in N shinkansen trains and typical Japanese MU trains need a lot of space. However I'm keeping all my N and HO/OO models, in fact I'll almost certainly end up running N on narrow gauge. I play with the N stuff by setting up Kato Unitrack on the bedroom floor.

[Robin Brasher]

21 hours ago, jools1959 said:

I’ve joined a few clubs over the last few years but I’ve found unfortunately, you always get a minority who think their opinion is all important and their modelling is superior to anyone else’s.  Or you get those who hog test tracks etc, so that’s why I’ve struck out on my own.

I got reported to the committee for hogging the test track a  few years ago but my train was stationery (I hope I have spelt this right) waiting for the previous person to finish running his train. Now we get so few members coming to out meetings that they asked me to put my train back on the track as there was only one other train on a six track test track. 

 

[Robin Brasher]

3 minutes ago, jjb1970 said:

If you want to run big trains and have a large layout and space is tight then my advice would be to go to N gauge. These days N gauge models are superbly done and lose little to OO and you can get in an awful lot more within a given space. You have a lot of OO stock, but if you're losing interest in the hobby then it may be better to sell your OO and start out with N rather than just drifting out of the hobby with a lot of stock. Another option is OO9, there is a growing range of excellent narrow-gauge models and you can do a lot in a compact space with narrow-gauge. I have a lot of Japanese N models but have decided to do a combination OO9/HOm loop because even in N shinkansen trains and typical Japanese MU trains need a lot of space. However I'm keeping all my N and HO/OO models, in fact I'll almost certainly end up running N on narrow gauge. I play with the N stuff by setting up Kato Unitrack on the bedroom floor.

Selling 00 gauge is easier said than done. You will be lucky to get £2 for an old goods wagon or £5 for an old coach.

 

[jjb1970]

2 minutes ago, Robin Brasher said:

Selling 00 gauge is easier said than done. You will be lucky to get £2 for an old goods wagon or £5 for an old coach.

 

 

It depends on the model, some sell for a good price, others won't. Newer locomotives often sell easily for a good price, ditto passenger coaches. I don't sell so much but when I have sold stuff on EBay I've been happy with the results. The key is to decide where you fall in terms of getting the best price relative to getting a sale. You can go for a high price and just sit on it until it sells or doesn't sell if you're not really worried about whether or not it sells, alternatively anything will sell if priced low enough. I suspect I do what many others do and benchmark against what other sellers and S/H dealers are selling for and go for something slightly more attractive to buyers.

[Chris M]

1 hour ago, Chris M said:

That's fine if you want to run "rule 1". On my N gauge layout I prefer to run to the rules I stated above as I find that a much more interesting way of doing things.

There is a risk that I sound a bit like a rivet counter. In fact I apply different rules to each layout to suite what I want from that layout. You can see another very different project of mine here - 

 

[kevinlms]

On 15/11/2022 at 21:25, jools1959 said:

I’ve joined a few clubs over the last few years but I’ve found unfortunately, you always get a minority who think their opinion is all important and their modelling is superior to anyone else’s.  Or you get those who hog test tracks etc, so that’s why I’ve struck out on my own.

If a club is unable to fairly control it's test track, then that club has some obvious defects! How boring it is to take over such a thing? I'm guessing that the test track was the only place you could run trains for weeks/months at a time and no other working layout, even part thereof.

[AyJay]

If so constrained, how about an out and back that can be set up to go through the door into the next room. Family permitting, that is. Not ideal, I know.

[TravisM]

3 hours ago, AyJay said:

If so constrained, how about an out and back that can be set up to go through the door into the next room. Family permitting, that is. Not ideal, I know.

Thought about that and the great thing about living alone, I don’t have family to bother me lol.

[Gilbert]

20 hours ago, john new said:

Some of us would love to have that space available. What’s train set curves all about when you can clearly fit in a 3ft radius/6ft diameter circle in?  There have been several excellent circular layouts around. 

I've been experimenting - Sprat and Winkle couplings seem to work on pretty tight curves....I'm invigorated..

[DavidB-AU]

Another idea is don't build a permanent layout in a room. Build a modular layout using a standard like FREMO with the first half dozen or so modules free standing in the room. You can then build more modules you can swap in and out of the layout so it's not always the same, but also gives you the option of setting up a larger layout in a larger space (e.g. an exhibition).