55F Posted August 5, 2016 Share Posted August 5, 2016 After some 50 years of 00 gauge, reduced space is making me think about 'n' gauge. With the reduced dexterity and other limitations of age I'm not sure if this is a wise move. Can any other members who have made the change offer any words of encouragement or warning? I'm not casting any aspersions at the 'n' gauge modellers indeed I am huge admirer of their kills; just wondering how easily I will be able to model to the standards which I have developed in '00' gauge! 55f Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karhedron Posted August 5, 2016 Share Posted August 5, 2016 I love modelling in N gauge, especially the selection of new releases that now make it feasible to model a large range of areas and eras to a good standard. I started in 00 but moved to N gauge about 10 years ago and have not regretted it. Space is a big deal and it can often mean the difference between the layout you want and the one you can achieve. As to your specific concerns about modeling, I guess it depends on what your favourite aspects of modelling are. If you enjoy making kit-built locos for example then N gauge will definitely be more challenging than 00 both as the parts and details are smaller and the kits are generally sparser and more basic than those available in 00. On the other hand, if you are looking to create a "big picture" layout of a railway in a landscape then N gauge offers much more scope than 00. What is your favourite aspect of modelling and what sort of subjects would you be looking to create in N gauge? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodenhead Posted August 5, 2016 Share Posted August 5, 2016 I am about to jump the other way but I am not abandoning N gauge, if you want to see trains in landscape then N is a great option. My choice to go bigger is based partly on eyesight but a big part is the plethora of limited edition models coming out of Kernow allied with some lovely LSWR models that I wont be seeing in N any time soon. Nothing wrong in having both scales on the go whilst you make a full decision. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpendle Posted August 5, 2016 Share Posted August 5, 2016 After some 50 years of 00 gauge, reduced space is making me think about 'n' gauge. With the reduced dexterity and other limitations of age I'm not sure if this is a wise move. Can any other members who have made the change offer any words of encouragement or warning? I'm not casting any aspersions at the 'n' gauge modellers indeed I am huge admirer of their kills; just wondering how easily I will be able to model to the standards which I have developed in '00' gauge! 55f Depends what you mean by modelling If you use mainly RTR with kits for buildings then I think you would be OK If you want to make detailed kit or scratch built models of Kettles then I imagine it would be significantly harder than in OO. Maintenance is fairly straight forward in N gauge particularly for diesels, hardest part on diesels is probably disassembling bogies to remove crud or fix split gears. Regards, John P Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Littlethorpe Posted August 5, 2016 Share Posted August 5, 2016 I switched to N Gauge around 5 years ago mainly due to reduced space but I had been thinking about it anyway. Even if more space now became available then I would stick with N Gauge. 4mm models now seem so toy-like. I'm past retirement age but don't find the reduced size much of a problem. I'm current soldering up & fitting some Seep point motors, no different from any other scale really. Don't forget to join the NGS, it's one of the first things that I did & would highly recommend. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southern_Trains_Fan Posted August 5, 2016 Share Posted August 5, 2016 Ok, so I have basically been in the exact same boat as you. For many years, I modelled in 00 gauge, but restricted space convinced me to go to N gauge, which is what I did. Unfortunately, it turned out that N gauge was not the scale for me. Very quickly after selling ALL of my 00 gauge stuff for N gauge stuff, I began to miss 00 gauge quite severely. I began to miss the weight of it, the bulk and feel of it, and most of all, the size of it and ability to add 'noticeable' fine details. I really do regret my decision and have now began work on a small 00 gauge layout in order to bring me back to the gauge. Don't get me wrong, many people thought that the conversion between 00 gauge and N gauge was the best thing they ever did, but some people (like myself) regret the decision all together. If it is for you, then I say go for it, but before you do, please do give it buckets and buckets of thought and planning for your sake. I miss 00 gauge very much and wish I had stuck with it, but like I say, that's just my opinion Give it lots of thought before jumping the gun too quickly which is exactly what I did. I rushed it and gave it minimal thought, and I have sure paid the price for it. N gauge is amazing but it's not for everybody. Cheers, Matt Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Steven B Posted August 5, 2016 RMweb Premium Share Posted August 5, 2016 You don't say where you live, but if in the UK it may be worthwhile finding your local N Gauge Society Area Group, or a local club with a number of N Gauge modellers. Either should let you get hands on with models so you can get a better idea of if the gauge will suit you or not. Age isn't a barrier to the smaller scales - the older members of the Yorkshire Area Group don't let their age stop them from creating some fantastic models for example. What "standards" in OO do you want to try to replicate in N? When moving to the smaller scale you will loose out on a wider range of kits, RTR and detailing parts; That said I've seen plenty of N gauge models that are more detailed than equivalents in OO or even O gauge. The smallest part you can fit to a model doesn't change in 1:1 modelling terms, only what it represents on the model. Happy modelling. Steven B. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodenhead Posted August 5, 2016 Share Posted August 5, 2016 Ok, so I have basically been in the exact same boat as you. For many years, I modelled in 00 gauge, but restricted space convinced me to go to N gauge, which is what I did. Unfortunately, it turned out that N gauge was not the scale for me. Very quickly after selling ALL of my 00 gauge stuff for N gauge stuff, I began to miss 00 gauge quite severely. I began to miss the weight of it, the bulk and feel of it, and most of all, the size of it and ability to add 'noticeable' fine details. I really do regret my decision and have now began work on a small 00 gauge layout in order to bring me back to the gauge. Don't get me wrong, many people thought that the conversion between 00 gauge and N gauge was the best thing they ever did, but some people (like myself) regret the decision all together. If it is for you, then I say go for it, but before you do, please do give it buckets and buckets of thought and planning for your sake. I miss 00 gauge very much and wish I had stuck with it, but like I say, that's just my opinion Give it lots of thought before jumping the gun too quickly which is exactly what I did. I rushed it and gave it minimal thought, and I have sure paid the price for it. N gauge is amazing but it's not for everybody. Cheers, Matt I've been thinking about going OO for over 12 months but there is something about N I cannot give up so my solution is to sell the stuff that I've over collected or is outside my main interest so I have what I need in N and then do something small in OO to let me test the water. Going the other way that seems an eminently sensible approach - don't throw the baby out with the bathwater - keep your most favourite OO stuff and experiment with N - give it a few months and then make a final decision or try and have the best of both. My decisions over scale have nothing to do with the models themselves, steam or diesel there are some lovely models available now, DCC is straightforward and the locos in the main are reliable certainly no more unreliable than OO. Oh and I concur, join the N gauge society Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
yelrow Posted August 5, 2016 Share Posted August 5, 2016 Hi, am 73 today, and have extensive layout, N gauge, TT, DC, and DCC, and 3rail. Have just had 2 new titanium inserts in both thumbs. I say all this, cos N gauge is very fiddily, especially DCC, as you get older. Track is harder to lay than other gauges, i find, a torch necessary, when working at arms length. If it was me, i would get hold of a loco, and some peco track , first before fully committing. I have the Arnold Brighton Belle, fab set, but you have to lay it down to couple, and put on track as a unit. Again, not great when getting older. john Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
55F Posted August 5, 2016 Author Share Posted August 5, 2016 Thanks guys, some excellent thought provoking answers, just what I wanted. I shall think about all the questions you have asked and ponder the answers. I'm UK resident....Yorkie carrying out missionary work in Lancashire! Thinking of an end to end, BR steam and my scratch building will be restricted to scenery and some buildings with a mix of kit buildings. May even try a scale section of the KWVR or it may be a freelance but as I said much thinking to do! Than you for taking the trouble to reply and any other comments will be welcome Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karhedron Posted August 8, 2016 Share Posted August 8, 2016 Thanks guys, some excellent thought provoking answers, just what I wanted. I shall think about all the questions you have asked and ponder the answers. I'm UK resident....Yorkie carrying out missionary work in Lancashire! Thinking of an end to end, BR steam and my scratch building will be restricted to scenery and some buildings with a mix of kit buildings. May even try a scale section of the KWVR or it may be a freelance but as I said much thinking to do! Than you for taking the trouble to reply and any other comments will be welcome It sounds like N gauge would suit you well. The 50s and 60s are probably the era best served by RTR models. Farish and Dapol produce several Standard steamers between them as well as a range of Big 4 locos that were still in service at the time. The Farish range of Mk1 coaches is excellent and you can mix in a sprinkling of Stannier and Gresley coaches too if it floats your boat. Most of the production diesel classes that were in service at the time are available RTR apart from the Type 1s. If you are happy to stick to mainly RTR rolling stock (as I do with a few kits for variety) then the smaller size of stock should present no problem. The Peco code 55 range is fairly robust and looks decent from normal viewing distances once ballasted and weathered. Whilst fiddlier that larger scales, track laying is normally a job that only needs to be done once so a bit of care and patience is usually all that is required. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreenDiesel Posted August 10, 2016 Share Posted August 10, 2016 Since Feb. 2015 I have gotten into N scale, for basically the same reasons. I was fed up not having a large layout -- even 4x6 was too large. So now I have a 32" wide by 68" long N scale layout that is coming along well and I'm really pleased with it. I'm 56 and am near-sighted so the reduced size is not much of a problem visually. Overall it's working for me and I'm enjoying it. But I do miss running all my nice 00 locos that I've still got! I sold some to fund my N scale project but couldn't part with others. Rob Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
55F Posted August 11, 2016 Author Share Posted August 11, 2016 Many thanks for the further responses. All comments and views are appreciated and valued. 55f Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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