Questions from an old noobie

[Steven Macintyre]

Hi and welcome to the forums ;) Yeah that's from me to me ...

I used to, years ago own a train set that I pretty much kitted the entire garage with when I was growing up, I recall especially the old SAR coaches but no idea on the engine that I used.

My questions are, this was in the 80's what gauge would that have been? And a follow on question - is the N gauge for size? or is there a general rule of thumb when deciding to set out on a venture like this again?

I have specifically avoided approaching these questions for years as I can see myself being broke as a result of getting back into it. (Mom and dad always bought my old stuff).

Then last question, which gauge is the most easily available these days, I see most sites I have visited refer to N and OO

- Steven

[John Ashworth]

Welcome to the forum, Steven from us to you!

I'll let others answer the question about gauge, although I suspect it was probably OO or HO in those days.

I myself have N gauge (or N scale as they often call it), although I'm still at the collecting stage and my nomadic lifestyle has so far prevented me from actually building the layout I want. You can fit more into the same space, and get more expansive vistas.

If you want a South African theme to the layout, then you'll find much more available in OO/HO than in N. My own aim is to build an African-themed layout based on the countries in which I have spent time - South Africa, Kenya, Uganda and Sudan - and there is very little available commercially. Whenever I go into a model railway shop (or an online catalogue) I just buy stuff which I think has the right sort of look to it and which can be used with a bit of judicious cosmetic modification to give the impression of a pan-African railway.

[Steven Macintyre]

Thanks for the reply John

[Steven Macintyre]

This comes down to 3 deciding factors - 1) how much space you have available for your model train layout, 2) the physical size of model train equipment you prefer working with, and 3) the accessories available for that scale.

1 - How Much Space Do You Have Available?
Building a layout in HO scale will be almost half the size of the identical layout in O scale. Turning radius’s in HO scale will be tighter; tunnels will be smaller and, most importantly, it is easier to hide mistakes in a smaller scale.

Larger scales need more detail and it can often be very hard to create a realistic looking layout in a large scale. HO scale has become very popular because it is a “middle-of-the-road” scale and easier to make look realistic.

An HO scale switching layout can be created on a 4 x 1 foot table, while a continuous loop railroad will need a 3 feet 6 inch x 4 feet table. A layout space of 6 feet x 4 feet would be enough to have an interesting HO scale layout with a continuous loop.

Still don’t have that much room available? Then consider an N scale railroad which can be built in 30% of the area required by a similar model train layout in HO scale.

2 - Which Scale Do You Prefer Working With?
Fat finger syndrome or bad eyesight can sometimes force us to consider the larger scales. It can be very frustrating trying to airbrush a Z scale carriage or manipulating N scale rolling stock. They can be very fiddly!

Children will find it easier operating and manipulating the bigger scales, from HO scale upwards. Bigger scale rolling stock tends to be heavier and less likely to derail.

The ladies seem to prefer the intricate smaller scales, while the men tend to go with the HO scale and larger scales.

3 - What Accessories Are Available?
Over the years the HO scale has become the most popular model train scale and the manufacturers have responded to the demand by producing more accessories and rolling stock for HO scale. HO scale is just the right size for most people to appreciate the detail and running performance without being too cramped.

If you decide to run digital controllers and have lots of switching operations then HO scale is usually the preferred choice. Check with your local hobby shop to see which scale they have the most accessories for. It is often easier to buy from your local hobby shop initially… or at least until you know exactly what you want.

I came across this after posting my original post here and it seemed to have answered my questions for the future.

Original thread: http://www.mainstation.co.nz/forum/12.aspx

[Niel Wilson]

Hi Steven,

If you had SAR coaches then it was probably HO scale (1:87). Most likely you had one for or another of Lima models of which there were basically two types: 1) been something that very closely represented the Class 5E1 as well as passenger and good rolling stock or 2) the "Lima Junior" stuff that was foreign (possibly French) passenger coaches painted as SAR stock. N scale (or gauge) probably had made an appearance in the 80's (which was almost before my time) but would most likely have been American or possibly European.

As far as scales go there are several different ones, with HO (1:87.1), OO (1:76) and N scale (1:144) been the most common locally. The scale that you would personally go for depends on what your tastes and wants are. Factors such as available space, what you want to model and it's availability, etc would need to be considered. All three of the above are available for local retailers to some extent but are more readily available from overseas web based stores.

On the note of SAR in HO scale it can be had at a price. Some of it can be found on online auction sites at outrageous prices or it can be found on rare occasions at second hand swop meets for pretty high prices. I guess the rarity drives the price up. New stuff can be had as well but again the prices are steep.

Sure model trains is an expensive hobby but so is drinking beer. If you're careful about how you go about building up a layout and take time doing it there isn't any need to become broke. It just needs careful planning and some serious self control (Don't ask me why I know this).

Where about are you based? There may be others in your area that you can visit to see their layouts.

Niel