Why Did You Choose to Model N Gauge?.

Started by longbridge, November 22, 2011, 10:06:14 PM

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carlmt

Brother and I were given a couple of Hornby 00 sets back in the late 60's as Christmas presents by our Grandfather.  Dad combined them on a board in our bedroom and this sufficed............until we had a family holiday to Germany and Austria in 1972. I was 9 at the time.

Boy oh boy...........what trains!!! What colour!!!! Compared to British Rail, the German and Austrian systems were absolutely enthralling to me (my brother had lost interest a few years before). We were touring in a Bedford motorhome and it was pure heaven to sit in the back as we drove along the Rhein and watch the TEE's gliding past being pulled by enormous (to me!!) 103's and 112's........long, sleek coaches too!!!! We even parked up for the night in Bingen with the cab of the motorhome up against the fence of the railway - I spent almost half the night sat in the cab, watching trains!!!!

When we got back, I asked dad if it was possible to change our 00 Hornby for something that would be like what I had seen on holiday.

Well, in Uxbridge at the time was a small model shop called 'Percy's', and he had a whole cabinet full of second hand Arnold, Minitrix and Fleischmann N - all German outline. I was drooling!!!! This was just what I had seen that summer for real!!! Percy agreed to part-ex all our 00 for a sizeable chunk of this N stock (he wasnt too keen on it - very 'old school' he was...).

Once home, dad purchased a piece of chipboard 5' x 3' - and that became our German outline N scale layout.  This layout was run, worked on, built up and run (very often!!) right up until I left home at 19, whereupon it just sat gathering dust until my parents moved house 8 years later. Unfortunately, circumstances prevented me from taking the layout with me at the time, and in the end the stock was boxed up, the catenary dismantled, the buildings removed and the board thrown away.

Now, I have just turned 50, I have a wonderful wife who is absolutely mad keen on the idea of getting a layout built using all our old rolling stock, and I now have the time, space and resources to do it!!!!!

Why do I model in N?  Because I absolutely LOVE it!!!!!  :)

Carl  :thumbsup: (and Florence - the mad keen wife  :heart2:)

Iano

I haven't read all the posts but isn't one big advantage of n gauge over oo gauge cost? You surely can get more for the same money with n, agree/disagree anybody?
just thinking about a layout at the moment

scotsoft

Quote from: Iano on September 25, 2013, 10:59:59 PM
I haven't read all the posts but isn't one big advantage of n gauge over oo gauge cost? You surely can get more for the same money with n, agree/disagree anybody?

I have a mate who does OO/ HO and he surprises me when he tells me how much his latest OO/HO acquisition from eBay was.  He has bought locos as cheap as £10 and they are in excellent condition and run very well.  It may well be he has just been lucky, but he has bought quite a few this year at prices I can only dream about in n gauge/ scale  :'(

cheers John.

trainsdownunder

Quote from: Iano on September 25, 2013, 10:59:59 PM
I haven't read all the posts but isn't one big advantage of n gauge over oo gauge cost? You surely can get more for the same money with n, agree/disagree anybody?

Have to agree with Scotsoft on this one. My US N items seems to be similar in price, if not more expensive than the "bigger" scale overall However I do still manage get the odd bargain.

Iano

ah. I was beginning to suspect that I may have been wrong to assume n gauge trains were less expensive, what about track and scenery (models etc) surely these must be cheaper?
just thinking about a layout at the moment

Agrippa

You pay more and get less, it's that simple.  :D

Nothing is certain but death and taxes -Benjamin Franklin

Michael Hendle

 :hellosign:

What I cannot understand is the vast difference in price between Bachmann American models and Bachmann Grafar models,I suppose the American market is far bigger than the British market.

:Class31: Michael Hendle

EtchedPixels

Thats a lot of it - same with Japan

The cost per unit of a model is quite low
The cost of the R&D and toolmaking is very high

So much of the cost depends upon volume

Hence also the love of multiple liveries, special edition repaints and so forth. Anything which sells more of the same moulding is good news for the manufacturer.

Alan
"Knowledge has no value or use for the solitary owner: to be enjoyed it must be communicated" -- Charles Pratt, 1st Earl Camden

Michael Hendle

 :hellosign:
Hi
Well Grafar have decided where my branch line will be for me,I have just bought the New Grafar Devon General Guy Arab double deck bus,also bought the Valiant Coach as well I can remember them picking up in Hounslow for day out trips.
I  will be some where in Devon

Oh and I have also pre ordered the N class loco and 2 Bullied Coaches

:Class31: Mike

Thebigshot

Tbh I am not a true N gauge modeller have been a buying the Bachmann collectors club stock as cash allows I am a 00 modeler but am more interested in railways of all gauge's rather than one gauge tbh

d-a-n

Quote from: Agrippa on September 26, 2013, 12:12:17 PM
You pay more and get less, it's that simple.  :D

I initially started looking at Z gauge for my office layout and the prices were crippling for something which has a limited selection. I imagine its made like watchmaking and it is nicely detailed as it firmly isn't a toy, but the lack of any hands free shunting and British outline put me off.
I too was surprised at the price discrepancy between OO and N after my initial research but I was determined to have a small railway which could have decent sized rakes on it. A slightly larger desk and voila, I have a N gauge desk layout which has trains I recognise rollingand shunting around it!

EtchedPixels

Z is an obscure collectors scale. 1970s standard track and wheels, mostly crude models. Some US stuff is far better on the rolling stock side but still overpriced and way inferior to N.

I used to do some Z but gave it up. Now slowly selling it off to collectors.
"Knowledge has no value or use for the solitary owner: to be enjoyed it must be communicated" -- Charles Pratt, 1st Earl Camden

Big Dave

Space is the main issue. I want my layout to feel like a real railway experience.  I also want my roliing stock large enough to see and convert to DCC and even Sound in the future. N gauge is the only gauge that satisfies my requirements. TT gauge would have been a possibiliy but it requires too much difficulty like kit building etc., for me.

mr bachmann

not one to bragg about the size of things  :-[ - but for once small is better , you get more in , so infact its bigger  : :D


mr bachmann

Agrippa

Quote from: mr bachmann on October 19, 2013, 04:07:12 PM
not one to bragg about the size of things  :-[ - but for once small is better , you get more in , so infact its bigger  : :D


mr bachmann

Sounds like the Tardis
Nothing is certain but death and taxes -Benjamin Franklin

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