Why Did You Choose to Model N Gauge?.

geminijkr · April 23, 2012, 02:39:55 AM

Thanks for all the great comments. I have uploaded some more pictures to the East Lincolnshire Album. These show some of the areas that need finishing and updating, particularly the Louth section, which is probably 10 years old. The emphasis has been on building the front part with Spalding. Still work to do there on the station buildngs, particularly the canopies which are going to be very tricky to get right. The goods sheds are temporary. the one close to the station is a holdover from a previous layout of Rugby Central and the other is obviously a Metcalfe kit. A big part of modelling a real location is the research that goes into getting as close to reality as possible. Over time photographs show the changes but I model a specific period of time within the constraints of a model with limited space, even with the space I have. The Eagle eyed will notice an HST which is totally out of context but I just like the model. I am still searching for photos of the ladies waiting room on the Main Island platform and the M&GN building on their platform, currently using a Scale scenes building as close as I know at the moment.
Keith

Tackleberry · April 28, 2012, 10:54:00 AM

Basically I started in N because my uncle was in the RAF and when I was younger we passed by to see him when we were on holiday and he had a book on model railways which I read and showed us a couple of locos....
Cue that Christmas and me and my brother got those very locos - my brother got the Deltic and I got the class 25 and the class 08 and I took it from there.....

johnwillimas · April 30, 2012, 02:09:46 PM

Started to build my son a railway for his 5th brithday and didn't really have space for 00.

Now being nagged to get it finished for my grandson's fifth birthday - still I've got three years to go yet....

Newportnobby · April 30, 2012, 02:50:44 PM

Quote from: johnwillimas on April 30, 2012, 02:09:46 PM
Started to build my son a railway for his 5th brithday and didn't really have space for 00.

Now being nagged to get it finished for my grandson's fifth birthday - still I've got three years to go yet....

Tempus fugit, as the Romans used to say

Jerry Howlett · April 30, 2012, 04:22:43 PM

Quote from: johnwillimas on April 30, 2012, 02:09:46 PM
Started to build my son a railway for his 5th brithday and didn't really have space for 00.

Now being nagged to get it finished for my grandson's fifth birthday - still I've got three years to go yet....

So...was there any rush ?.

dodger · April 30, 2012, 06:00:27 PM

I started with clockwork O gauge when very young, but soon wanted and electric trainset. At this time (1950's) the only choice was OO either Triang or Hornby Dublo.

I had a dabble with TT in the 1960's but there was very little still in production so it was back to OO.

The change to n gauge came about 20 years ago when space prevented decent length trains in OO.

A move 2 years ago meant a further reduction in space and only a single track through station was possible, as its on the South Coast there is still the chance to run the odd excursion and holiday express plus the regular school train.

The improvement in available models in the last few years has been very welcome as has the improved detail. I am enjoying n gauge even more now but the eyes prevent building of many kits that are available.

Matthew-peter · June 11, 2012, 04:41:27 PM

Ive always liked n gauge, the size means more room for running and a new challenge for scenics. Nowadays with all of the models coming out with more detail means its even better for what I want, although it has taken a while to get my layout from paper to reality. It was my first job that really pushed me to ngauge, my parents got me the gift of an n gauge farish starter set, the one with the 08 and it got me hooked haha

upclosevideo · June 17, 2012, 08:35:23 PM

New to model railways, played with my cousins 00 gauge train set as a nipper and was smitten but never "aquired " one in early life.
Many years on and the possibility of running multiple trains at the same time on the same tracks and getting quite an interesting layout in a small space, 50 x 30 inches in my case, as well as designing and building scenery etc was just too tempting

apsheehan · June 18, 2012, 12:04:37 PM

Simply size in my flat, and the possibility of long train lengths if i get the opportunity to build a bigger layout later.

Flounder · July 15, 2012, 03:52:12 PM

I just had room for a classic 6ft x 4ft board in my bedroom whilst at school, and n gauge offered so many more layout possibilities, with different levels being easy to achieve. My Dad had OO and G Gauge layouts, and I wanted to be different.

23 years later and I am still exclusively n gauge, and now have a 17ft x 8ft space which I am starting to plan a layout for.

Cheers,
Flounder.

Newportnobby · July 15, 2012, 04:01:21 PM

Hi Flounder - welcome to the forum (saw your 1st post about the A4's)

Cripes - 17' x 8' - that is one heckuva space

What era/livery etc are you modelling as we're a nosey lot and like to know what everyone's up to?

What track system? DCC/DC?
I reckon you'll be asked more questions than you'll be asking us

Flounder · July 15, 2012, 05:29:30 PM

The space was 3rd on the list of house requirements when we moved a couple of years ago. A simple set-up of baseboards with a central well is as far as I have got - the trouble with the space is I don't know where to start, so have been content with two large loops and some passing loops to watch trains go by whilst I mull over the possibilities. I'll definately be having a large loco depot, lots of mainline running and seperate high level electrified tracks.

I mainly collect UK outline from 1990 onwards, but have recently started acquiring a selection of continental (mostly swiss) stuff. I am definately not a prototypical modeller. For example running this afternoon have been a full length Kato orange TGV, a Dapol 153, Dapol 67 and my kids have been running the Tomix James. I enjoy operating more than building, and have mostly RTR stock with a number of repaints (mostly Farish 60's) being supplied by a modeller and Forum member who knows a lot more than I do. Oh, and its DC for the forseeable future.

Hope to gain some good tips from the Forum over the coming weeks and months.

Flounder

Pengi · July 15, 2012, 05:46:05 PM

Welcome Flounder - great to have you on board. Jealous of that TGV though!

galway · July 15, 2012, 08:27:50 PM

Welcome aboard Flounder

Ollie3440 · August 03, 2012, 08:04:42 PM

I started out with a 00 trainset i was given when i was 5 (a whole 15 years ago!) I had (and still do) an 8x4 layout professionally built as a birthday present one year but after seeing N Gauge i slowly drifted away from 00.

N gauge just had a certain appeal to me, i liked the idea of having a scale length trains as i admit i'm a bit of a stock collector!

Ollie