Hi.
Having just got into "N" gauge, I have been surprised at the costs involved. I don't regret the Change from "OO" in the slightest but the main reason for the change was the ability to fit a larger, more interesting layout onto my 10x4 base. I will be using flexi track where I can to keep costs down.
Having recently visited my local exibition and local model shop, the one thing that struck home was the price of second hand loco's, plenty of "OO" for under £40.00 with "N" demanding around the £60.00+ mark. As for the rolling stock, again "OO" wagons on eBay going as cheap as under a fiver to £10.00 + for "N".
Having just purchased my second DCC loco, the "Flying Scotsman" for £130.00 with the equivalent "00" selling at £110.00 second hand, it's going to be an expensive transition from "OO". I realise that the costs will be higher but as my understanding wife keeps telling me " it doesn't have to happen overnight" so project will be ongoing but hopefully worth it. :no:
As they say - less is more.
I think you will find the reward of running more realistic trains will offset the extra cost.
We often assume that since an N-gauge wagon or whatever is smaller than an 00-scale one, it should cost less. But in reality the cost of the raw materials used to make toy trains is a minor part of the overall cost. Research, development, engineering and marketing will all be about the same for both scales (indeed, both Dapol and Bachmann often produce one model for both scales, thereby spreading the costs).
On top of this, some aspects of design may be harder for N-gauge because of its smaller size. Getting a motor that works reliably in the smaller space of an N-gauge locomotive may be relatively expensive compared to the more spacious innards of its 00-scale counterpart.
A final factor I think is that N-gauge lends itself to long trains and busy depots. Individual wagons might be half the size of 00-scale ones, but as modellers we often buy twice as many of them so that we can run more realistic trains.
There are savings for sure, though. Scenic materials and paints will go a lot further in N than 00, for example. Static models such as houses and engine sheds tend to be a bit cheaper, too.
Cheers, NeMo
Quote from: NeMo on March 16, 2015, 06:58:40 AM
We often assume that since an N-gauge wagon or whatever is smaller than an 00-scale one, it should cost less. But in reality the cost of the raw materials used to make toy trains is a minor part of the overall cost. Research, development, engineering and marketing will all be about the same for both scales (indeed, both Dapol and Bachmann often produce one model for both scales, thereby spreading the costs).
Presumably, in the UK market at least, the N-gauge market is considerably smaller than the OO one, making fixed costs higher as a proportion of end prices. (It's the other way round in Japan, where HO is at least twice the price of N).
Go down in scale even more and look for that second mortgage. :hmmm:
Z and Zm can be a nightmare. Even T gauge is bad with a motorised chassis being almost £40.
The cost involved in sorting out the micro engineering involved is the main reason.
While I find loco prices a little more expensive in N, rolling stock is usually cheaper especially Dapol teak Gresleys at around £20, Hornby's equivalent are 3 x that.
C.
For me, N is more expensive and miserable if you are running 1/148 UK modern EMUs (only one commercially available)
However, I took the jump into N knowing all of this plus the Kato Eurostar (which is great value even when compared to OO offerings). So have drifted into 1:160 and picked up some bargains (old and new) through shopping abroad on EBay. An example being saving over £100 on a Kato Thalys. I had never been particularly interested in the Continental trains before but, because of N, have become fascinated by them.
I have never regretted going to N :) although I do confess to having an oval of Kato HO track purely to run my late father's Hornby/Triang Blue Pullman (plus a Pendolino). I have the N BP and this time next year, I will hopefully have two N Pendolinos so even less need for OO.