Today I was in Young's models, Barnstaple, N.Devon.

During a chat to the owner I asked how N was selling these days. His reply took me aback. He said that he now sells more N gauge than 00. A reason customers often give for switching from 00 to N is that when moving out of their parents home their new home is usually smaller, certainly with newer builds.  I think manufacturers have often been slow to capitalise on this.

My local MRS is Kernow. I asked the same question around 2 years back and was told they sell around 8 x 00 locos to every N gauge. That said they do have lots of commissions made for them in 00, so this probably accounts for the the wide differential in sales. I have only known Kernow to have two specials in N, a china clay wagon set and a DMU.

Have you ever asked this question in your local MRS, and what was the response?

Steve Davidson
W.Cornwall N gauge group.

Interesting thought Steve.
Enjoy your break.
Good to see the WCMRG reference in your posting.
And......put us out of our misery......what did you buy in Young's ?

Again Steve intersting thoughts.
I know when I was a wee boy you very rarely saw a decebt sized collection of N gauge for sale but now well there is a good amount to choose from.
Although there is still a gap it will be interesting to see what happens in the future.

Quote from: trkilliman on June 20, 2016, 07:37:13 PM
Today I was in Young's models, Barnstaple, N.Devon.

During a chat to the owner I asked how N was selling these days. His reply took me aback. He said that he now sells more N gauge than 00. A reason customers often give for switching from 00 to N is that when moving out of their parents home their new home is usually smaller, certainly with newer builds.  I think manufacturers have often been slow to capitalise on this.

Steve Davidson
W.Cornwall N gauge group.

I dont know how true it is but a factoid I have often heard bandied about is that on average, new build homes in the UK are now smaller than they are in Japan! So maybe the size of houses is starting to influence the size of scale choice.

Cheers
Kirky

Well Port Perran,

I nearly bought some of the new Farish cows, but decided to wait until the E.U. referendum result is known.
To be honest, I have so many cows I might be able to claim something from the common agricultural policy...or maybe not by next week.

Perhaps I'm just trying to pull the udder one...?

I haven't asked my local model shop, but they certainly have as much N gauge in display cases as OO now, and a pretty large range of items in stock. Not just locos etc but track, buildings, scenic items etc. Yet in our club there are only three N gauge modellers out of forty or so members, and one of them is about to move out of the area   Leaving us with a current era club layout and two members with transition era locos and stock.  Oops.

Quote from: kirky on June 20, 2016, 08:32:22 PM

Quote from: trkilliman on June 20, 2016, 07:37:13 PM
Today I was in Young's models, Barnstaple, N.Devon.

During a chat to the owner I asked how N was selling these days. His reply took me aback. He said that he now sells more N gauge than 00. A reason customers often give for switching from 00 to N is that when moving out of their parents home their new home is usually smaller, certainly with newer builds.  I think manufacturers have often been slow to capitalise on this.

Steve Davidson
W.Cornwall N gauge group.

I dont know how true it is but a factoid I have often heard bandied about is that on average, new build homes in the UK are now smaller than they are in Japan! So maybe the size of houses is starting to influence the size of scale choice.

The survey quoted here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8201900.stm indicates the average UK newbuild is 76m2 - assuming that's referring to houses and doesn't include flats/apartments, this could well be true, as the minimum size for a new-build house in Tokyo is 80m2. There are plenty of tiny apartments though...

Quote from: railsquid on June 21, 2016, 12:01:05 AM

Quote from: kirky on June 20, 2016, 08:32:22 PM

Quote from: trkilliman on June 20, 2016, 07:37:13 PM
Today I was in Young's models, Barnstaple, N.Devon.

During a chat to the owner I asked how N was selling these days. His reply took me aback. He said that he now sells more N gauge than 00. A reason customers often give for switching from 00 to N is that when moving out of their parents home their new home is usually smaller, certainly with newer builds.  I think manufacturers have often been slow to capitalise on this.

Steve Davidson
W.Cornwall N gauge group.

I dont know how true it is but a factoid I have often heard bandied about is that on average, new build homes in the UK are now smaller than they are in Japan! So maybe the size of houses is starting to influence the size of scale choice.

The survey quoted here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8201900.stm indicates the average UK newbuild is 76m2 - assuming that's referring to houses and doesn't include flats/apartments, this could well be true, as the minimum size for a new-build house in Tokyo is 80m2. There are plenty of tiny apartments though...

There's also more people renting in the UK now compared to a decade ago, many agreements (for private landlord rentals) are often on a 6-month or yearly basis.
It's not only the amount of room one can devote to the hobby an issue, it's also the ability to pack away and move easily at relatively short notice, the size of N gauge being an advantage in that respect.

Quote from: gc4946 on June 21, 2016, 06:58:29 AM

Quote from: railsquid on June 21, 2016, 12:01:05 AM

Quote from: kirky on June 20, 2016, 08:32:22 PM

Quote from: trkilliman on June 20, 2016, 07:37:13 PM
Today I was in Young's models, Barnstaple, N.Devon.

During a chat to the owner I asked how N was selling these days. His reply took me aback. He said that he now sells more N gauge than 00. A reason customers often give for switching from 00 to N is that when moving out of their parents home their new home is usually smaller, certainly with newer builds.  I think manufacturers have often been slow to capitalise on this.

Steve Davidson
W.Cornwall N gauge group.

I dont know how true it is but a factoid I have often heard bandied about is that on average, new build homes in the UK are now smaller than they are in Japan! So maybe the size of houses is starting to influence the size of scale choice.

The survey quoted here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8201900.stm indicates the average UK newbuild is 76m2 - assuming that's referring to houses and doesn't include flats/apartments, this could well be true, as the minimum size for a new-build house in Tokyo is 80m2. There are plenty of tiny apartments though...

There's also more people renting in the UK now compared to a decade ago, many agreements (for private landlord rentals) are often on a 6-month or yearly basis.
It's not only the amount of room one can devote to the hobby an issue, it's also the ability to pack away and move easily at relatively short notice, the size of N gauge being an advantage in that respect.

Which is why Unitrack (and Tomix Finetrack) have evolved in Japan of course...

There's also more people renting in the UK now compared to a decade ago, many agreements (for private landlord rentals) are often on a 6-month or yearly basis.
It's not only the amount of room one can devote to the hobby an issue, it's also the ability to pack away and move easily at relatively short notice, the size of N gauge being an advantage in that respect.


A very good point. We are rapidly heading towards the housing situation when I was an infant in the 50s. My parents had no alternative than to rent rooms, sharing a kitchen and bathroom. Buy to let has grown at an alarming rate for reasons it would be best not to go into on here. So yes, renting often a small property or part of one will also play a part in people looking towards N gauge.

all valid points about the room/house sizes being smaller and constant moving (need to included Uni students also there), but I also think its the general catch up in N to OO of attractiveness due to better detailing and running. Comparing my first ever Graham farish N gauge Duchess starter set to not only the loco's and rolling stock but also control, track and scenic products available now is so amazing. Those paper graham farish buildings that you mounted on plastic blocks just seem crude now in comparison.

And as a final note....

Not much N gauge in the Grosmont model shop, and none at all in Redcar Models and Hobbies!

Just a little adage,
Could the rise of N gauge be due to the fact that when some people began modelling OO was the only option where as from the 90s onwards N gauge has been a viable modelling option, now ever more than ever before

This too, I remember in my teenage OO years in the 1980s considering selling up and going for N, but what was on offer didn't really appeal, particularly in terms of variety.

I'm finding myself looking at 0 gauge now more and more, especially with those Dapol 08's, and I could get a layout in the same space Foster Street takes up........