It was good to see that there is an N gauge article in Jan 22 BRM. The article is titled "How to detail N gauge rolling stock" by Paul Moss. The article is quite useful if you haven't detailed or weathered anything before. I was a bit surprised by a couple of Paul's comments though.
He wrote "...the improvements to detail and accuracy have enabled the gauge (N) to become more popular and arguably mainstream " and then went on to say "it's often regarded as a good second choice after 00 gauge where space restrictions may restrict the size of a layout."

I must say I feel a bit peeved by these comments. I didn't realise that N wasn't "mainstream ". Also, and more importantly, I don't see N "as a good second choice to 00" any more than 00 might be a good second choice to 0. I have had layouts in 00 and G but not 0. I would argue that for the average person with the average amount of space N is the first choice of you want to model a convincing main line and 0 is first choice if you want to enjoy the feeling of being close to a highly detailed model but aren't worried about running reasonable length trains. As I see it 00 is now a compromise which, while being ok and very popular, is kind of the worst of both worlds. I guess 00 is ok for a branch line terminus but to get a convincing mainline with proper length trains you would need a room around 20ft long and how many of us have that space?
For me N is a good first choice rather than a good second choice.
Maybe I'm reading too much into what was written but to me here is a reasonably good article dedicated to N gauge modelling that starts off by suggesting that N gauge is nothing more than a second choice option. I'm not annoyed by this but just feel a little peeved. I guess I should be grateful for finding an N gauge article in BRM.

Who is Paul Moss? Is he a well known N modeller??

Quote from: tunneroner61 on December 02, 2021, 10:14:11 PM
Who is Paul Moss? Is he a well known N modeller??

His layout is Little Salkeld, which has been in a few magazines. Very good layout.

I agree with the OP's comments. N gauge is my gauge of choice, in fact to me, OO gauge models look like plastic toys. Had a similar discussion with NewportNobby on a rainy morning in Wigan back in 2014, when we spent most of the time looking at N gauge layouts, naturally!

Quote from: Bealman on December 03, 2021, 12:07:24 AM
I agree with the OP's comments. N gauge is my gauge of choice, in fact to me, OO gauge models look like plastic toys. Had a similar discussion with NewportNobby on a rainy morning in Wigan back in 2014, when we spent most of the time looking at N gauge layouts, naturally!

OO=plastic toys.  I totally agree.

@5944 thanks for the cross reference. I agree it's a fine layout but also agree with the OPs post.

When I was a kid I had only OO, which I played with as a toy. I vowed to myself that if I ever got back in to model railways when grown up older, I'd go for something more serious... N Gauge! I haven't let myself down.

Quote from: Chris Morris on December 02, 2021, 09:46:23 PM
... I don't see N "as a good second choice to 00" any more than 00 might be a good second choice to 0. ...

... for the average person with the average amount of space N is the first choice if you want to model a convincing main line ...

... 00 is now a compromise which, while being ok and very popular, is kind of the worst of both worlds...

... I guess I should be grateful for finding an N gauge article in BRM.

Sentiments I agree with entirely. Incidentally, gave up on BRM because of paucity of N gauge material.

Quote from: Chris Morris on December 02, 2021, 09:46:23 PM
The article is titled "How to detail N gauge rolling stock" by Paul Moss.
He wrote "...the improvements to detail and accuracy have enabled the gauge (N) to become more popular and arguably mainstream " and then went on to say "it's often regarded as a good second choice after 00 gauge where space restrictions may restrict the size of a layout."

I must say I feel a bit peeved by these comments. I didn't realise that N wasn't "mainstream ". Also, and more importantly, I don't see N "as a good second choice to 00"

I think Paul Moss has put things across wrongly. For sure, 00 is more 'mainstream' in that it still remains 3-4 times as popular as N - fact. To then say N gauge is a good second choice just tells me he's preaching to 00 minded folk and not to N gauge users.

Could I also say that there is the excellent N gauge layout Meldon West  built by Tom Blount/Railfreight Tom in the magazine. A great article with plenty of good photos so further positiveN gauge exposure with a layout that both looks good and has been acclaimed as good.

Well done with the article Tom, credit to you.

Hello all,

I haven't had a chance to see the article but Paul's Little Salkeld layout is very good.

I suspect he meant to say that N is becoming more mainstream, and is now a viable alternative to 00 in a way that perhaps, for many, it wasn't in years gone by.

I would agree with him in this.

Cheers

Ben A.

Quote from: Bigmac on December 03, 2021, 12:15:34 AM

Quote from: Bealman on December 03, 2021, 12:07:24 AM
I agree with the OP's comments. N gauge is my gauge of choice, in fact to me, OO gauge models look like plastic toys. Had a similar discussion with NewportNobby on a rainy morning in Wigan back in 2014, when we spent most of the time looking at N gauge layouts, naturally!

OO=plastic toys.  I totally agree.

You guys must be looking at OO from a entirely different universe than I.
I see great layouts and beautifully detailed models within a vastly greater array of models.

Don't understand the teen angst of having someone not sing praises to N.

Like I said in the opening it is a reasonably good article and, having seen photos, it is clear that Paul is a very good N gauge modeller. I just think he was a bit careless with the words he used about N. He was almost certainly trying to make a statement in favour of N but  it turned out to suggest that N was nothing more than a second choice if you couldn't do 00 which is what peeved me. I want the average modeller to see N as the ideal first choice for re-creating a proper mainline feel in a reasonable space. It is also first choice for making a minimum space layout where you can actually run trains rather than shunt. I suppose my point is that us N gaugers need to make sure we push this harder when we get the chance.

I am one of those that Ben A mentioned. Back in the last century I didn't see N gauge as an option because the models just weren't convincing but of course that has now changed.

Quote from: NinOz on December 04, 2021, 12:16:47 AM
You guys must be looking at OO from a entirely different universe than I.
I see great layouts and beautifully detailed models within a vastly greater array of models.

Don't understand the teen angst of having someone not sing praises to N.

Steve Flint said that when N came out he thought it would supplant OO as people were living in smaller homes.

(I was going to say, people's homes were getting smaller, but that would have far more sinister implications.)

Anyway, as Steve said, it hasn't happened yet. What did it for me was that OO coaches are so much longer than they were when I was a kid, or I'd probably still be in OO. But if I was starting fresh now? I agree with Chris Morris, for me it would be N or O.

The gauge thing has been going since I was a kid.

It's basically pointless, as we model in N Gauge, and this is the N gauge forum!