|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Model Train Resources - Intro To N Scale Trains |
What you need to know to get you started in N scale model railroading
by Marty McGuirk
This Hillcrest Lumber's Climax geared locomotive No. 9 is a little bigger than a dime
| | If you've leafed through an issue of Model Railroader magazine, you've already discovered that there is always something new to learn in the hobby. My advice is to digest it slowly. The terminology used in model railroading is one of the toughest things for beginners, but don't try to memorize everything all at once. You may not know the difference between a PS-1 and a GP7 today, but with time you'll be talking like an old hand. One of the first lessons is the most basic - the difference between scale and gauge. Scale is simply the proportion of a model in relationship to the real thing. N scale is built to a ratio of 1:160. That is, N scale trains are 1/160 the size of the real thing. The same rule holds true for buildings, automobiles, figures, trees, roads - everything.
Technically, the word "gauge" refers to the distance between the rails. In the United States, Canada, and most of Europe, trains run on tracks with the rails spaced 4' 8 1/2" apart. This is referred to as "standard gauge."
Years ago many prototype railroads ("prototype" is what model railroaders call the real thing) were built with narrower track gauges. Three-foot was the most common in the U. S., although a few railroads in Maine had two-foot track gauge. Model railroaders refer to these narrow gauge railroads using the scale followed by the small letter "n" (for narrow) and the track gauge in feet. So HOn3 means HO scale (1:87 proportion), 3-scale-foot gauge. Some advanced N scalers even build Nn3 layouts.
Perhaps it would help you to understand N scale if I placed it in relation to the other modeling scales. N scale is currently the second-most-popular modeling scale in the United States. While most active N scalers consider N scale to be their primary modeling scale, some model in another scale and consider N scale to be a secondary interest.
|
Two other popular model railroad scales are 1:87 proportion, called HO (pronounced "Aitch-Oh"), and O scale, which is 1:48 proportion. For many years HO has been the dominant scale, and the sheer numbers mean that it has the greatest selection of locomotives, rolling stock, and accessories. O scale was the leading scale in the formative years of the hobby, and despite a recent resurgence in new products, still remains far behind HO and N. Also included are S and G, or large scales.
So if HO is the top dog, why bother with N scale? The primary, and most obvious reason, is that N scale takes up so much less space than HO. N scale models are 54.5 percent the size of equivalent HO models. This means you can build an N scale layout in an area about 30 percent the size of a comparable HO layout. Most starter HO layouts are built on the traditional 4 x 8 sheet of plywood. With N scale you can pack all the same action onto a small interior door and have room to spare!
|
The Carolina Central, Model Railroader's N scale project layout, is built on a 26" by 80" interior hollow-core door
| | But there's another significant advantage to building in N scale, even if you have enough space for an HO layout. The real world is a big place, and every time we model railroaders try to cram even a small part of it into even the largest room we have to compromise. Towns that are supposedly miles apart are separated by a few feet, and we wish our 25-car trains were more like the prototype's 100-car trains.
If you truly want to capture the look of mainline railroading, I suggest taking an area large enough for a medium HO scale layout and building that layout in N scale. More and more HO modelers are growing dissatisfied with the limitations of what will fit in the space they have available and are turning to N scale. Suddenly those sharp HO curves look broad and majestic as a long train of beautifully detailed N scale cars roll past. And speaking of N scale trains, don't let anyone ever tell you N scale "doesn't operate." Anyone who holds that opinion hasn't seen the better N scale equipment on the market today. True enough, in N scale's early, dark beginnings, there were many teething problems. Wheel flanges were too large and locomotives either ran too fast or, in some cases, didn't work at all. Today's N scale equipment is the equivalent of that found in any scale.
|
Ways to enjoy N scale railroading
|
This 2"-square abandoned house is an award-winning N scale scratchbuilt model by Patricia Ford
| | There are as many ways to enjoy a hobby as there are participants. The only "rule" (and it's not really a rule, it's just common sense!) is to have fun and enjoy it.
While one person will find building models and then developing a layout to be an ideal way to spend his or her hobby time, another person may find a club setting - either a traditional club with a permanent layout or an Ntrak club - to be the most rewarding way to enjoy the hobby and spend time with other modelers at the same time.
Among the most common ways to enjoy N scale model railroading are building a home layout, building an Ntrak module, building models of locomotives, cars, and buildings, and collecting some of the beautifully detailed N scale models that have been made. Rather than concentrate on just one aspect of the hobby, most N scalers combine some or all of these activities. Some N scalers even find that collecting is a legitimate way to participate in the hobby.
Perhaps the main goal of all beginning model railroaders is to build a realistic and functional layout. In a sense, model railroading is a combination of several hobbies and skills, brought together for the ultimate goal of creating a complete layout.
|
Before you jump headlong into building that first layout, be sure to avoid the three biggest pitfalls that cause beginners (and some advanced modelers) the most trouble:
1. Trying to do too much at first
2. Refusing to try new materials or techniques
3. Failing to correct mistakes
The solution to problem no. 1 is easy: Start small. Make your first layout small and simple, but complete it. Building an Ntrak module is an ideal way to cut your teeth, and if you have a club nearby you'll find the members are a great source of inspiration and camaraderie. Follow the entire sequence of construction up to and including scenery and detailing. This will give you a chance to get a feel for every step of construction without getting bogged down in any one phase. With a small layout you'll often find that just about the time you get tired of one part of the process it's time to move on to the next.
When you start feeling comfortable with your abilities using one set of techniques, it's time to move on to step 2: Try different techniques. That may seem to be a contradiction. After all, once you get good at something, why would you want to change? Simple. As time goes on you'll be reading model railroad magazines and books and finding all sorts of interesting techniques from other hobbyists like yourself. Try them! If some new method of doing something doesn't work for you, it's no big deal. But if they do work, you may surprise yourself and find the results better than you imagined.
And finally, through the whole process of building not only your first, but every model railroad, don't be afraid to correct mistakes. Sure, the train makes it around that curve about half the time, so why fix it? Believe me, take the time to fix it and you'll be much happier in the long run. Not happy with the way the mountain looks? Rip it out and start afresh. There's no time clock running on getting this layout built. And when it's in the final phases of detailing (which can go on indefinitely) you'll be secure in the knowledge that it works as it should and looks as good as it can.
There is a veritable gold mine of information available to modelers today. Kalmbach Publishing offers how-to books that go into far more detail on every aspect of the hobby. Also, Model Railroader magazine, published by Kalmbach, is the oldest and largest magazine in the world devoted exclusively to scale model railroading. Since close to 20 percent of MR's readers are N scalers, you'll always find an article or two specific to N scale in every issue. Also, the ideas and techniques in every article can be adapted for N scale layouts and models.
|
| Marty McGuirk is a former associate editor of Model Railroader magazine. This article is taken from his book N Scale Model Railroading - Getting Started in the Hobby. His book is devoted to helping you grow from your first N scale train set to your first N scale layout. By the time you've built that first layout you'll find you've learned new skills, overcome challenges, discovered you have talent for one or more specific aspects of the hobby, and, best of all, had some fun in the process. | |
The above articles is the property of and is
the copyright of Kalmbach
Publishing Co. |
|
|
|
|
