Why I Model in N Scale

A fellow modeler I know who shall remain nameless visited the WR&N IV during a convention tour. He made a brief, cursory glance across the layout, then stood at the back of the room, arms folded across his chest, for the remainder of his visit. This behavior came as no surprise, as I knew what he can be like; still, I had to bite my tongue to keep from asking why he even bothered to come. "If you can do that in N scale," he remarked with evident disapproval, "imagine what you can do in HO."

As it happens, I started out in HO scale back in the mid 60s and switched to N scale after a few years. I've been working in N ever since, and while I'm loyal to N, I genuinely have nothing against HO or any other scale, and it's a huge mystery to me why some modelers apparently suffer from "scale prejudice." How does my preference for N impact someone else who works in HO? Loss of market share because I am not buying HO goods? Eliminating N scale would not improve things, and it might even have a detrimental effect; some of the advanced manufacturing technology we all enjoy today first emerged in N scale, and has since spilled over into other scales. So, HO modelers really owe some thanks to the existence of N scale.

If the objection is that my talents are being "wasted on a lesser scale" (which is an abhorrent attitude akin to bigotry), well, that's my business, isn't it? Certainly every modeler can gain from one another's experiences regardless of the chosen scale, since the vast majority of modeling concepts can be translated to and from different scales.

From day one, the space advantage provided by N scale was the greatest draw for me, particularly since I am frequently limited on available real estate. More significantly, it affords the opportunity to achieve a high scenery-to-train size ratio, something not as easily accomplished in HO (John Allen's Gorre and Daphetid is an example of what can be done in relatively rare circumstances). Had I not switched scales, I would have had less than one quarter of what I had to show during the convention tour. If I was operation-oriented, I might have been content with a small HO switching layout; but having a preference for continuous running, it would have been a challenge squeezing an HO layout as satisfying as the N scale WR&N into the same room.

Some clever person might suggest, if the space advantage is my primary criteria, why not switch to Z scale for an even bigger space gain? Well, I have also been modeling in Z on and off for as long as the scale has existed—a layout I built appeared back in the October 1975 issue of Model Railroader magazine, and I'm working on a new layout right now. The primary drawback of Z has been that North American equipment was slow in coming, so I've never been tempted to jump ship. These days the product selection has improved, but it's expensive and still fairly limited. I've been more seriously pursuing Z scale for use as forced-perspective background models in N.



From a purely mechanical standpoint, N scale seems to be the smallest practical size where nearly any ordinary locomotive can be powered. A few years ago I built a functional hi-rail using a pager motor, so there isn't much that I would consider impossible to do. My next locomotive project will likely be a 44-tonner, which will be a breeze compared to the hi-rail.

Granted, there are perhaps several orders of magnitude more products available in HO than N, and there is no question that I do feel the occasional pang of envy when I see a cool new 1:87 model that I can't get in 1:160. But in the end, a dearth of commercial items just forces me to hone my scratchbuilding skills, which is never a bad thing.

Admittedly I stick with N scale to some degree for the sake of nostalgia—the models never fail to take me back to my youth when I was learning to become a model railroader. That my best friend Rick Spano models in N scale as well has served to reinforce the scale's appeal. Since we all model for enjoyment, it makes sense to go with the scale that delivers the greatest satisfaction, doesn't it?

Having said all of this, I may one day switch back to HO due to failing eyesight. When I need to wear special glasses to see what I'm doing, some of the fun is lost. If that day comes, I will always look back on the many years I've spent in N scale (40 and counting) with great fondness and pride.