does anybody ever lust for HO?

In a word, "NO"

 

Ed Boyle

I was just thinking and looking at some Long Island ho. Yep You can do more in a smaller place, more prototypical .... starting to look delish!!!

 

I love HO scale trains.  But I've never considered a wish to have my the layout of such.  Having kept all my HO collection in a case in the train room, I can examine and enjoy them at any time.  O and S are just more "fun".

I have enough trouble just getting all of the O gauge wheels on the rails! The only HO I get involved with is at Christmas.

 

HOHOHO

Nope.  I scratched my HO itch back in the Seventies.  Also the N scale itch.

 

Lust for...no!

 

Like many of the scale prototypical cars that are available in HO that have never been available in O scale - yes!

I envy the plethora of "stuff" available in HO! Not just engines and cars. EVERYTHING!!

But, no, I really prefer the "heft" of O gauge. Would prefer not to have the 3rd rail, of course. But I'm stuck with that.

While I don't lust for HO, I'll admit to being very envious of the multitude of buildings, etc. which aren't available to those of us who prefer O gauge.

Obviously being able to fit more into the same size space is another perk of HO along with the lower cost of all things HO - but I still wouldn't trade the size and heft of O for HO. For me the larger size enhances the realism of the trains.  

I had HO and lusted for O.

I have Ho and used Atlas track they make the best switch's, that's why I Am using Atlas O gauge track with my new layout in O gauge. As far as HO goes I still have the BIG BOY's  Cab Forward, Challenger, and a NEW YORK CENTRAL HUDSON. all are in original boxes and for sale someday to the right person .

The reason why I stopped layouts with HO was to many wheels were always going off the track, don't have that problem with O gauge.

Alan

Split the difference and add some On2-1/2 (On30) to the layout. HO track, narrow gauge 1:48 O locos and cars. Fits right in with existing buildings and such.

 

I think I lust for more space!

I was in HO for 20 years.  But since I have overcome the third rail, life could not be better.

No Thank -you to HO and N scales

I like Lionel, Toy Train Layouts, American Flyer and 2 - Rail Scale.

Yes: Lionel does take up more space, but the Classic Lionel Sound on Tubular Track, is the way to go.

     I do watch a lot of HO and N Scale on You Tube to get ideas for scenery

Gary

• Cheers from The

Well, when I got back into model railroading about a year ago.  I initially built a 4x8 table that I was going to put an HO layout on.  Then I ditched HO and got into N since you can put so much more into the same space.  But then about a month ago I got an MTH Railking set that was going to be for my son but now I think I'll do a basement layout of O scale and keep the N scale in my office on the 4x8.

Been there, done that, can't see the small parts anymore! No interest in going back. having too much FUN with O-gauge tinplate to get all serious with HO scale again. LOL

No, never had that problem. Sold off 100 brass HO engines a long time ago. If I was a lot younger and wealthier I would like to do On3.  Happy with O gauge now.

No HO here.

I loved HO scale trains for a long time but I prefer O it's better to do kitbashing or restoring than HO. I still have my Tyco stuff and some other things but I have pushed away from that to O. I can still run my Tyco stuff if I want which is nice to run every now and then.

Nope

For the most part I can say O gauge all the way, that's what I grew up with. Sure HO has it's advantages but they can't sway my feelings with O.  I have used a HO train for my amusement park and that is the only place where I will use one.

 

I was in HO for far longer than I have been in O-Gauge, and although I really enjoyed HO, my answer is an unequivocally 'NO!'.

 

Even with the plethora of offerings in HO, which overshadows those for O-Gauge, the only way to really appreciate the scale details for which HO is known is through photography. Most train shows I attend have several HO layouts, and many are are very well done. But honestly, unless you get right up to the display, which is difficult to do, you simply cannot see the smaller finer details. In a picture or video, yes; they are wonderful.

 

Conversely, in O-Gauge it has been my experience that the opposite holds true; for even though their (O-Gauge's) pictures and videos are nice, they cannot convey the impact that a nicely done, larger O-Gauge layout offers when seen in person. 

 

Just my 2¢.

 

Alex

 

I lust after, lament, and whine about all the structure kits, engines, and cars and kits

that have been made in HO, but I am not going back.  I just could not get interested

in keeping those littel wheels on that tarnished brass track.  I have boxes full of HO

from the period....not opened in years..

 

No.  While I love the balance between space & realism that HO can bring, as others have mentioned it's hard to appreciate the detail unless you're right there up close.  I love the size & bulk of the O scale engines & cars, as well as the scale realism that you can actually appreciate with the naked eye.  It's also sized, IMHO, much better for under the Christmas tree.   

Nope.   I still have a trunk full of HO.   O is my primary, but I ran some Z scale this past weekend.   Plenty of N scale which I do not run.   G gauge on the shelves from a defunct outdoor layout.   O gives you the best experience:  presence, sound, smoke, controls.

Nope. I use to run some under the Christmas tree but it's been years.

 

Yup .... close-up and personal ... HO is neat. That's why I'm dong a little HO switching thing on a folding office table in my little home office.

 

I dug out some old "blue box" SW1500's that I had squirreled away ... thinking about painting them, etc .... and wow! , I forgot how small they are!

 

Though, the modern HO stuff is pretty impressive.

 

But, none of it can replace O.

Wrong deadly sin! It's envy that I get sometimes. But that quickly passes when I think about my hands and eyes. I can't do that small stuff. Oh yeah, and if you think it's cheaper, think again. It takes at least twice the volume to fill the same space.

I had O gauge when I was a kid. When I got back into the hobby a few years ago I tried several times to talk myself into HO due to the reasons others have mentioned, cost, size, selection, etc. Just couldn't go with HO no matter how hard I tried. There is just something that O gauge has that is missing with the smaller scales. When you pick up an O gauge engine, you know you have a hold of something.

 

I also considered S scale. I think that is something I could go with and it seems like the perfect scale to me? But the selection was really terrible and that led me back to O gauge as well. I really do not understand why S gauge is not more popular than it is? I am also still overwhelmed with the selection in O gauge today compared to many years ago. It's incredible.

 

No; satisfied that urge in the early 60's. That's 1960 not age 60.

When I see great photos of of HO layouts, I'm always drawn to that scale. However, once I see a video clip and those lightweight cars shaking back and forth (in a very non-prototypical manner) when going over the slightest track-work imperfection, I'm cured of that momentary lust.

 

I love scale models and prototype operations but HO just seem really small and boring in real life. At train shows, I find my attention wandering after just a few minutes at the modular HO layouts.

 

S scale seems to be the perfect "in-between" size. I like 2 rail O but I can't see ever having the space for a continuous-run layout.

 

For a while I went on a Tinplate H0 binge and had a lot of fun, but as other stuff has taken over, time to sell that also.

 

Steve

Nope. Had some as an 8-yr old that came in a big box of used Lionel my dad won as a pool shark.  Wish I still had some to sell, as they were mostly brass box cars (no locos).

 

Got some HO again in 1975 for space reasons. Had it about a month then I went to a LHS and saw they still made Lionel. Dumped the HO and never looked back.

Definitely no.  HVAC contractor who had seen stacks of boxes at an HO guy's house said my boxes were bigger, and bigger is better, right?

 

 

 

 

What, me worry?

Beings I have no room for my 3RS O gauge I'll run that stuff with the modular group. But I wanted to run trains in my condo so I decided to build a 12x4 layout in HO. 

 

The engines being built today in HO by the likes of MTH and BLI is amazing. I bought a Erie triplex that has smoke, great sound and allot of detail. It sounds exactly like the O gauge model. It's getting only better.

Sometimes I think the only way I will ever be truly happy is to have O,HO and N scale layouts.Especially when I realize I can buy a whole 4x8 layout setup in HO/N with maybe even two trains running for the price of one Lionel or MTH scale steamer or E8 diesel set.Quality sound in HO has also gotten my attention.  Being a Southern Railway fan I have to admit that I sort of would like to try out some sound equipped high hood GP49Xs,GP50s and B23-7s pulling new stuff like full length open auto racks. I doubt I will ever live long enough to see such exotic things come to O scale.

I had to chuckle when I read that.    All scales are good.  At our last (bigger) home, I had layouts in N, HO and O, and was building one in G at the time we decided to move and downsize.  Now it's one in O and S combined, plus a small portable one in N that slides on its edge under the layout.

Like balshis, no I too lost my interest back in the 1970's the rubber band drives are what didmein along with the smaller size.

Each of my sons was given a Lionel set for his first Christmas. I tried to run both the O and my HO, but it was just too tough to come up with anything that made sense in the space I had available. I switched over to all O and put away my HO. I've sold some, but still have some of my favorites in display cases. I do really like some of them, especially the steam locos, but I don't see me ever trying to build another HO layout.

 I actually have a single loop of HO track on my second level, where my Dept 56 buildings are, but I use it to run an On30 set that I received as gift. I suppose I could drop my Mantua Mikado on there if I really just had to see it run.