HO VS O Gauge

With flame proof underwear secured ... several benefits to HO.   Trains and related available from around the world.  DCC.   Lots of decoders and various options along those lines.  Smaller scale helps with modeling structures larger than the trains themselves in the space you probably realistically have to work in -- such as real world large buildings or naturals features.

O is in a way too large for inside... except of course if you have a lot of inside space.  

I think of it like this as a simple way to illustrate the problem:  1 mile in the real world which isn't really all that far is going to cost you 110 approx feet of O track.  And even though lots of loops can eat that up pretty quickly maybe it still going to be hard to squeeze "parts of canada" along with your other areas into that loopy space.

So HO "halves" this problem (not quite, 60 ft of track). N is even "better" then from this point of view but I'm not so sure N is as solidly "the same" as HO seems to be around the world.

To me HO has the edge over these for the all reasons I just stated although "parts of canada" in N might be arguable for some...

I'm not one kind of scal or another.   I have a mix of three scales:  O, HO and N.   And I enjoy mixing it all together in the same space which is probably mortal sin or something.   

But for perspective I've mostly o track... at least 100 ft I think, maybe more.   I've far less of HO and even less N.  Still I prefer these smaller scales really and would like to "invert" my collection sometime.   Maybe one day I will...  (take a look at kato track for HO... I don't have any but it seems like solid stuff)

I wish I could give some help on the custom paint schemes & your related questions but I don't have anything to offer there.

G gauge...Go big or go home 

I went with O gauge because of the many operating accessories and much easy to work on.

Let's not forget scale speed. 25 mph in O is quite fast. In N gauge, you may fall asleep.

Let's also not forget the proper uses of the words "SCALE" and "GAUGE."

"Scale" refers to the size of the model.

"Gauge" is nothing more than the distance between the rails.

If you know where to get m420's in HO scale please let me know. I've wanted some providence and worcester ones for years, but as far as I know they are only available in ancient brass.  I guess the point im trying to make is that your taste are pretty demanding, even for the variety found in HO.  Good luck with your project.  

I have had HO (for years) and O the last 5.  All scales have their advantages and disadvantages.  I prefer O at this time as it gives me the size I need to see the markings on rolling stock without resorting to glasses.  Also, in a very large basement, O scale trains look "right" to me versus the smaller scales which look like scampering cockroaches.  

I was reminded of something today as I was walking through a place looking at HO scale engines that featured DCC and Sound.  These engines cost $300+!  I thought to myself: "for a HO engine!  Are they nuts!"  I am painfully aware of the resale value of HO stuff.  I paid thousands to get what I have and could only sell it for pennies on the dollar.  At least with my O stuff I can get close to half.

HO scale which has the largest following by far and widest variety of stuff is dime a dozen at the point of re-sale.  I am done ever buying any HO stuff , but if I do, it will be the re-sale stuff.  I won't have to worry about buying any HO stuff as I have enough for ten people.  I made the mistake of selling off my original HO once in the early 80s and in the 90s was buying HO again--stupid--never again!!!

The larger scale provides me with that large feel of a real railroad.   I'm done selling any of this stuff off.  I told my wife to bury me with Hustle Muscle!  If Hustle Muscle can't go, I'm not going!

HO vs O scale? Most times space availability and money availability dictate which scale a person settles with. I got started Christmas 1976 with my first train which is the coveted Illinois Central Gulf Marx diesel set which is still in pristine condition.

My latest project is installing a shelf train in our master living room. I had enough shelf space for an HO track beside the O. I have since begun building an HO coal train to run beside the O. I purchased a new old stock Athern blue box SD-40-2 and have built 20 Athern coal hoppers all for less than $150.00 I enjoy the HO as much as the O even though the O has all the proto effects and my HO doesn't.

If you are attempting to model for realism, HO is definitely an easy route.

I'm a little odd, in that I want realistic equipment, but don't care much about realistic spacial scenery. O-scale works best for my eye. I look at specific locos or cars for what each is. My imagination takes care of the rest.

That said, I truly respect the modeler who creates a realistic scene. Some seem to come to life. I can imagine seeing the grass grow.

No one can tell you which scale is right for you. I've built layouts in all the popular scales, with the exception of S scale, over the years and they can all be fun. IMHO G and O are runners scales. The trains are big and have presence that the littler scales lack. If you enjoy just running trains nothing beats the bigger scales.

In my experience as the scale gets smaller the scene gets bigger. What I mean is that the surrounding landscape is more important as the scale gets smaller. With big trains, it's the trains themselves that are the stars of the show. The scenery is there for support. That's true to a degree even in Z scale, but less so since the trains are smaller and dwarfed by the scenery.

Give it lots of thought and run some HO if you get the chance. Your personal experience will give you the best advice.

I had tons of O gauge and really liked it but after I moved to a  smaller place there was just no room for O gauge. 

I decided to try HO and now after a couple of years I love it. They now have sound and command or you can run plain DC. 

Also it is much cheaper then O plus allot more models to choose from. Cost and other factors moved me to go to ho. 

You can spend a lot of money in either scale. However H.O. has more compatibility in command control then O scale.

Track size is almost the same in curves so no real savings in room size. Maybe N scale will save you some room.

Lee Fritz

HO is a lot cheaper then O. Big Boy with sound and DCC for $550-600, Lionel Vison Big Boy $1500+. Sure you can go with exact HO scale rolling stock for $40-60 bucks a car but overall IMO HO is much more affordable. My buddy bought an Athearn diesel/GP-40 with sound for $220. Double+ that price for 3 rail.

Paige: since your budget is very limited, I suggest you get some inexpensive secondhand HO train items at a train show. And since you probably don't have space for a large permanent layout, consider smaller trains that can handle tight curves on a small portable layout. Many of the smaller HO trains can handle curves down to 10" radius (freight cars up to 6" long as a general rule). Get some flex track and experiment. Save your more ambitious ideas for when you have more money to spend and more hobby experience.

This pic shows an inexpensive 22" x 44" figure-8 HO layout with 8" radius curves. The loco is a Kato chassis with Athearn shell, the train is mostly short ore cars. On the shelf above is an O27 layout on a 30" x 79" door, also built with inexpensive secondhand equipment. Examples of actual operating layouts in small spaces on a modest budget.

I have larger layouts but I also have fun with these smaller portable layout projects. Train shows can be great sources of interesting secondhand bargain items to launch a new project.

While HO offers a huge history of available variety, and O less, much less,with three rail often seeming reluctant to get far from its past, O, in my experience, is easier to just set up and run. HO has universal compatibility.  There are trade-offs between them... depends on what is most important to you.

HO was my main scale from about 1972 until 1993. I had a layout and tons of stuff.  What is available and the prices (before 1993) made it a great scale to be in. 

In 1993 a work buddy brought his new MTH N&W J 611 to work and the size and weight sold me.....next day I bought one.  I now have more O 3r than I had HO. 

But I kept my HO.....hard to part with and costly to replace if I ever wanted to.

Each scale has it's own benefits and issues. Price is no longer very different. Back in the day I'd buy MDC two bay hopper kits for $2.25 each.  Today some HO cars are very near O prices. 

Boils down to 'wants'......

I got round the O Scale size problem by building an industrial area with a common carrier railroad running around the outside of it.

The industrial area is now a Steel mill which is still being built but I still have the railroad around the outside.

In the space I have and the curves being sharp I have no passenger equipment.

Roo.

The following is my personal experience YMMV.

HO is much less forgiving.  You have to have your track perfect or the trains wont run.  

That is what blew me away with my first Lionel O gauge starter set.  The trains actually ran.  They stayed on the tracks, they stayed coupled.

Admittedly new track systems with built in road bed like Bachmann's EZ track help and the new couplers are better.   Even with the improvements HO is just finicky compared to 3 rail O.  

Whatever gauge you go with I hope you have a great time.

But, not to be argumentative but informative -- there's a cottage industry for battery power HO!  Of course you have to pay for it.

Example: http://www.s-cab.com/

Garfield posted:

The following is my personal experience YMMV.

HO is much less forgiving.  You have to have your track perfect or the trains wont run.  

That is what blew me away with my first Lionel O gauge starter set.  The trains actually ran.  They stayed on the tracks, they stayed coupled.

Admittedly new track systems with built in road bed like Bachmann's EZ track help and the new couplers are better.   Even with the improvements HO is just finicky compared to 3 rail O.  

Whatever gauge you go with I hope you have a great time.

 

Ah yes, one of the great fallacies of life.  I don't care what scale or gauge is involved, Z thru G, two rail or three, deep flanges, NMRA spec, or Proto flanges, if you do NOT pay attention to how well you lay your track, there will be problems in any scale. 

I forever marvel how I can hold on an HO basement sized layout, a three hour proto-op session, keeping between 8 and 10 guys busy, and have less than one derailment per hour, and those derailments are frequently due to human error.  Yes, my track is well laid, my coupler heights are all checked, and every piece of rolling stock has metal wheels, and those are checked for gauge. 

Back in my modular three rail O days, there were guys in the group that were averaging one derailment per10 LAPS on a 46 ft x 72 ft.  L shaped railroad because they did not pay attention to such "intricacies".    For some reason, I and a few others weren't having that problem. 

If you want great track that falls out of the box and is bone reliable, stick with Kato Uni-Track for HO and N.   I don't use it, I use HO code 83 flex track, and Walthers Code 83 switches.  On the older section, I used Micro-Engineering flex track, and Walthers switches (also code 83).  It all looks and runs great. 

Regards,

Jerry