Scale Opinion

I have mostly MTH Imperial Railking engines and Railking rolling stock, with some Lionel, K-line, Atlas, ect.

I'd love a Premier Big Boy, due to the added detail, but I cannot run one on my layout and I have more room than many.

 

So I'd say look at the Imperial Railking line, you may be surprised. And they will run nicely with your existing equipment.

A nice side effect, All MTH engines (that I know of) have Cruise control built in, even in Conventional mode. They reserve a few volts to cover the load so they can hold speed on grades and curves.

Thanks Russell, today the NS stacks that I bought were Railking. I learned the yellow boxes (which I bought) are not scale and purple is scale. Is imperial the yellow boxes?

Almost all of my stuff is traditional size partly because, like you, I don't have the space for anything larger.  Scale just looks odd running on my layout.  I like my traditional just fine. 

Traditional.

 

I'm into "traditional". That's what I got involved with through chance acquisitions, bargain secondhand stuff that I could fix up myself, and I decided I liked it. Traditional can take sharper curves and I like small layout projects. O-scale looks great too, but traditional and scale do not look good together. So I'm sticking with what I started with, traditional O-gauge. I do scale modelling in HO.

I have a mixture.  Generally, I stick with traditional, but anything that can comfortably negotiate O36 curves is fair game for me.  My Conrail GP38, GWR Hall 4-6-0, and Bethlehem Steel 0-4-0 (newest engine) are scale-sized, while my PRR Atlantic and NYC Dreyfuss Hudson are traditional-sized.  All my rolling stock is traditional, or at least semi-scale, as is the case with my three British MK1 coaches, which are each about 15" long.

 

Traditional is a good choice for me because what you may lose in accuracy, you gain in operational flexibility.  More and more of the HO scale stuff available (namely passenger cars) seem to require more space that a traditional O gauge layout.

 

Aaron

I run mostly scale with a few traditional pieces mixed in where I have made them fit in. I run mostly Diesel engines and a few small steam on tight curves. No room (or money) for giant scale steam engines.

I run a mix of both.  My layout is on the smaller side at 6 x 13.5, so semi-scale items just look better.  I have some scale items that I run now that will look much better when the day comes that I build my "final" layout with 072 minimum curves.

I run 1:48 O scale scale, but most of my equipment is still quite a bit smaller than your traditional stuff.

over the past five years I gradually drifted toward pure scale.  I have some traditional stuff and I run it from time to time, but i just like the scale stuff.  

 

But I would not worry too much about that. If you have a lot of traditional, run it and make the most of it.   I'd concentrate on just having an enjoyable time and really having fun.  

This helps a lot.  My thing is, I dont have much space in the house I'm in now, nor the money.  So after my purchase today(of traditional), I think to myself, well instead of 6 train cars, you could've started collecting scale, and bought 3 for when I actually have space (talking probably 5-10 years here).  I guess its second-guessing what i bought

I have an Lionel RTR set and some additional freight cars that I run under the Christmas tree as my only traditional-sized items.  Everything else has been scale locos, passenger cars, and rolling stock.  IMO, they just look better and less toy-like.  That's just my preference and to each his own.

Most of my purchases have been scale but, due to a small layout size, I keep to the "short" scale items (eg. 40' freight cars, 0-6-0's, Atlantics, etc. 

Passenger cars are of the shortened variety as the long scale cars look a little silly on most home layout curves.

 

I also still acquire and run some traditional sized operating cars.

 

Your tastes will change over time so don't be too quick to toss any existing stuff aside.

Over time, switching to scale......

I like traditional better. For example, the Polar Express Berk - to me at least - is just about the right size. I bought a couple of scale locomotives to go with it, not realizing there were different "scales" in O Gauge, and while they're gorgeous, they're just too big. The traditional stuff looks great on a 4x8 layout but the scale stuff seems to overwhelm it.

 

Cheers,

Ken

No need to second guess.  You can have plenty of fun with traditional sized trains.  Most of my friends run traditional and I have a good time visiting their layouts.  I'm mostly scale now, since I now have the space - but I still have my traditional stuff and will run it now and then.  Lionel F-3's, GP-7/9's and FM Trainmasters are pretty darn close to scale size and they have been pulling traditional sized trains for 5 or 6 dceades, so don't worry about it too much.  Just have fun!

My Legacy engines are scale and all my TMCC and Conventional are traditional. I have enough room to run scale but I'm not all that concerned about what size they are. To me it's more about the journey than the end result. I love building the layout and running trains. If the cars have all the same number as long as they look good in the consist it's good enough for me. By the way welcome to the forum.

Ron

I have bought nothing but scale items since 2000. I focus on mid to small size scale items for the most part. So a F3 or Hudson are about as big as I'll go. I do have a scale GG1 because it's a classic I had to own. 

 

However I have kept my semi-scale trains and still run them a lot. It's a hobby do what you want. I think you tend to get used to a certain size and it just feels right to you after awhile. 

 

If you want to try scale, a Lionel docksier engine with some Atlas "Trainman" cars would be a good starting point. Keep in mind however that the scale stuff goes up in price and you have to balance things in your life. If you feel you're spending too much then it takes away from the fun factor.

 

 

 

I run traditional partialy because that what was in the boxes for the 50's and 60's when I got them back out in Nov of 2011.  With tight room and even tighter budget restraints I've been able to expand my collection and first ever layout. 5 feet is as wide as I can go so traditional lets me run on 027 and get more action in a small area.  I've been able to keep in budget (well close to budget, sort of) buying mostly here on the forum and at train shows. I'm having a blast and that's what matters having fun and running trains.  Run what feels good and enjoy.  

 

Kevin 

I still have a good number of traditional-size O gauge, but have pretty much gravitated to scale-size items in recent years because of the theme I follow (Alaska RR and U.S. Army/Transportation Corps).  Most items I've purchased recently in both of those liveries have been scale, but I do stick with things that will operate on tight curves because that's all I have room for.

 

I like all trains--O gauge and otherwise--so am very content to admire and enjoy anything that my fellow hobbyists choose to run.

I run a little bit of everything even standard gauge! I have 0-84 curves but I tend to run smaller motive power and shorter trains for my 8x16 layout.    Bottom line is you run what you like. There is no right or wrong and when it comes to trains it's all good!

Currently, I have one scale trainset on the layout, pulled by various scale engines (I have only a few).  The other trainset is traditional sized, and interchanging locos.  Then one On30 train.  I am gravitating toward more scale, but not consistently.  Its all good!

I run mostly scale, lately I find I am enjoying the smaller Scale Engines.

I run mostly traditional sized, with a lot of not even close to scale mixed in. A while ago I gave my few scale sized cars to a fellow club member who has gotten more use out of them the one time he brought them to the club than the 10 or so years I owned them.

 

Speaking of clubs, is there a club in your area? That may be a great way to see more different sized trains in action, and see what really works for you. Plus if you do end up with a few scale pieces down the road that won't run on your home empire, at least you could run them at the club.

 

Welcome to the forum and the hobby,

 

J White

You can run full scale in a small space, you just need to get the smaller stuff. Use smaller steam like 4-4-2 Atlantics and 0-8-0 switchers and smaller diesels like SW-8 switchers.

 

there is also nothing wrong with traditional O. 

 

Enjoy and run what you like!

I like the 0-8-8 by either Lionel or MTH.  The dockside switcher is good, too, but not scale..  But the Lionel 0-4-0 shifter is, and it is only as long as a BEEP and runs nicely on tight track layouts and pulls wel, and sound really good (surprisingly good for having such a small tender with its confined space for a speaker). 

You can run scale in smaller spaces if you shift you focus from "now" to 1940's-1960's or specialize in modern specialty niche araeas that still use smaller equipment, e.g. mining, container well cars, Etc.

 

Modern mainline equipment is really, really big.  Some of the cars advertised as scale may still be shorter than their prototype because very few people have the real estate to run cars or loco's that are over 20" long e.g. most "scale" passenger cars are really 4-8 scale feet short, auto racks and piggy backs are almost 90' long in the real world.

I don't know if you have a layout yet or not.  My suggestion, if you don't, is use as large of curves as you can.  If you can get at least 1 o-72 loop that would be good.  That way if you want to run larger engines in a few years you can.  Remember there are many scale locomotives and cars that will run on smaller curves.  Atlas Trainman cars are scale but don't have as many details.  You can buy them at a lesser price.

 

doug

I rather run scale if I can get it.  When you see 2 alike engines side-by-side and 1 is scale you can see why.

 

Same for the rolling stock, IMO it just looks better.  My answer for any increase in price is this...don't buy as much instead of 3- traditional pieces buy 1-2 scale pieces, most folks have way more than they can run (or need) anyway.

 

I had a RailKing gondola and later scratchbuilt a scale gondola from plans.  The RK gondola was so noticeably narrower that I ended up cutting off the sides and making new ends and an underframe to bring it up to par.

Beware the trip toward "Scale" with your 3 rail.  It can be a slippery slope that often plays out like this:

 

* Likes traditional trains and have a ton of fun with them. The center rail accepted as part of the "look".  In fact, it's like a safety net: When the center rail is there, one accepts they are "playing" with trains and it doesn't matter that the traditional pieces aren't "precise replicas".

 

* Begins to desire a more "scale" look... and purchase a "scale" engine.  Sitting next to the traditional engines it looks bigger, more impressive and "real".

 

* Starts gravitating toward an overall more "scale" look and eventually enough stuff is on the layout to start moving the traditional aside.

 

* The quest for "realism" begins and migrates into the scenery, structures, et al. Might even begin to embrace the contradictory philosophy of "3RS" with the doctrine of fixed pilots, replacing the "lobster claw*" couplers with Kadee couplers, getting rid of "pizza cutter*" wheel flanges, etc.  (* = Their terms not mine.)

 

* Somewhere about this time that pesky center rail begins to be a real eyesore to your "scale" efforts and some frustration begins.

 

* Pursue such an approach long enough and one can start getting very dissatisfied with the center rail... and thoughts of going to a form of two-rail begins to be entertained.  Once at this point, some have jumped ship and model in a 2 rail medium.

 

You can read the progression for yourself by browsing historical postings in both the 3RS and O 2 rail forums.

 

Frankly, been there, done that, myself... only I went to S scale.

 

IF I had stayed with "Traditional" 3-rail... I might still be having fun today with toy trains and a much less stringent set of "givens" for having "fun" with model trains.

 

Whatever you decide I wish you the best of luck and the best of fun!

 

Andre

 

Everything I run, except for a few items I bought when I first started, are scale, although most my passenger cars are the 18" ones.

 

My first steam engine that I bought in 1990 was the Lionel NYC Mohawk. After that I decided to stay with the scale equipment.

 

One of the benefits of that decision has been that many of the engines I own, some of which are my favorites, have never been made in the traditional size. For example.

 

The PRR S1, Q2, skirted T1 and Centipede.

UP Veranda Turbine.

NYC Dreyfuss, ESE and J1e Hudsons, all with the PT tenders.

Santa Fe "Blue Goose" Hudson.

 

One other item of note.

 

When I first built my layout 20 some years ago it had 6 loops. (2)031, (1)042, (2)054 and (1)072. Since engines like my scale Mohawk would run on 042 curves, I thought I was set. As time went on and MTH got into game and Lionel started making more scale engines that required at least 072 curves, I had only one loop to run much of my equipment on.  I finally bite the bullet about 13 years ago and replaced the original track with (4)072 loops. 

 

Now I can run any of my engines on any one of my loops.

 

 

mjrodg3n88,

 

I started with the same thoughts and impressions as you have. Everything in scale is really good looking. Then reality set in as it appears to be doing for you too.

 

I soon realized I could not afford the cost and space requirements to run scale trains. When I started sketching a track plan, it became apparent that scale trains would look poorly on anything less than 082 diameter curves. Moreover, very long straight runs would be necessary so a train would not be chasing its tail.

 

My fall back position was the overall impression of trains and not their scale. That is to say for example, how would a semi-scale engine such as a Rail King Imperial steamer pulling a string of 027 passenger cars look in my layout space.

 

A Rail King Hudson with a string of eight 027 passengers cars is in excess of 13 feet long. Such a train would be more than twice that length with scale equipment. So I designed my layout to run Rail King steamers pulling seven 027 (13" long) passengers. The overall impression is a realistic looking train that isn't chasing its tail around the layout.

 

The end result is affordable trains in a reasonable space. However, if you must have scale size trains, join a model railroad club with a big layout.

 

I like traditional and that's what I run on my 12x13 layout. Railking is my preference but I noticed latley that their diesel engines seem to be more and more scale for whatever reason. Had I a larger area to work with I think I would just run scale but I still like what I have and I'm enjoying myself. Good luck with your decision, you can't go wrong with either.

 

 

Joe 

It's at this point on Andre's list that I stopped in regard to my own layout and my personal thinking about 3-rail.

 

Although I have gravitated toward more realistic structures and scenery (I have always attempted to create more realistic scenery, even when I was a boy), I draw the line at trying to make my own 3-rail modeling anything more than what it is.  

 

I have no problem with what those who describe themselves as "3RS" modelers are trying to achieve, but if I was going to go in that direction myself, I would likely just make the switch over to 2-rail O scale.  That's not at all likely to happen given my age, the amount of 3-rail equipment I already have, and the fact that most of what I want in regard to roadnames has already been made available in "regular" 3-rail.  I'm fine with truck-mounted couplers that are larger than scale, deep wheel flanges, the obvious center rail, and that sort of thing.

 

As always, the "different strokes for different folks" approach applies to everyone in this hobby.  I, for one, am very happy that is the case.

I have both.  I run them together because it is my railroad and no one else is there at the time to critisize it. 

.....

Dennis

Do what YOU like. Time after time, newer entries to the hobby get started and get bombarded by the preferences of others.

 

An all-too-familiar sequence of events to get started with some stuff you had as a kid and enjoy the heck out of it.

 

And then to start to feel the "peer pressure" of forums or clubs - that's no good, it's not scale," and "that's not good, it's not prototypical," and "look at those lobster claw couplers, what kind of railroad every ran equipment like that?"

 

So the move to 3RS starts. After all, the experts must know.

 

So rush out and start installing Kadee couplers and then what about those swinging pilots - harumph!

 

And then there's that middle rail - no wait - two rail scale must be the answer.

 

In the end you start, you stop, you change directions, you buy equipment and track and then get swayed into other equipment and different track and you sell the original stuff for dimes on the dollar. The layout never gets built over obsessing over what everyone else is doing and wasn't it fun to set this stuff up on the floor or a piece of plywood and just soak in the enjoyment of it. 

 

Find your niche of what helps YOU enjoy the time you spend on this hobby and ignore all of the scoffing and condescending "not good enough/not real enough" stuff. Too many people have fallen into that trap and ended up walking away frustrated.

I got to the same place, only in reverse. When I was a kid, I had a little bit of HO stuff but always wanted something more scale-like. So... after I grew up and decided to get into model railroading I jumped in all the way - S Scale with P-B-L and River Raisin motive power. I thought that in the mean time I'd like to have something simple to relax with and let my son play with so I decided to get some American Flyer stuff. The frustrations there could be the subject of another thread, but last Christmas we got a Polar Express set - and it's perfect In fact I like it so much that my first permanent layout is going to be O Gauge. It's relaxing, easy to find equipment, and I can let my son play with it without worrying about him ruining an expensive brass loco. When I get frustrated with no room to run my S Scale stuff, I can just go run trains. In the mean time, I don't have to worry so much about when I'll complete my Jawbone/Slim Princess layout.

If you miss the fun of traditional O, build a little 4x6 or 4x8 layout and start having fun again You don't have to get rid of your S Scale trains to do that...

Cheers,
Ken

I am moving toward nothing but scale.  I have to echo Allan here though that at a certain point as some of us get consumed by accuracy we need to step back and admit that the 2-railers have the only true claim to that.  So I will accept that my stuff is a more accurate model except for that extra rail in the middle which is completely inaccurate.

 

So you get to choose what contradictory rules you set for yourself and know like most of us on this thread you'll change them a few times and allow exceptions.

Yup... a "this works for me" approach is the best approach.  Sounds like Allan, Harry, and several of you have found what works for you.

 

My personality type seems to be "all or nothing".  Thus, given my long history in scale HO, once I started down the road to make my 3 rail trains more "realistic", I took them out of their element I was most comfortable with them being in, and ended up wanting the things I left behind in HO... only bigger... thus S scale.

 

I should have stopped at what I found most fascinating: The level of look/detail found on the PAL layouts within the Bantam paperback book "Model Railroading".  THAT book was my real inspiration for 3 rail, anyway.  My loss.

 

I encourage the OP new comer to read, explore, and learn what will work best FOR HIM and don't let us endless keyboard types change it.