Decisions and Dillemas

[bobaloo000]

Here's my dilemma. Having received an on30 Hawthorne (Bachmann) set for Christmas I decided to give model rr'ing a try. So far I'm doing OK, and I'm picking up on some of the terminology. My problem is that I have discovered that there is just not enough on30 loco's, rolling stock, etc., to make a good model.

I know most of you modelers are going for a certain time period but that is not where I want to go. I want to create a model that encompasses all different types of loco's from multiple eras. I envision my model being more of a fantasy world then anything specific. I'll be honest; I just like playing with the trains.

That does not mean that I have no interest in doing this right, I'm not just slapping together plywood and laying track. I have dived into scenery building and wiring and the thought of building something truly spectacular in my large empty basement is getting me excited. Hey, I know it won't happen overnight, I have very little free time, but it doesn't hurt to dream.

So, back to my dilemma, I'm setting up the on30 on a 4x8 layout in what I'm calling Christmas County. The CCRR will consist of one passenger train and one freight (as yet not purchased). Sounds good so far, but, as I looked to expand this with additional layouts and join them together I have a problem. As mentioned, not enough variation in on30.

So where do I go? I can isolate my on30 layout (which I'm building for my kids anyway) around a corner in the basement and then start with another scale, but which to choose. I like the size of on30, O scale except for the 2-6-0 loco which seems to be HO. I have an old Lionel set from my dad (it's 40 years old) so I could go O, but I'm not happy about the track, though wiring seems to be easier. HO seems to have good variety, but, I'm not sure I like the size. N seems too small to me but I could be convinced, but it would take a lot of convincing. Of course I could always stay with on30, but it seems unlikely. :eek:

So what do you say modelers, what scale would you recommend, and why?
Would love to hear from you.

[abcraghead]

Since On30 uses HO track, you could just go to HO and use what you've got to start on.

[modelbob]

We've got a couple of On30 fellows here who will hopefully be along shortly. They'll tell you that there is more than just a couple of bachmann engines out there.

Check out either one of their layouts and I think you'll be impressed!

[Lady_Railfan]

I envision my model being more of a fantasy world then anything specific. I'll be honest; I just like playing with the trains. Hey, that's my approach, too! Mine's an outdoor railway that will eventually display both old-fashioned and modern equipment (picture Acela on one level, and narrow-gauge steam on another :D).

Whichever way you decide to go, this is the place to find some expert help, as modelbob says. Welcome to the forums!

[modelbob]

Since the structures and scenery objects are quite different, it's not very easy to mix and match HO and 0n30. I compared some On30 coaches to my HO stuff this weekend, there was more of a size difference that I'd imagined.

You may find your initial idea of an On30 section and a more to scale HO section is the best approach.

Also, you could use the On30 as a portion of the HO layout, say for a turnback loop in a dogbone plan. Just think of it as "hidden staging" and ignore the out of scale trains as the travel through the On30 section. Your HO stuff will most likely run anywhere the On30 will, but the reverse is not true. For example, I can't even let my On30 2-6-0 do a couple of laps on my HO layout, since the first trip through the tunnel would do some rather drastic kitbashing, instantly converting it into a wrecked locomotive by removing the stack, the cab and who knows what else...

[CBCNSfan]

Wow! tall order that is. I've always believed that the choice of scale, much like the layout was somewhat of a personal choice. There are a lot of points to consider before deciding. Forty year old O scale could be considered tinplate when compared to todays O scale models, but if you follow the threads in tinplate you'll see this can be fun and also worthwhile. I've been in HO for years (mostly buying and collecting stuff) so the die was cast before starting my layout. One word of caution about HO, is that besides the quality models, there is a lot of junk also available. I'm getting on in years now so the hands and eyes are not what they used to be. Due to those factors alone if I was to start over it would be in On30, granted he layout would be a lot different because structures would require twice the space of HO structures. Although the scenery might be easier for me to work with, being of a larger size would require much more attention to detail, but that's what it's all about. I guess the best advice I could give you would be to look around the forum at the photos, click on the links to the member's, ask them questions about their layouts, models, techniques for acheiving the scenery effects they accomplish. With enough information I'm sure you will make an informed decision that you will be happy with and have no regrets for your selection of scale.

[modelbob]

> Forty year old O scale ...

O scale! There's an idea! Make the rest of your layout O scale, and you could even include an interchange between the narrow gauge and the standard gauge.

Your On30 stuff could run on the scale portion of the layout and on the Christmas area too. If you decide to upgrade and detail your On30 stuff, it will still work fine for both sections. You could also pick up some pieces that are just for the Christmas section.