English Trains


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Papajohn

New Member
Hello from Luling Texas and thanks for letting me in. I dabbled in HO several years ago but never had enough space. I’m now looking to get into N scale with DCC. Probably going to start door sized. When I mentioned it to my wife she asked if we could model it in England, that’s where she grew up. The trains there look very different and they drive on the wrong side of the road! I’m looking for somewhere to buy these style trains cars and scenery from.
 
migalyto said:
Welcome to the group John!

Check this vendor out for European trains, and scenery. I personally never have used them, but have heard really good things about them, and their prices.
https://www.hattons.co.uk/

Be sure to keep us posted on your journey.
Click to expand...
I have used Hattons extensively for the English side of my train addiction since 1985. I have found their service excellent. UK N scale is not quite the same as US N scale as they use a 1:148 scale of ratio instead of the rest of the world which uses 1:160. It is based on the idea that 2 mm equals one foot. Don't worry at the size of N scale the difference is hardly noticeable. My English side models in the OO scale 1:76 ratio which is slightly larger than HO but unless you are a purest runs on HO track. The same is true of English N scale. There are fantastic 2mm Scale modelers who detail every rivet and use really scale track gauges.

One of the nice things about modeling England is you can build the iconic Branch Line Terminal style layout with 4 turnouts on a 4 foot plank. The prototype was extremely small and the branch lines were scattered about all over England, Scotland and Ireland too. Passenger service remained more important than "goods" (freight to us) on most of these lines until the early 1960's. Steam power lasted until 1968. And there are plenty of structure kits with lots of model pubs. You can easily try the Metcalf Models N scale heavy paper/cardboard line of kits which are relatively inexpensive and cost little to ship. Or you can go for N scale resin cast fully decorated structures sold by both Bachmann and Hornby. Ratio is a standard maker of plastic structure kits. And for track you have the English manufacturer PECO which makes far more reliable track products for the world than any other mass manufacturer I know.

Hattons is a big box discounter so prices are lower. As of this moment you will have your purchase further reduced as they can subtract the Value Added Tax of 18-20% and their postage charges are reasonable. What happens after the Brexit split from the EU to VAT is unknown. You can use all major credit cards and PayPal when purchasing from Hattons but be sure to check what exchange fees and rates are if you use your local bank's credit card. There are several other big suppliers in England such as Rails of Sheffield and the Kernow Model Centre (note English spelling of center) which I have dealt with in the past and are reputable. Note that the Dapol company is one of the largest importer/manufacturers of N scale equipment as is the Bachmann owned Farish brand. Hornby does not deal in N scale but owns Arnold which occasionally makes an English prototype model in British N scale.

I am in remission at the moment working on my HO scale US 1950ish SP Port Costa layout.

Have fun with a bit of whimsy and humor. And if you get to England definitely visit the Bluebell Railway (a preserved railway line) about 40 miles south of London for a delightful English trip through pleasant wooded countryside and 19th-early 20th century atmosphere. Another alternative is the Severn Valley near Birmingham. Remember that railway modeling in England is far more popular than it is in the US. And if Sir Rodney (Stewart) can grice so can you.
 
Thanks for all of the replies. Sorry it took so long to come back but work.... hoping to get started with our layout around February. I’ll post when we do.
 
Hi Papajohn. I'm coming from the other direction. Living in the UK, but modelling c1937 Chicago. Also 1906 UK, and to be really niche June 1940, British military railroads in France June 1940 AFTER Dunkirk.. If you have any queries about UK practice etc just ask. More than willing to help.
 
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