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Post by steveoncattailcreek on Mar 4, 2024 23:48:35 GMT
The mythology is that HO was named for its approximate " Half- O" scale. If so, I wonder what the story is behind N. Perhaps " Not HO or O"? 
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Post by Country Joe on Mar 5, 2024 0:11:40 GMT
Joe, I am glad you resolved the track connection problem, and that you made good purchases at the train show. Alfred Thanks Alfred. The mythology is that HO was named for its approximate " Half- O" scale. If so, I wonder what the story is behind N. I’ve heard that about HO and it makes sense but I don’t know if it’s true. N scale was invented in Europe. N scale track is 9mm gauge. In many European languages the word nine begins with N so the scale was called N scale. G scale was invented by E. P. Lehmann with their LGB (Lehmann’s Gross Bahn, Lehmann’s Big Train) brand. The original idea was to create trains that could be used outdoors so they had to be big and waterproof. G was chosen as the name for the scale because the word for garden begins with G in many European languages.
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Post by healey36 on Mar 5, 2024 1:33:03 GMT
That’s pretty interesting. I’ve heard the “garden” story for G, but I had no idea about N. My first set was an AHM set, the loco and cars all made by Lima of Italy, their "Minitrains" range. I still have it somewhere...I’ll have to dig it out.   |
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Post by Country Joe on Mar 5, 2024 14:33:10 GMT
That’s a nice set, Healey. 👍
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Post by healey36 on Mar 6, 2024 13:58:31 GMT
That’s a nice set, Healey. 👍 Thanks, Joe...I remember receiving it on Christmas when I was ten or eleven. Third set I ever got, behind a Marx clockwork and a second-hand Flyer Mountaineer.
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Post by atsda on Mar 6, 2024 15:44:01 GMT
Joe, I have a 4' x 4' platform that I have had for a long time and I am making a play table for my granddaughter for her Brio trains. I am putting down an O27 oval, and around the perimeter, HO gauge track (from my childhood). Those slip on track connectors have become difficult for me to handle and connect track. Furthermore, I am not going to attempt using those tiny spikes to secure the track - that is impossible. (I am going to use small sheet metal screws to grasp the ties. Which brings me to the thought I had - How are N scale cars connected - what are the couplers like? and How are the tracks secured?
I am glad to be in O gauge - I can manipulate the items fairly well. Alfred)
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Post by Country Joe on Mar 6, 2024 20:26:56 GMT
Joe, I have a 4' x 4' platform that I have had for a long time and I am making a play table for my granddaughter for her Brio trains. I am putting down an O27 oval, and around the perimeter, HO gauge track (from my childhood). Those slip on track connectors have become difficult for me to handle and connect track. Furthermore, I am not going to attempt using those tiny spikes to secure the track - that is impossible. (I am going to use small sheet metal screws to grasp the ties. Which brings me to the thought I had - How are N scale cars connected - what are the couplers like? and How are the tracks secured? I am glad to be in O gauge - I can manipulate the items fairly well. Alfred) Alfred, all engines and rolling stock made in the last 20 or more years have knuckle couplers. They are mechanically different than O guage knuckle couplers but work really well. This photo shows a typical N scale coupler.  Older engines and cars came with rapido couplers. They look like a black box but work really well. This photo shows rapido couplers.  Tracks can be secured in a number of ways. The track I am using has plastic roadbed and the sections lock together so the track doesn't need to be secured. I will use a little white glue to hold my track in place but it isn't absolutely necessary. Guys that use flex track use nails, screws or glue to secure track. Some use pushpins to hold the track and then ballast it. When the ballast glue dries they remove the pushpins and the glue will secure the track.
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Post by healey36 on Mar 6, 2024 21:58:50 GMT
Back in the day, I had two or three rapido-style uncoupler-sections on the layout. It was a small electrically-fired "plate" between the rails that would elevate and push the couplers up and out from each other. Somehow it worked...most of the time.
Do any of the manufacturers still make cars equipped with the old rapido-style couplers? Probably not necessary as there's a ton of them out there in the secondary market.
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Post by curtis on Mar 6, 2024 22:18:32 GMT
Speaking of couplers, anyone have those old whisker couplers that were on the tyco cars? My nephew's son is looking for several. He does not want to convert to Kadee.
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Post by Country Joe on Mar 6, 2024 23:09:08 GMT
Back in the day, I had two or three rapido-style uncoupler-sections on the layout. It was a small electrically-fired "plate" between the rails that would elevate and push the couplers up and out from each other. Somehow it worked...most of the time. Do any of the manufacturers still make cars equipped with the old rapido-style couplers? Probably not necessary as there's a ton of them out there in the secondary market. To the best of my knowledge no one makes new cars with rapido couplers but there are plenty of older cars and engines available with them that usually sell very inexpensively. I see them at train shows at bargain prices. Speaking of couplers, anyone have those old whisker couplers that were on the tyco cars? My nephew's son is looking for several. He does not want to convert to Kadee. As far as I know no one makes horn hook couplers anymore. You might find them at a train show.
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Post by curtis on Mar 7, 2024 20:24:29 GMT
You are correct saying no one makes them anymore. I have been looking at shows but it is a no go unless they are already on a car. That presents a problem as he then keeps the car and still needs couplers. LOL
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Post by Country Joe on Mar 22, 2024 14:14:02 GMT
This is how the layout looks right now.   I may or may not tweak the track a little bit but don’t see making any big changes. A river will run from the back to the front of the layout, just to the right of center where the blue bridge is. I have a double track bridge for the back. More on this later. Industrial buildings are staged to get a feel of how the layout will look as I make progress on scenery.      I installed DCC decoders in 2 engines and set up my Lenz DCC system.  The installations were super easy and motor control is much more precise than with DC. That’s it for now. More to come as I make progress. |
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Post by atsda on Mar 22, 2024 15:49:01 GMT
Joe, good progress - enjoy. Alfred
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Post by healey36 on Mar 22, 2024 20:46:54 GMT
Nice progress. Those structures look great. I always browse the N-scale structure aisle at Mainline whenever I'm up there. I can feel my grip loosening...  |
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Post by Adam on Mar 23, 2024 10:53:38 GMT
It’s looking good Joe!
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