On30

Join the crowd! I’ve dabbled in many scales and like building cars and buildings with some presence and heft. The HOn3 was tempting but just too small for my current patience. Nn3 is straight out. Fn3 is my current passion but a big yard and (so it seems) a deep pocket is required. 

Get a couple kits and build some of each scale. LaBelle are nice but do require some skill. They have models in various scales but bigger can also mean more $$. I buy eBay and don’t let my heart get ahead of my head. Be open minded to try different structure kits as well. Lots of fun stuff out in O scale that are laser cut and fun to build. 

Post what you do and why here. There are a lot of people asking similar questions and your experiences would be worth sharing. Your some may find one scale is very appealing as well. 

Blackstone

  I checked out HOn3 a while back and thought the Blackstone engines and freight cars were very nice, the engines run superbly and sound great.. They are a bit expensive for their size however. I wanted to model the SP narrow gauge though and blackstone was all colorado. For a budget minded layout I think standard HO gauge is hard to beat, there's stuff in all price ranges and eras, from vintage wooden kits, thru Athearn blue box ,to the latest fine detailed RTR products. If your son is young you might also look into O27 three rail trains as they are cheap, run well ,are easy to set up and tear down so layouts can change as the mood strikes. My grandkids enjoyed my Lionel Thomas the tank setup and it withstood 3 kids and still runs :> ) .......DaveB

Narrow Gauge is small

Narrow gauge is small.  Properly scaled figures, vehicles, structures, etc are always going to be bigger in relation to narrow gauge than standard gauge locomotives and cars.  You see this when you look at old photos.  Narrow gauge equipment is close to the size of standard gauge equipment in the next smaller scale - i.e On30 is very close to S.  But the buildings remain the same size - a fact which surprises a lot of people, especially in On30.  Some people in On30 choose to distort the size of the buildings (usually the depth) or just totally undersized them to make them fit the layout.  O gauge 3 rail has been using undersized buildings for years.

My suggestion would be to use a standard gauge that you like so that the locomotives and cars have the heft in relationship to their surroundings that you seem to desire.  Consider 3 rail O gauge.  There have been many well done, scenic layouts.  Some have changed the couplers for better appearance.  Much O gauge is available at discount and used to keep the price down.  You do have to become knowledgeable about the different lines since not all 3 rail is to the same scale, but it does have nice heft to it.

Good luck

Paul

Narrow Guage

I am going to go with Neal. The reason is if you are attracted to NG the go with it. If you don't try it you may always wonder what if?

There is an On30 thread on here that is around 100 pages I think. Worth reading as time permits. O scale = 1/4 in =1ft. Get a ruler or a yard stick and count out different sizes to get an idea of building foot print sizes.

There have been a lot of pretty amazing freelance layouts done in HOn3 over the years. I 2nd the idea of doing a car kit or 2 in HOn3 and On30. I scratch built a flat car a couple years ago and kept track of the costs. Parts were stripwood, Grandt Line parts, and Kadee trucks and couplers. Stripwood might have = $1.00, Trucks and couplers around 6-7.00 and Grandt line parts about $5. Not sure of any of that any more but the total was around $12-13. And I had enough Grandt Line parts for another 2-3 cars. Considering the cost of Blackstones freight cars something to consider. Same with Bachman's On30 cars and the price on both keep going up.

Find deals on ebay, buy/sell/trade sites on facebook, local train shows. I ran into a guy who found some good train stuff at a garage sale a couple of weeks back.

You know about the Narrow Gauge  and Short Line Gazette?

Old transmission...scrap metal yard or a local recycle place that has a scrap metal bin. 

Jack

Example

Check out IMA. A gondola for twenty bucks plus $7.50 for trucks. 

Heart of Georgia in On30

Agree with Neil

Pick up a couple kits of each and see what you prefer.  Advice from anyone other than your own experience won't necessarily give you the right answer for you.  

The decision

Thanks for all the replies!! I've decided to go with On30 for the time being. JackH and Neil, you're right, If I don't do it I'll always wonder, and I"ve admired those On30 trains for years. This layout is by no means forever. At most it's going to last no more than 5 years. I'm building it to scratch the model railroad itch, and have some bonding time with my son. I will however be testing the waters as far as HOn3 goes. I'll build a few kits, buy a book or two to do some research (I'm not opposed to Colorado NG, I just don't know much about it), maybe purchase a locomotive and set up a test track or build a small switching layout. I think On30 will help me reach the goal of having trains running (at least the mainline loop and one or two spurs complete) by Black Friday (my sons birthday).

Neil thank you for the link

Neil thank you for the link to IMA. I took a look at their website and I like the look of their hoppers.

Nick, thank you for your assessment of the HOG track plan. When I end up moving I feel like it will be easy enough to take it apart and put it back together again. It's just big enough to keep me interested, but no so big as to overwhelm me. One of my goals for this is to hand lay some track. probably a few sidings at first, and then going back and doing the mainline as my skills improve.

HooT

Another HOG fan.  My layout

Another HOG fan.  My layout is based on it and I’ve been very happy with it as around-the-walls in my 10 foot by 12 foot room.

Narrow gauge

HooT - I still have a lot of kits in HOn3 and Sn3 but the On3/On30 kit collection is embarrassingly like an old local hobby shop. There is only one reason to chose one scale over another and that is to have any hope of getting a layout up and running! 

Regarding the size of narrow gauge, I like the contrast of diminuative engines and freight cars against the backdrop of majestic mountains and buildings that dwarf the trains. At some point I would love to model an interchange of standard and narrow gauge. The idea that structures can be smaller against small trains seems to defeat the appeal. Yes, there were smaller businesses and industries served by the narrow gauges but they still need to be big enough to justify sending or receiving a loaded car.

One advantage of the smaller scales is the ability to dwarf the trains with scenery. Go big!

Go with your gut...

Listen to your inner self. The choice of scale is probably already answered. We modelers tend to talk ourselves out of a scale, or into a scale for the wrong reasons.

Do not choose:

1. Based on space. Most model railroaders do not build layouts, so that may not be the appropriate criteria. Size of the layout is certainly not either. Even if the objective is a layout, long term success depends on modeling in the scale you really want.

2. Based on Cost. No scale is that great of a savings in the long run to choose based on thinking we are going to save a few bucks. Pay now or pay later. It's not a race.

3. Based on conventional wisdom or other people's fancy. Avoid fads or model press trends. We are not sheep. Explore your own goals, not the club or local gang's take on model railroading.

4. Based on experience. There really is no such thing as a "beginner's scale". Don't make an assumption that the size of the models has a bearing on beginner's success.

Do choose:

What we are drawn to. Like a moth to flame, when we go to other layouts or train shows, practice paying attention to what catches your fancy. Don't get in such a hurry to decide. Practice listening to yourself.

The choice of scale is more about expression, emotion, and maybe impulse. All other technical aspects will come around to support that. Don't let technicalities rule your enjoyment. 

On30 isn't cartoonish....

Take a look at Stephen Fisher's On30 Deep Run Railroad:

http://www.pacificcoastairlinerr.com/deep_run/

I am refreshing my old On30 site with updates of what is current.

https://www.pacificcoastairlinerr.com/

Thank you if you visit

Harold