Limited runs …

Limited runs of specific items have generally been the norm as long as I can recall in all scales. It was just harder to see before online.  In the old days, something would get announced in the trade magazines, and then you’d call or hunt all the hobby stores over days.  Now you can do it online in minutes so it just seems worse.

When I was younger and in N Scale when Kato,or Atlas/Kato or Concor/Kato or Micro-Trains released anything, I’d get several of anything that appealed as they were often single runs.  Have hundreds of locos and cars, most never opened or run, and still in original boxes, likely eventually destined for some online broker.  My sense is that there is as much, or more, available now, than ever before.

You just have to scour EBay as well as the online train stores and local dealers. 

very limited product availability

I think the solution is to follow the ebay auctions, local train hows/swap meets, online groups, etc. and buy what you want used. Most train stuff one buys is technically used but often newer taken out of the box and run on rails. When I built an N scale layout I had nothing to start but found everything I needed on ebay , Fasttracks, and MB Klein...DaveB

N scale offering

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I'm an avid N scaler since N scale was offered on the market in the end of the 60's.

Today offering is simply amazing for locomotives cars and structures  

But yes since 25 years run offer is small, you must go quickly to have the model offered.

Most of the time pre order is a necessity especially for locomotives.

Diesel locomotives from Atlas and Kato are far the best runner.

Most of the steam power offered after 2005 is fine runners  too

Most  locomotives are now offered DCC ready, some with sounds 

Kato track seems a must in the snap on category, Atlas, Peco and ME  offer code 55 track for the advanced modeler in high quality  

If you ask for some operations go to Micro Trains car which are really the Cadillac of the cars; Micro Trains couplers are also the best couplers to use in N scale much better than clones  offered by Atlas, Bachmannor Kato; the MT couplers is the N scale counterpart of his great brother in HO scale, the famous Kadee couplers 

About Structures the offering is enormous in any time area.

I only buy only new locomotives because of warranty, but all my cars,structures and details are buy on EBay or during train show or on second hand market; just go on EBay and tap "n scale structures or buildings" and the system open several pages of models, same with "cars in n scale"

It must be mentioned there are also several laser kit offering in Nscale like Blair Mills, again EBay is your friend with" N scale laser kit"

In any case EBay is a real online catalog of nearly everything which is proposed in N scale in all the categories 

Walthers monthly Flyer is also a good ressources for N scalers

This way you can find affordable materials and models and entry in the fabulous world of N scale

Several shops are dedicated to N scalers; try to make an inscription for their news letters which announce the new models coming; Google your friend will help you to find these  shops.

The MHR forum offer an access to the monthly magazine which include at the end a monthly review of the N scale offering

There are two well know magazines dedicated to N scale exclusively, they made preview of future N scale release

http://www.nscalemagazine.com/

https://nscalerailroadingmagazine.com
 

Brass N scale  locomotives also exist they are for the most likely little jewels but unfortunately for the most poor runner

Good Luck 

"Atlas, Peco and ME offer

"Atlas, Peco and ME offer code 55 track for the advanced modeler" You don't need to be an "advanced modeler" to use these products. You need patience and common sense and the ability to read and follow the simple instructions about laying flextrack that has been available in books, articles and online for decades.

@Caniac

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Flextrack use need some practice very different from snap track, bending a flex track and seeing the two ends of rails at a different distance is not easy to adjust for a beginner ; needs of drawing the centerline and put feeders need also some practice.

Kinks in curves are not so easy to control for a beginner 

Geometry of track also is somewhat intuitive with flextrack use

Peco code 55 use live frog which need some attention when wiring, bending a ME flex track need practice to keep curves constant and right, putting motor on a Peco turnouts need adjustment not the case on a snap track turnout like Kato 

Not so easy for someone which has never put piece of track together

Advanced modeler is perhaps too much, I agree, but a modeler with some experience in track laying surely

And in N scale this is  particularly true because track need to be perfectly layed  to avoid derailment or any malfunction 

Snap track like Kato or Atlas are easy to use without any trouble even for children and are bulletproof when laid, not the case with flex track 

Numerous post on this forum shows people have some trouble when wiring flex track and  turnouts out of the snap track sphere 

Been laying flextrack without

Been laying flextrack without issue since a teen in the 1970s.

It's just not that hard with some patience. More likely to foul up laying sectional track than flextrack account more misaligned joints.

Watchin’ the auction

DaveB’s advice about online auctions mirrors how I re-entered the hobby. I decided to transition from HO scale to N scale, basically meaning restarting from scratch. Because this was done during COVID-19, 100% of my roster is acquired online. I ran into the same “out of stock” conditions at online retailers and ended up buying all my equipment from eBay.

My tips for buying used equipment sight-unseen:

Know what you need and what you don’t. My layout is small and there’s no room for extra equipment. There is a lot of junk out there, and knowing what you don’t need keeps from a remorseful purchase.

Be familiar with value. There is a wide spread of pricing for often-similar items. I set a reasonable price-per-car budget for my rolling stock to help me walk away from some impulses that I might regret. Also, take into consideration what couplers and wheelsets are on the equipment. A Micro-Trains equipped car is a better value than an identically priced car with a hook coupler, for example.

Buy locomotives from a reputable seller. Many sellers are not hobbyists and have very low standards for quality.  Broken handrails are common, as well as some questionable “custom” work (see below). I purchased my locomotives from highly rated model-railroad-only sellers that consistently posts defect information in the item descriptions.

Be skeptical of vague adjectives. Words like “custom,” “vintage,” or “collectable” are commonly used in attempt to add value where there is none. Unless you’re looking for what is being offered, it’s usually best to walk away (this goes back to knowing what you need).

Overall, I’ve been pleased with my purchases online but you’re mileage may vary.

Thank you

Thank you all for taking the time to write. I never thought of eBay for items but will definitely take a look. The availability of N scale items definitely seems more positive than my first thoughts after looking at a few websites.

Thanks again.

I can understand why the OP

I can understand why the OP may have been concerned about availability.  If I were looking for N scale models from shops or online retailers, I'd notice the same thing, lack of availability.  And some of that has to do with lack of production or delayed production.  Some companies, like ScaleTrains, has commented that the N scale trains they have manufactured don't sell all that well.

I have been collecting N scale equipment for the past couple years and most of what I have been looking for has long been sold out, so I've found some items from individuals selling and eBay for the rest.  There is a 

Lack of disponiblity

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I must agree with the difficulties to order some N scale models when they are offered.

Sold out is often the answer, don't know in other scale but for N scale this is true since a few years.

Sure since Covid avaibility is coarse and new run are delayed or even not produced.

But in all the case it seems the run are small, It would be interesting to know how many models are produced on a run

The only parading seems to follow announcements and place a preorder as quick as possible.

I work with severals hobby shops who provide me as much as possible announcements in the categories I'm looking for and made priority pre order for me, this especially true for cars and locomotives I use.

But this is not foolproof and often I can't acquire the models I want.

I also by myself follow numerous sources of announcements of future releases with magazines info's or forum info's.

It's sad the necessity to make such job of research  and such  effort just  to hope to acquire a model, but this seems more and more the rule to obtain them and especially since the Covid intrusion.

This is out of scope but this story of a few weeks illustrates the necessity to go fast on a preorder.

Course this was a very short run of 350 brass models but anyway it's how the things are going now.

A brass steam N scale locomotives announcements was send to me a Saturday.

The notice say preorder will take place the following Monday at 9 a.m. 

I join my office around eleven the Monday and try to put a preorder for this locomotive; the system answered me the model was sold out.

Course is brass and limited run but I ended with some same fate with a serial of 33 hopper from MT with different numbers, just two day after the announcement, I also preordered  some Bowser hopper a year ago and the order never come, I remplaced  it with an other one.

Like I mentioned before, now I try for the most to buy new locomotives because of warranty,

But for the rest like cars and structures I do my market on EBay, during train show and on second market toy fair.

And to the end I find more pleasurable to do like this, having a good journey in a train show.

And further more what his somewhat funny is the fact I found sold out items or lost preorder at these show and at a better price.

Spot the mistake !!!!

Definitely pre-orders are required

For the most popular items, you will almost certainly need to pre-order, which is a challenge for you if you are just getting started.  I think Jim Fitch's point about not selling well is purely based on the models offered, not on the popularity of N scale.  Know your market.  I can point to a number of recent N scale items that sold out very quickly - Athearn's Big Boy release (especially the Promontory edition), Rapido's Canadian and FP9's were all pretty hard to find within weeks of release, if not before release.  If you could find them, you would pay full MSRP on ebay or one of those remaining stores that still charge MSRP+.

I would suggest ScaleTrains problem with N scale is more to do with the fact several of their offerings were also offered by others recently.  There are only so many ET44s and Dash 9's needed by modelers out there, and when three different companies (Kato, ScaleTrains and Intermountain) all released versions recently, that's a tough market for N scale.  It appeared to me that ScaleTrains did well with the N scale Turbines - something more unique to the market, but still popular.

Ebay will likely not be the cheapest place for new items, but it may be your only choice for those things that have sold out of hobby stores.  Still, MB Klein and Lombard still have a pretty good selection of N scale items, depending on what you are looking for.  For me, in N scale, its just a game of patience.  I can spend more money and effort building the layout now until those things I really want are released.  I almost think its better having a limited selection because then you don't buy a bunch of stuff you don't really need.

Two thumbs up, Joe Suarez

Yes, OP, you can get most of what you need from auction sites and Facebook. Using the advice from Joe S., you can do so with confidence.

Thanks, Caniac

Thanks for the thumbs up!

Supply Issues

HO scale has volume production on its side.  As the most popular modeling scale in North America there are typically several options for a particular model.

N scale and O scale both have smaller followings.  However, in 2020-2021 and probably 2022, I think a big issue is the supply chain. Commercially produced model trains rely on both the electronics and plastics supply chains plus a good chunk of our stuff is manufactured overseas. Pretty much every step in the supply chain has been disrupted in some way, and that's going to have a ripple effect on a lot of stuff.

Eventually this will be corrected one way or another.  It may require bringing some parts of the industry back to the US and Europe.  Companies that supply parts and pieces seem to be doing just fine so perhaps the OP should look into that.

N scale can be difficult to build from the ground up (hence why I favor larger scales), but building structures and track isn't terribly difficult.  For the trains themselves, building locomotives from scratch would be daunting, but old freight cars can be bought used and upgraded with new couplers and wheels.

Train shows are coming back and I can't wait for 2022. There's sure to be a lot of used stuff for sale at the shows next year since a lot of people have been sitting on a bunch of stuff for almost two years now.

One thing I've found helpful is to be a little less ambitious and accept some compromises on what gets purchased this year.  If OP is building a new layout it might be helpful to break it down into a few phases and grow the railroad as products become available.  I can pretty much guarantee that we'll be seeing new models in the future since N scale has a large enough following that it won't be going anywhere, so it's just a matter of patience.

I'm a little less sure of O scale, but again I'm willing to be patient and watch the market.

"I'm a little less sure of O scale"

Hi James,   Don't worry about O scale, it has been around long enough that there are thousands of unused O scale products in closets and attics just waiting to be found. Even Athearn built lots of O scale stuff before they started building HO stuff. Anyone who wants to model in O scale can just go to ebay or a show like O scale west and load up  their truck. The only problem with O scale is that it is big so takes a lot of room for a layout, that's why I switched to S scale despite O being a lot better supplied than S scale.....DaveB

Problem is I might outlive the used stuff

At 26, I might actually outlive a lot of the models out there that are already twice my age. On top of that, the stuff on the market isn't really what I want.  If I was going to build a whole railroad around the 1950's and 60's then that would be easy.  There's only a few brass models of old CBQ and CNW prototypes and fewer still run reliably.

The workaround for this issue is learning to build everything right down to the couplers and wheelsets.

My vision is to one day have a complete shop that can process digital files and turn them into parts and pieces.  CNC milling machine, laser cutter, large resin 3D printers (I've got a small one), filament printers (already got one of those), A kiln for casting brass and aluminum parts from wax, and a computer dedicate to that specific task.

The CAD part I've already got down and I'm going on a 18 months with a 3D printer now, so at this point I just need to start building or buying the tools necessary to make almost everything independently.  That might take another 10 years but by then I'll be able to make anything.

Flextrack is tricky

About making curves in flextrack I have found a useful trick. Sometimes a curve in N scale flex can create a pinch point if the track radius isn't kept exactly right. One trick I find works well is to keep both ends of the track you are connecting the curve to free (not glued or tacked down to the substrate). Bend the track to meet those ends and then let the track find it's own radius. Lifting the curved piece once it is attached about half an inch then letting it fall back to the base a couple of times can also help set the radius. I find this avoids any pinch points which throws the track slightly out of gauge and causes derailments.