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Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!goutal
From: goutal@decvax.UUCP (Kenneth G. "Kenn" Goutal)
Newsgroups: net.railroad
Subject: N guage okay?
Message-ID: <362@decvax.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 6-Feb-84 21:22:36 EST
Article-I.D.: decvax.362
Posted: Mon Feb  6 21:22:36 1984
Date-Received: Thu, 9-Feb-84 03:02:45 EST
Organization: DEC UNIX Engineering Group
Lines: 32

I've recently taken it into my head that I'd like to take up model
railroading.  I used to do this as a Christmas-season thing;  I had
S guage while my brother had O guage.  Both are gone now.  Anyway,
though I have a house, I'm rather tight for space.  I just happen
to have a workbench, unused as such from the day we moved in, that
is 2'x8'.  All things considered, this looks like my best bet at
the moment.  However, it doesn't look like I could do much in any
guage larger than N.  I considered Z, but, well, ... I seem to have
settled on N for the moment.  However, an aquaintance of mine says
I should forget about N, go with HO, and settle for decent-sized
switchyard.  He gives as reasons that workable N-guage engines cost
as much as or more than equivalent HO equipment, and at the same time
parts to repair them are [almost] nonexistent.

Can anybody verify if this is true?  Is it a serious consideration?
My acquantance has both HO and N equipment of his own, so I suppose
he should know, but I wonder if that might have been more true in
the past as less true today.  Anyway, in general, will N-scale equip-
ment work reliably?  Or will I spend most of my time mickey-mousing?

Also, what variety of stock is available today?
I'm planning on running a modern-day model.
Most of the ads I've seen seem to be for steam equipment or early
diesel, not so much in the way of current or at least recent stuff.
Who makes good engines?

Does anybody make so-called "command control" (yukh! what a militaristic
phrase!) for N-scale?

Any other comments, advice, what have you?
-- Kenn	(...decvax!goutal)