Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site decvax.UUCP 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)