What scale model railway?
 

What scale/gauge do you currently model in, or would do if you were about to start a model railway?

I use N Gauge because it allows me to have a fair size layout on a small base board. Had I the space, I would use 00 as there is a lot more available (although there is a good lot of N stuff now coming out), plus my eye sight is not what it was.
Syd

I use OO. I find that it is small enough to be able to make a reasonable sized layout in limited space whilst still being large enough to be able to be detailed fairly easily.

Of course I am an H0 enthusiast (half-zero according to Henry Greenly).
The scale ratio 1:87 is the most popular in the Continent.
Due to historical-technical reasons, mainly the so-called "Berne" loading gauge being wider and taller than the British loading gauge, an average 10" long model locomotive is to be OO scale for British models and H0 scale for Continental models, to give the same satisfaction to the eye.
There were many exceptions to this rule, notably Fleischmann adopting the ratio 1:83 or 84, and Rivarossi 1:80(limited to steam motive power).
But again, Italian locos are much smaller than German engines,and the slightly bigger size restores the satisfaction principle.
According to this principle, an automobile model to fit a 10" size must be in a range of ratios from 1:25 to 1:16.
And this is why acceptance of 12" coaches has come only recently.
I hope I haven't bored you!

It's probably space which has tipped the balance in favour of N for me as well as you Syd. And, like you, my eyesight is going awry as well.

My main reason for trying this poll out was to get some kind of idea of how popular N had become, bearing in mind that folks maybe don't have as much spare space as they used to.

Which got me to thinking. There are a few firms which make OO models of prototypes which are very limited in terms of numbers or geographical distribution....Class 71/74, for instance. The firms will do it for OO, but will they do it for N? Given the penetration that N has at the moment, probably not.

There is no doubt that the available models in N have got better over the last few years...do you think that they will ever approach the current OO standard?

N scale models can certainly equal or be built to higher quality than OO/HO models. They must have finer tolerances as it concerns mechanics, and the current state of the art on plastics mouldings can achieve good details.
The problem is the cost of production, which means we'll see more and more Made in China.
Regards from Dario

Good point Dario.

It's a shame that N, in the UK at least, has been subjected to some pretty poor model standards in the past, which I think has hampered its popularity. It's a chicken or egg situation. Modellers won't go N because the standard of models has been dire in the past, and so the firms won't invest in better models because the market isn't there.

But look at the situation on the continent and in North America. Excellent N models, easily as good as their OO/HO counterparts. Why can't we have something similar in the UK?

Would Fleischmann (for example) even think of releasing an N German Pacific with vastly undersize front bogie wheels? I think not.

I model Britsh rail 00 I had considered N until I checked out the cost. Over here in New Zealand N gauge product is at least the same if not more expensive than 00:( and space is not considered as much of an issue for me at least,:D ( I have a dedicated room 6mx4.3m ) It allows me to have a small brach come preservation line as well as a large terminus station.:)

cheers Dave

You can say that again!

I'd have shoehorned the East Coast Main Line into that! :D

I prefer the detail of 4mm and if I couldn't manage enough space for standard guage I think I would try narrow guage in 4mm.