Irish N gauge - Considering switching due to space

[purple]

I've recently been experiementing with some British N gauge. I was wondering if anyone isstill modelling Irish railways in N gauge? Is it a sane thing to do?

 

I'm considering switching because of space restrictions.

[islandbridgejct]

Er, I don't think you'll fit any more Irish N gauge in than British N Gauge.

 

(Sorry. That was rotten.)

[purple]

Not quite what I meant .

 

I mean is switching from OO to N a sane thing to do. I've heaps of OO but I live in a small town house and even an OO shelf layout is pushing it in the space available to me.

[Portoman]

Drop a line to Fitguttentite -he moved from 00 to N recently . Dave

[enniscorthyman]

Well worth trying to get talking to Paul Cleare who

Has done a great job with his N Irish layout.

[Flying Scotsman 4472]

Going to N gauge might be the way to go if space is tight but just remember that all you Irish stock will have to be repainted UK coaches and locos wagons etc will have to come from shapeways or be scratch built as far as I'm aware there is very little Irish RTR n gauge available out there.

[BosKonay]

I think what you gain in space, you lose in detail. Add to that the stunning stable of RTR OO gauge now available, and even a small shunting OO will probably give you more pleasure / satisfaction than the same space in N. Personally, I don't have the eyesight (or patience) for N, Irish or otherwise

[WRENNEIRE]

Lima did some N Gauge back in the 70's

Rare as hens teeth, I spoke with John Byrne who was involved with Lima and their Irish episode.

He told me about 50 of each model were produced to test the market here

They never sent a second order to Lima............

 

 

[purple]

Eyesight isn't really an issue for me.

 

I may try a new design for an OO shelf layout. Just getting frustrated with not having the space.

[Guest hidden-agenda]

Eyesight isn't really an issue for me.

 

I may try a new design for an OO shelf layout. Just getting frustrated with not having the space.

 

What about a two tier shelf with the lower one being wider and some low watt lights fitted or go for a display cabinet. Keep an eye in local ads for a second hand one.

[201bhoy]

I think what you gain in space, you lose in detail. Add to that the stunning stable of RTR OO gauge now available, and even a small shunting OO will probably give you more pleasure / satisfaction than the same space in N. Personally, I don't have the eyesight (or patience) for N, Irish or otherwise

 

I'd agree with Boskonay here. 141s are quite small, good for a shunting layout, and you could maybe have some cement bubbles or something! I think you'd almost be wasting the range of good quality OO gauge stock available.

[Mayner]

Personally I think N is a better option than OO or HO for modelling a railway in a small to medium sized space. The lack of rtr stock is not such a big issue with the Valve Design loco and rolling stock bodies that fit on rtr chassis, the focus is on modelling the railway and whole train rather than an individual loco or wagon.

 

Brian McCann's Bagnalstown layout from the late 1970s was probably one of the best examples of Irish modelling what could be achieved in the gauge using scratchbuilt buildings and modified and re-painted rtr locos and stock.

 

I found the best advantage was that it was possible to build a good operating layout in a relatively small space without train-set curves, with an around the wall shelf layout with a small junction station and a secondary main line terminus in a space 11X11. Operation was based on the Mayo Line with twin 121s on through passeneger trains, 141 hauled Night Mails and local freight and A Class on goods and liner trains.

 

Loco bodies were either modified or in plasticard on Atlas or Arnold chassis, coaches and freight stock repainted British stock, with a smattering of bagged cement wagons and keg flats with scratchbuilt plasticard bodies on rtr chassis.

 

More recently my interests turned more to American modelling again in N some of the Kato and Atlas locos were ahead of what was aavailable in OO

 

My only advice would be to stear clear of the Lima locos they look the part the motors are only fit for the bin after a coule of weeks work.

[StevieB]

I found a short piece in the Irish section of rmweb.co.uk which you may find useful re n gauge modelling of the Irish prototype.

Stephen

[islandbridgejct]

I think what you gain in space, you lose in detail. Add to that the stunning stable of RTR OO gauge now available, and even a small shunting OO will probably give you more pleasure / satisfaction than the same space in N. Personally, I don't have the eyesight (or patience) for N, Irish or otherwise

 

I wouldn't be so sure about the lack of detail. There are some truly amazing craftsmen working in 2mm finescale, for instance: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/52798-bath-queen-square/. If you were feeling inspired, you could really go to town. Mind you, I don't know how they do it.

 

Best of luck with it, and sorry for the rotten joke earlier.

 

Alan

[moogle]

I've recently been experiementing with some British N gauge. I was wondering if anyone isstill modelling Irish railways in N gauge? Is it a sane thing to do?

 

I'm considering switching because of space restrictions.

 

Perfectly feasible. I model Irish outline in N gauge myself.

You just have to be prepared to do some repainting, bashing and kit building as there is no current r-t-r available.

If you are looking at doing more modern stuff you will have an easier time than if you wanted the steam era.

Not that the steam era is impossible, as that's what I model!