An Introduction To N Scale Model Railroading
The N model railroad scale is one of the smallest popular train scales on the market. The N stands for nine, and refers to the track gauge – nine millimeters between the rails. These are smaller than HO, O, and other more popular scales, and work very well for people who have little room and want to enjoy the model train hobby in the space they have. They’re also great for people who want to run extremely long trains. In general, N scale is smaller and lighter than larger scales, and requires less power.
Even with their smaller size, these trains generally have a lot of detail and realism, often more than O and HO scale trains. N scale trains allow hobbyists to create complex layouts which have a lot of realism in far less space than a larger scale train may take. This makes this scale of model trains a great choice for transporting layouts to expositions and other public exhibits.
The N model railroad scale is small, but still popular enough to feature plenty of worthwhile figurines, buildings, vehicles and other worthwhile accessories. Just like the larger scales, detailed N scale scenery is available, with functional lights and sound simulations. There are even some steam locomotives that even have real steam boilers in them. The small size of the scale allows it to be more versatile in respect to power, too – hook into your existing supply, or use a battery.
You can fit N Scale Railroad almost anywhere, including small apartments or rooms dedicated to other uses. Even extremely complex layouts will fit on a single sheet of plywood, and are easy to move around. You’ll find many examples of layouts in photographs and in online video. Beginners can get access to books and instructional videos that can be a huge help in putting together their layouts.
There are those who assume that because N scale trains are somewhat less popular than some of the other scales, there are too few accessories and other products available for hobbyists. Thankfully, this is not the way it is. You may not be able to find everything you’re looking for at your local shops, you can find just about anything you could possibly want online; there are even websites which are N scale specialists.
Beginners are sure to enjoy the N scale model railroad sets from Bachman, including the White Christmas Express. This set comes with the track needed to build a 34″ by 24″ oval and a steam locomotive complete with two cars, tender car, a caboose and a working headlight. A speed controller and power pack are also included here and there are a variety of other accessories and Bachman sets available.