Your problem Andre is as old as model railroading itself. I know exactly what you are going through. I went from HO to On3 Colorado NG about 25 years ago. The big scale of O is very hard to ignore. However, after I started to place my structures on the layout I found there just was not enough realestate to make the space between structures believable. So I went back to HO/HOn3. Now along come these fantastic cars in 1/64 scale. The Hotwheels 100% George Barris customs. Now being a 50's guy, I am hooked! Now I am working on a nice S-scale diorama or switching layout. The HO is now packed away. Faced with the standard gauge or narrow gauge question as you have, I settled for dual gauge on the main line. Splitting the two off in switching and passing areas qill remove the need for those pesky dual gauge switches. I would just move the era up on the NG and do both in S-scale. Why do On3 when there is so much nice stuff available in Sn3? I know it is the feel of the scale! But there must be more detail when the scale gets larger. S is the best way to go, no matter what era you choose. I wish I had the time to work on my S layout. I have to keep banging the drum to pay the bills, so no time for the hobby. Just do whatever makes you happy and have FUN! Keith Blanchard http://www.cruisingmain.com
--- In [email protected], "Andre Ming" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Hi all you "S"-heads! > > (I love typing that. <g> ) > > >>> WARNING: Long and rambling "philisophical crap" post to follow!!! > > I am going to describe the pickle I'm in, then solicit input. Of course, > coming from you "S"-heads, I know it will be biaSed. But that's okay too. > > After all these years of vascilating back/forth, I'm still stuck between two > basic modeling desires: > > 1. A nice layout reflecting the Classic Era* of diesel railroading. > > 2. 1890s Colorado narrow gauge. > > * My term "Classic Era" can be defined as that era after steam was gone, but > before the big mega-merger/rationalization period of the 70s. Roughly, the > 1960s. It was the last of the "traditional" looking physical plant, railroad > practices, etc. From that point on mergers, big welded rail, downsizing, > track rip ups, loss of Alco and other 1st generation power... all that... > began to really kick into high gear. > > For me, S scale was/is aimed at idea #1. > > Lately, On30 was/is being explored for idea #2. > > The plan for S scale was to occupy this small room via an urban industrial > switching district "look". It was/is to be loosely based on the West > Bottoms area of Kansas City... the town of my childhood years. I called it > the "KC Lines" idea. There would be a small yard, lots of industry, as well > as a continuous run provision. This theme would allow me to have a variety > of switchers from a variety of KC area railroads to run, as well as some > local type freights for "eye candy"... which can also interact with the > switch jobs. (As in setting out/picking up blocks/cuts of cars.) In all, > very "do-able". > > Thought dead for good, recently (past couple/three months), Colorado narrow > gauge has reared its pesky head again. Now the On30 has played spoiler to > the S scale idea. Over the past couple/three months, I experimented with > On30 on the same benchwork that the S scale occupied (the S being packed > away now) to get a feel for its operational qualities as well as visual > impact. The idea was to use the existing benchwork as a test bed... then > migrate to a dedicated building for 1890s Colorado N/G. (Building size was > to be something in the neigborhood of 16' x 24'.) However, now that too, is > dormant. > > Well... now I'm not so sure on the On30 idea. I still have a hankerin' to > model some diesels and the urban look. Yet, at times I also want to model > 1890s Colo N/G. > > Sooooo... > > My question: > > Have any of you tried, or currently pursue, two different scales with two > different themes on two different layouts? If so, what have been your > experiences doing so? Part of me says that as difficult as it is for me to > get the modeling energy to do what little modeling I do, what on earth makes > me think I can build/equip TWO layouts? One being small, yet intense (the S > scale urban setting), the other being larger with LOTS of mountain > scenery/backdrop (the On30) to build??? > > Help me Obi-wan's... for you are my only hope. :-) > > Andre Ming > Poteau, OK > Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
