Model Railroading: If you had it to do over..

I didn't mention brass because I don't feel that brass is suitable for a beginner. It is too finicky and in many ways too delicate for a novice to use. Most older brass does not run very well and needs a great deal of work. Also the era that was mentioned has a limited amount of brass available.

Um, I never had any problems that way. My first HO loco was a Varney Dockside -which ran reliably- and my second was an early PFM flywheel

2-trucked Shay -which *still* runs reliably after over half a century.

That has not been my experience. In fact, the older Japanese brass tends to run better, longer, and more reliably than the modern Korean stuff -which has much more detail but commonly lacks power train reliability. (The little bits also tend to fall off of Korean brass when looked at too hard: the soldering work is far below early Japanese standards.)

There is a limited amount of rolling stock of *any* kind for the pre-1900 era.

~Pete

If I were to do it all over?

If I didn't have so much invested in decorated and kitbashed GER locomotives and rolling stock, which makes them far less tradable on places like eBay, then I'd start again with On30. A freelanced line, on Vancouver Island, replacing the standard gauge CPR subsidiary, Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway.

In fact, I'd call the railway the E&N and use available E&N decals and place the railway in the late 1950s era so I could still run steam. I'd even consider using standard gauge freight cars that have been retrucked for use on the narrow gauge, rather like they did on the Newfoundland Railway.

Thanks to all for sharing your insights. I took the plunge and scrapped my N project and went with ON30. Starting out with a Bachmann Shay and hoping to hand lay my own track.I heard the Bachmanns have a gear problem so I will change those with a retro fit. I am trying to learn more about rail code for ON30. Any thoughts are appreciated.

Dave

Micro Engineering make an excellent On30 flex track, nicely sized ties, properly spaced.

You can hand-lay turnouts fairly easily, but Micro-engineering makea good line of those as well: There are a few other mfrs of On30 track. Google is your friend.

Code 100 rail scales out to about 70lb rail in O, which is a OK for "heavy duty" narrow gauge. Code 83 --> about 55lb rail, just right for most narrow gauge. Code 70 --> about 30 lb rail, OK for light duty narrow gauge. Code 55 --> about 20lb rail, very light, used mostly in mines and in-plant industrial narrow gauge.

HTH Wolf K.

OK, but Varney isn't brass. Great on the shay. How many years had you been in the hobby before you bought your first brass?

Agreed with most Korean, but I found that Samhongsa was a good builder. My experience has been different.

True, but with the Bachmann rolling stock there is more choice and it is all assembled.

Again, we are advising a beginner with what to buy, and I believe that, if he goes with the chosen era, he will be best served with On30.

Dave, for mainline track, I would use code 100. for all other track, I would use code 83. Code 100 in HO would be very heavy rail, and code 83 would be typical. I am using 83 for my mainline and 70 for everything else. I can't give you weight/yard for O scale because I don't know it.

Um, yes, I know. That's what we call a "comparison".

Included to demonstrate that brass can run just as well -if not better- than non-brass.