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Collectible N Scale Model Railroad Trains

For would-be Gullivers, N scale model trains from Athearn, Atlas, Bachmann, Kato, and others are a terrific way to go. Just as HO scale model trains are half the size of O scale trains, N scale model trains are half the size of HO, measuring between 1/148 and 1/160 the size of their real-life counterparts (the exact proportion depends on the country you live in or the manufacturer who made the model train). One thing is standard, though, and that is the gauge of the track, which is always 9mm wide.

N scale trains are most popular in Japan, no doubt owing to the premium put on real estate...

In England, a ratio of 1:148 is typical, although some N scale trains are 1:152. These latter models are understandably confused with the vintage Lone Star OOO scale trains that had the same scale.

Space alone is not the reason to choose N scale over HO scale. Many collectors have plenty of room to house their passions, so collecting at N scale simply allows those lucky folks to amass twice as many examples in N scale as they could in HO.

Unlike O scale, standard scale, and HO scale, some of which have been around for a full century, N scale only came into prominence in the 1960s. While the relative youth of the collectible limits the vintage value of N scale trains, it does mean that N scale collectors can generally mix and match components—standards were agreed upon early by manufacturers, making the interchangeability of many parts viable. Just having standard gauge tracks is an enormous help.

The downside of this rush to standardization was that one manufacturer, Arnold, was given the right to produce the N scale’s standard coupling, the Rapido. Not surprisingly, competitors were loathe to steer their customers to Arnold’s coupler, so they developed couplers of their own, even though Arnold owned the patent.

As it turned out, the Rapido did not work very well for automatic uncoupling and it was a bit bulky relative to the N scale’s diminutive size. Today, most serious N scale collectors prefer the magnetic knuckle couplers produced by Micro Trains.

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Recent News: N Scale Model Trains

Source: Google News

Five Things You Need to Know About the Model Train Club
Patch.com, February 6th

By Jane Primerano Bethlehem offers the Lehigh & Keystone Valley Model Railroad Club. Lehigh & Keystone Valley Model Railroad Club The Morris Plains Model Railroad Club is a group of about 15 model train fans who like to run their trains in a historic...Read more

Event Listings for Feb. 2-8
Cape Cod Times (subscription), February 1st

Demonstration on EM Skinner Organ. 508-247-3194. · Cape & Island Model Railroad Association open house and train show, 11 am-4 pm Saturday and noon-4 pm Sunday, Centerline Hobbies, 167 Corporation Road, Hyannis. Operating O, HO and N scale...Read more

Great Train Expo pleases crowds, vendors during annual visit to Louisville
Louisville Courier-Journal, January 22nd

Don Kriegbaum shows off trains at expo: Don Kriegbaum shows off several of the N-Scale trains in suitcases and a guitar case at the Great Train Expo in downtown Louisville, Jan. 22, 2012 Nicholas Schultz, 4, looks at trains during the Great Train Expo...Read more

New layouts will operate at Model Railroad Days
Santa Maria Times, January 22nd

The Model Railroad Association will showcase several of its new and improved HO- and N-scale layout modules. A new addition this year will be the Santa Maria Valley Railway Historical Museum's operating 15-foot-long HO-scale module depicting the...Read more

EASTON RESTAURANT WEEK
Allentown Morning Call, January 20th

If you're looking for new items to complete your layout or add to you stock, or parts to repair your train, this one-day show offers everything from Lionel to DCC, HO, Z Gauge, N scale, railroadiana, die cast, books and more...Read more

Model railroad enthusiasts are set for Paris show this weekend
Waterloo Record, January 13th

Taylor's model train layout stretches roughly 2.5 metres by 6.7 metres (eight by 22 feet). The main line is in N scale, which is nine millimetres in width. The trains wind their way past rolling scenery and detailed buildings, many of them Swiss in...Read more