Should I use 00 or N gauge

[Hornby Hombre]

My brother and I used to have a Hornby 00 set as kids. My girlfriend bought me the Hornby Gloucester Pullman set last Xmas. All I have is that and a bit of second hand stuff. We have limited space in our 1 bed bungalow (2 humans, 1 large dog, 1 cat, 1 Bearded Dragon and a Gecko) and have just found space for me to do a permanent setup on a converted paste table (W 560 mm L 1780). I would like both shunting possibilities and a loop of track to run trains round. I also have Dyspraxia which means means both my hand eye co-ordination and motor skills (both fine and gross) are poor. I am willing to compromise on the layout if needs be but don't really want to. Which would be better FOR ME 00 or N Gauge?

Thanks

[RogerB]

Hi HH, welcome to the forum. I don’t know anything about Dyspraxia, but from what you’ve said it sounds like the larger scale might be best. Good luck and let us know how you get on. R-

[yelrow]

Hi, i run both, and have disabled hands. I doubt a paste table will give a run round loop on 00, but i have an n gauge layout, on similar size, and that will give both. My shunting layout is on an upper level of ply, and layout is on thick polystyrene. This allows a run round road with 2 small inclines. Locos leave shunting tracks, 8 of them, and are able to run round. to change direction. If i ever work out how to post a photo, i will add one. I use mostly normal curves, to avoid hand probs. john

[Mountain Goat]

Have you also considered 009? It can fit in the same size as N gauge and uses the larger 00 gauge scale. That way one can get the best of both, especially now that 009 is available in ready built from the factory rather then the need to make kits. Also with 009 one can freely mix H0e for extra choice. In both 00 and N gauges (009 and H0e can use N gauge version) one can buy railing devices where one puts the loco or item of rolling stock on the ramp like device and slide it onto the track rather then trying to manually get every wheel to sit on the track by freehand. This is especially useful for those who's sight or their physical abilities maybe restrictive.

[yelrow]

Mg, my research showed a big price difference. N to me, was far cheaper. Is that not still the case.

[Mountain Goat]

Were you intending to reply to the budget thread Yelrow? Puzzled... Can't find the thread. Did I post it on this forum? Umm... Disappearing threads!

[yelrow]

MG, i was replying to 00/n . New 009, more expensive, and a much more limited market.

[Mountain Goat]

No worries. I agree it is expensive though one doesn't normally need to buy too many locos as most narrow gauge railways were lucky to have more then two. (Some thought they were doing well with one loco so their horse or donkey could be used elsewhere!)
The little H0e waggons used to be much cheaper then in 00. I could buy a pair in a packet for just less then the retail price of a 00 gauge wagon. However, the prices went up fairly recently where a pair of those waggons now cost more then a single 00 gauge wagon the last time I looked. It is the locos and the more prestigeous bogie coaches that I found cost a lot, but the excellent detail they had with the tiny moving parts made up for it. I bought a Roco 0-6-0 loco with a tender and it cost me more then a Bachmann DCC class 37 with an inbuilt sound decoder when they first came out, but to be fair, I've never seen anything like the little Roco loco in fine detail and tiny moving walscharts valve gear mounted externally of the chassis framework.
Just for anyone interested 009 and H0e share the same track. 009 is the British narrow gauge form of 00 and H0e is the European and Continental equivalent and they share the same couplings as well, so one can freely mix makes like Heljan, Peco, Bachmann, Roco, Lilliput, Minitrix (Or was it Minitrains?) and others in the 009 and H0e categories. There is a small difference in scale between 009 and H0e but I found it hardly noticeable.

I do say though that narrow gauge is not the answer to someone who wants to model their local station and it happens to be part of the standard gauge railway network. In this case N gauge may be the answer to modelling in a small area. I find 00 gauge easier to handle due to its size, but N gauge, being smaller doesn't need so much space.

[LC&DR]

The minimum radius recommended for most Hornby / Bachmann trains so that you can have a continuous run is second radius (438mm) which will require a minimum board width of 900 mm or greater. This will not be possible in a pasting table. Even First radius 371 mm needs 700 mm width. A back and forth shunting layout may be possible but if hand / eye co-ordination is going to be a problem this may not be an ideal solution.

N gauge minimum 1st radius is 228mm and fourth radius is 334mm so you need about 500mm board width minimum, up to 700mm, which allows a safety margin outside the track area. So you will just about get an N gauge oval at first radius on to a pasting table.

There may be other solutions of course. A layout running on a shelf fixed to the walls of a room on 2, 3 or 4 sides is a possibility although only 4 sides gives a continuous run. You need some method of bridging the door, a lifting bridge maybe.

You could consider a layout out of doors. Track can be blended with the garden using sympathetic planting. A substantial track bed will be necessary but once this has been laid modern Streamline laid on it will survive all weather. You will however be limited to dry days to run trains.

[Chops]

Interesting replies. Speaking for myself, the nostalgia of the OO and its personal history would be wonderful to preserve. The Bearded Dragon,
perhaps, could be incorporated if a heat rock was placed in the centre? Lovely creatures, those. In his own lizardly way, he rather enjoyed being
stroked along his armored head. I eventually donated him to the primary school.

Is there any option for a hinged to the wall layout? Or something that could fit under a bed?