>>8590649If you need help with which scale to choose here are my opinions:
N Scale
>Pros-small so it can fit in places where there is no room for bigger scales
-almost as popular and costs about the same as HO
>Cons-smaller makes it harder to work on if there are problems especially when you get older so many go to bigger scales when they age
-if you like steam your options are more limited compared to HO or O
-not as much stuff compared to HO
-sound doesn't sound as good as larger scales
HO: (biased towards this scale)
>Pros-most popular scale so most options available from USA, Japan, Europe, etc. depending on what area of the world you want to model
-perfect balance IMO between size and usability, not too big or small
-cheapest to get in to
>Cons-delicate models so be careful, lots of small parts can easily break
-for steam doesn't smoke as well as O but it is getting better
OO:
If you like British engines this is the scale to get but like I mentioned be careful about mixing with HO stuff because they are not the same scale (bigger than HO to compensate for smaller size).
O:
>Pros-very detailed
-lots of features
-great sound
-durable and generally kid proof if you have them
-easiest to work on
-easiest to wire for since it generally uses a third rail for AC current so not as complicated compared to the other two-rail scales
-has working, moving accessories if you like that kind of stuff
>Cons-very expensive
-large size makes it hard for layouts if you have limited space
-many see the third rail as unrealistic, there is two-rail O but is even more expensive than three-rail O
-proprietary control systems (Lionel and MTH (and MTH may be going out of business)) that are pricey unless you use two-rail O
-In America there is traditional and scale O. Traditional is cheaper but toy-like and less realistic. Scale is to scale but the most expensive, requires more space than traditional, and is the type used by two-rail O.
