QUOTE (kiwionrails @ 29 Sep 2013, 00:11) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>... I am seriously considering either 00SF or P4, and not really EM as I personally feel that if i'm going to go to all the effort to go to the finer scales that I should go the whole hog...
For anyone who doesn't already have an investment in EM, P4 seems to me the best use of effort. Wheel and motion clearances within steam model bodywork can actually be easier than with EM, thanks to scale section wheels. If you are going to build track, then why not build it to true scale? It is the same assembly operation in either gauge, for a visibly better result in P4.
Been there, sweated away inside that T-shirt. Then I realised that my overwhelming interest in the hands-on aspect of the hobby was actually operating the train service. For me, the optimum scale for the 'running reliability / space for everything' trade off is definitely HO or OO in terms of RTR. (If 3mm RTR had the same commercial support as these scales that is what I would use. But it doesn't, so no point wishing.)
Experimentation with commercial track has determined that complete running reliability of full size trains is available from stock with RP25 wheel sets and a properly set up coupling system, provided that running line radii are easy enough; which with my standard of track laying ability turned out to be 30" and up on plain track, 36" and up on points. No need for OOSF, the commercial items are good enough to deliver the 'always stays on the rails if properly operated' performance required.
Joy unbounded, relatively quick and easy to build a track layout and stock it with largely RTR items. Combined with the leap in control obtained from DCC, this adds up to operational nirvana. Which fits my particular primary interest - operation - perfectly. But that's my interest, for others a different approach will yield more satisfaction.
For anyone who doesn't already have an investment in EM, P4 seems to me the best use of effort. Wheel and motion clearances within steam model bodywork can actually be easier than with EM, thanks to scale section wheels. If you are going to build track, then why not build it to true scale? It is the same assembly operation in either gauge, for a visibly better result in P4.
Been there, sweated away inside that T-shirt. Then I realised that my overwhelming interest in the hands-on aspect of the hobby was actually operating the train service. For me, the optimum scale for the 'running reliability / space for everything' trade off is definitely HO or OO in terms of RTR. (If 3mm RTR had the same commercial support as these scales that is what I would use. But it doesn't, so no point wishing.)
Experimentation with commercial track has determined that complete running reliability of full size trains is available from stock with RP25 wheel sets and a properly set up coupling system, provided that running line radii are easy enough; which with my standard of track laying ability turned out to be 30" and up on plain track, 36" and up on points. No need for OOSF, the commercial items are good enough to deliver the 'always stays on the rails if properly operated' performance required.
Joy unbounded, relatively quick and easy to build a track layout and stock it with largely RTR items. Combined with the leap in control obtained from DCC, this adds up to operational nirvana. Which fits my particular primary interest - operation - perfectly. But that's my interest, for others a different approach will yield more satisfaction.
