The Inyo & Furnace Creek RR next generation...

[Dave V]

On30 is always a good choice if you have the room.  Especially if you're doing freelance...no one can call you out on the 30" gauge!

Desert narrow gauge is awesome.  I envision a windswept flat where dust has buried all but two narrowly-spaced rails and a telegraph line...a place almost devoid of life until briefly visited by a smoke-belching teakettle with a combine in tow.  And just as quickly as she arrived, she's gone again...leaving the sand once again to the tumbleweeds and the lizards.  In the distance a rampart of snow-capped mountains stands sentinel, their cold and lofty peaks a stark contrast to the stovetop of dust and sand below.

[nuno81291]

I think it really comes down to what you want to model, and any practical limitations. For myself I started back up in the hobby in N and wanted to build a large ops based layout; I found the mechanisms of engines hard to service, and the ability for smooth operations (I.e coupler actions or derailing adjacent cars) to be too much for me. I moved up to Ho and it is the balance of operation ability, ability to service and a lot of detail. If I went to on30 I would probably try to fudge the Maine 2 footers or some logging road, but my real interest is in local industrial branch lines. O 2 rail would be too large for my taste. I still model N and am planning a scenery focused layout/no ops. I think you need to search for what really matters to you out of the space available rather than grading the scales against each other. You could model a nice little single town in 0n30, or you could model significantly more expansive scenery in N. If you like narrow gauge than it is easy to rule out the standard gauges... or vice versa. Good luck on the thought process I know it can leave you in the armchair for awhile, consider making very small dioramas in the meantime to practice various scenic techniques without major investment.

[Chris333]

Coupler operation should be exactly the same for N and HOn30 because the both use the same couplers, equipment, and standards.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Close your eyes. What does your layout look like?

Build that.

[wm3798]

Close your eyes. What does your layout look like?

Build that.

Within reason, of course.  @Ed Kapuscinski  builds his benchwork with his eyes closed...

[Dave V]

Within reason, of course.  @Ed Kapuscinski  builds his benchwork with his eyes closed...

<mic_drop>

[kurmujjin]

Well, I can't build mine with my eyes closed.  May not be able to build it with them open...  I have to simplify the plan if I want to use the depot I built in O Scale.  More on that here:  https://www.facebook.com/InyoAndFurnaceCreekRR/ Taking advantage of the garage to get into the closet, and showing how big the depot is, here's a simplified plan.  Most of the year, the light green sections will be removed, leaving just the closet and shelf.  Will talk about the other issues raised in a bit. I cut across the loop to provide a pair of tracks in front of the depot and not have the depot be on a 90 degree angle, so will need auto reverse card or two.  I'm mostly a builder, rather than an operator, and this will give me an opportunity to shuffle a few cars, do some switching.  And also will allow continuous running on holidays and when grandkids are around.

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[kurmujjin]

Coupler operation should be exactly the same for N and HOn30 because the both use the same couplers, equipment, and standards.

Not so in my case.  For HOn30, HOn3 and HO, I would use the Sergent Engineering Sharon coupler.  A bit oversized for the two smaller gauges, but I like the way it works better than anything in n scale.

[kurmujjin]

Desert narrow gauge is awesome.  I envision a windswept flat where dust has buried all but two narrowly-spaced rails and a telegraph line...a place almost devoid of life until briefly visited by a smoke-belching teakettle with a combine in tow.  And just as quickly as she arrived, she's gone again...leaving the sand once again to the tumbleweeds and the lizards.  In the distance a rampart of snow-capped mountains stands sentinel, their cold and lofty peaks a stark contrast to the stovetop of dust and sand below.

Close! And I agree.  I'm going a bit uphill, though, where there's a tad more green.  If you've ever been to Bishop, that's kinda what I'm looking for.  One town, not many structures; depot, church, blacksmith, gas station / store, one or two homes, maybe a junkyard not much else.  The backdrop would be the mountain rampart you envision.  There's a shot of those mountains on the I&FC RR Facebook page.

[kurmujjin]

After all the discussion last year, which was helpful, I decided to stay with On30 and have made some progress...

https://www.facebook.com/InyoAndFurnaceCreekRR

[Hawghead]

I see by your facebook page you expanded the track plan, looking forward to seeing more.

Scott