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Post by minerabel on Nov 16, 2023 4:48:09 GMT -8
N Gauge questions:
Considering buying a DCC & Paragon4 sound equipped F7 loco in Kansas City Southern "Southern Belle" livery. Anyone have experience with Broadway Limited's locos? Also, anyone have a good source for Southern Belle passenger cars apart from hunting through eBay? I understand Con-Cor used to make these models, but I wonder if any other company did as well.
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Post by Baikal on Nov 16, 2023 4:57:14 GMT -8
N Gauge questions: Considering buying a DCC & Paragon4 sound equipped F7 loco in Kansas City Southern "Southern Belle" livery. Anyone have experience with Broadway Limited's locos? Also, anyone have a good source for Southern Belle passenger cars apart from hunting through eBay? I understand Con-Cor used to make these models, but I wonder if any other company did as well.
If you are searching, using the proper term "N scale" will result in far more results. There is no such thing as "N gauge".
Scale is proportion. N scale is 1:160.
Gauge is the distance between railheads. This can vary and is independent of scale.
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Post by jonklein611 on Nov 16, 2023 5:56:12 GMT -8
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Post by crblue on Nov 16, 2023 8:46:46 GMT -8
I've heard very good things about this run of F7's.
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Post by minerabel on Nov 16, 2023 9:57:51 GMT -8
Thanks, jonklein611 and crblue. Will keep my eye on Rail Smith as they have a 2 car set expected to come out 2nd Q 2024. Good to hear the average to solid reviews. I mean, the loco is less than 280 € for me here in France so I am not expecting top of the line stuff. Just a good, solid beginner loco that will give me some pleasure as I get restarted after having N back when I was a youngster.
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Post by jonklein611 on Nov 16, 2023 10:02:50 GMT -8
Thanks, jonklein611 and crblue. Will keep my eye on Rail Smith as they have a 2 car set expected to come out 2nd Q 2024. Good to hear the average to solid reviews. I mean, the loco is less than 280 € for me here in France so I am not expecting top of the line stuff. Just a good, solid beginner loco that will give me some pleasure as I get restarted after having N back when I was a youngster. For N scale starters, you also can't go wrong with Kato units. They are basically bulletproof. |
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Post by minerabel on Nov 16, 2023 10:08:09 GMT -8
Thanks, jonklein611 and crblue. Will keep my eye on Rail Smith as they have a 2 car set expected to come out 2nd Q 2024. Good to hear the average to solid reviews. I mean, the loco is less than 280 € for me here in France so I am not expecting top of the line stuff. Just a good, solid beginner loco that will give me some pleasure as I get restarted after having N back when I was a youngster. For N scale starters, you also can't go wrong with Kato units. They are basically bulletproof. Originally was going that direction focused on a Santa Fe Warbonnet F7, but couldn't see that those were still available and especially in DCC equipped. |
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Post by wmcbride on Nov 17, 2023 9:29:12 GMT -8
I have 3 BLI Paragon 4 F7s (DRGW).
I like them. I also like my Intermountain and Kato F7s, too.
The BLI run well, the sound is perfectly fine, and the paint is applied well. My one un-fixable knock on the BLI F's is that the windshields are too "squinty."
The side grills are plastic and are too short - height wise. I just glue Plano etched grills on top and it is a 1000% improvement.
Bill McBride
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Post by riogrande on Nov 20, 2023 16:00:21 GMT -8
I have 3 BLI Paragon 4 F7s (DRGW). I like them. I also like my Intermountain and Kato F7s, too. The BLI run well, the sound is perfectly fine, and the paint is applied well. My one un-fixable knock on the BLI F's is that the windshields are too "squinty." The side grills are plastic and are too short - height wise. I just glue Plano etched grills on top and it is a 1000% improvement. Bill McBride You are referring to the Broadway N scale F7 or HO? |
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Post by bnsf971 on Nov 22, 2023 16:31:47 GMT -8
N Gauge questions: Considering buying a DCC & Paragon4 sound equipped F7 loco in Kansas City Southern "Southern Belle" livery. Anyone have experience with Broadway Limited's locos? Also, anyone have a good source for Southern Belle passenger cars apart from hunting through eBay? I understand Con-Cor used to make these models, but I wonder if any other company did as well. If you are searching, using the proper term "N scale" will result in far more results. There is no such thing as "N gauge".
Scale is proportion. N scale is 1:160.
Gauge is the distance between railheads. This can vary and is independent of scale.
Actually, that’s not true. N is the gauge, not the scale. It is also the first letter of the name of the gauge, or Nine mm, which is what it really is named for. There are several different scales that use N gauge track. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N_scale |
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Post by Baikal on Nov 22, 2023 19:37:21 GMT -8
If you are searching, using the proper term "N scale" will result in far more results. There is no such thing as "N gauge".
Scale is proportion. N scale is 1:160.
Gauge is the distance between railheads. This can vary and is independent of scale.
Actually, that’s not true. N is the gauge, not the scale. It is also the first letter of the name of the gauge, or Nine mm, which is what it really is named for. There are several different scales that use N gauge track. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N_scale
Even the wiki article (appropriately titled "N SCALE") says, quote: "The terms N scale and N gauge are often inaccurately used interchangeably, as scale is defined as ratio or proportion of the model, and gauge only as a distance between rails."
Which is what I wrote.
The OP is looking for info for a USA N SCALE model, not something in another scale that runs on 56 1/2" 1:160 track.
N SCALE can have track of any GAUGE. For instance, Nn3 is N SCALE running on narrow gauge track of 6.55mm+-0.05. So not "N Gauge" track.
When running HOn2 1/2 SCALE models on N Scale standard gauge 9mm track, it's still HO SCALE, having nothing to do with N Scale whatsoever.
Don't try to be tricky and confuse the terms SCALE and GAUGE that are well-established. It's simple.
Why would you encourage anyone to search on "gauge" when they literally meant SCALE?
As for the names of SCALES having other meanings, or other definitions in other countries, so what? HO originally meant for "Half O" when O was defined as 7mm : 1 ft. But now O in the US is NMRA-defined as 1:48, which is different than 7mm : 1 ft. Yet we still have HO NMRA-defined as 3.5mm : 1 ft*, which is not 1/2 of 1 : 48.
Best stick to the common, well-defined, normal meanings of things. For simplicity and clarity.
-------------------------------
Reference: NMRA Standards S-1.2 Standards for Scale Models. Note "Gauge" is only used in the column "Track Gauge":
* HO SCALE is therefore exactly 1 : (254/35)*12
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Post by wmcbride on Nov 27, 2023 9:14:16 GMT -8
I have 3 BLI Paragon 4 F7s (DRGW). I like them. I also like my Intermountain and Kato F7s, too. The BLI run well, the sound is perfectly fine, and the paint is applied well. My one un-fixable knock on the BLI F's is that the windshields are too "squinty." The side grills are plastic and are too short - height wise. I just glue Plano etched grills on top and it is a 1000% improvement. Bill McBride You are referring to the Broadway N scale F7 or HO? Sorry, Jim. I haven't been here on the N forum for a bit. I was referring to the N F7's. I have not seen the HO versions in person. Bill McBride |
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Post by riogrande on Nov 27, 2023 11:26:27 GMT -8
Ok thanks.
I was tempted to get on of the Broadway N scale F7's in the D&RGW single strip scheme, but so far have held off. The windshields do look a bit too narrow.
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Post by wmcbride on Nov 27, 2023 17:01:44 GMT -8
Ok thanks. I was tempted to get on of the Broadway N scale F7's in the D&RGW single strip scheme, but so far have held off. The windshields do look a bit too narrow. They are squinty but the paint is well done and adding a Plano etched grill really adds a lot and covers up the plastic grills whose vertical dimension is too small. The added grabs etc look nice and one can overlook the windows unless you have them parked next to a Kato or Intermountain unit. I bought mine through their outlet store and they were pristine and quite discounted. Are you thinking of quitting HO? :-) Bill McBride |
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Post by riogrande on Nov 27, 2023 18:32:39 GMT -8
No immediate plans, especially with a large layout in the works, but I like to collect some n scale too. If I could get one discounted, I could be tempted.
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Post by wmcbride on Nov 28, 2023 15:18:37 GMT -8
As I said, I bought mine highly discounted. I would not have bought them otherwise.
I have some newer Atlas Gold N SD50s (sitting on shelves because they were an apparently low-demand road name) on which I mounted older DRGW shells. Worked like a charm.
Bill McBride
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Post by riogrande on Nov 29, 2023 10:46:40 GMT -8
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Post by wmcbride on Nov 30, 2023 19:07:53 GMT -8
I held off on any BLI HO F7s for my little HO switching layout.
I have Genesis DRGW F7s and F9s with which I am quite happy.
Bill McBride
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Post by bnsf971 on Dec 19, 2023 4:02:37 GMT -8
Best stick to the common, well-defined, normal meanings of things. For simplicity and clarity.
-------------------------------
Reference: NMRA Standards S-1.2 Standards for Scale Models. Note "Gauge" is only used in the column "Track Gauge": * HO SCALE is therefore exactly 1 : (254/35)*12
Yeah, but where's the fun in that? Besides, we have a reputation to uphold here.  |
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Post by grabirons on Dec 20, 2023 17:28:18 GMT -8
N gauge.
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Post by thenightfly on Jan 1, 2024 9:06:57 GMT -8
Always steam focused, I wound up having a Pennsy T1 pull my Broadway Ltd. consists. I know it might not be prototypical as many of their trains were pulled by the fabulous GG1 until the caternary ended, but it looks nice going around my layout.
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Post by wmcbride on Jan 2, 2024 8:05:12 GMT -8
I have a T1 also which I bought highly discounted because it looks cool and I hoped it would be as nice as my other BLI Mikado.
I am not a steam-era modeler but I grew up near the NKP mainline and remember the steam whistles from my youth. I also have my T1 pulling lots of "weird" stuff for fun.
Bill McBride
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Post by joeyeti on Feb 22, 2024 11:54:37 GMT -8
I have a few BLI, I REALLY like them. They have fantastic detail and run really well. I also have a Kato unit I love. There is so much great stuff out there now - Rivet Counter for example....
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