BLI N-Scale Announcements

[vermonter_railfan]

I guess ill continue to build my own ATSF 4-8-4. I might consider dropping the BLI body onto Kato FEF mech.

I was wondering the same thing about swapping mechs. I was thinking of trying with a KATO GS4 instead of the FEF. But do I really wanna buy a BLI 3751 just to try that? At this point I would rather support someone like you and purchase a good 3d print of the the engine instead of going with the BLI disaster.

[OldEastRR]

Yes Dave, Fleishchmann has been making good looking N scale steam models for many years. Even the early ones looked quite good. The variety of European steam locos available from Fleischmann and other European scale manufacturer dwarfs what we have in the USA.

Most Fleischmann steam locos with tenders are tender driven (motor in the tender driving tender wheels) which allows for the open look between the boiler and the frame.Tender drive is probably not optimal (and makes for more difficult custom sound installs), but those models sure look good.

I think the biggest difference between model RR companies is Europe and the Far East are very keenly focused on N scale, while in America, N scale is still perceived by many mfgrs to be the "second" best gauge, or at most, a clever diversion. Money controls everything, and the model RR money in America is HO and Lionel.

[GaryHinshaw]

Money controls everything, and the model RR money in America is HO and Lionel.

This makes it sound like MRR manufacturers are some manipulative cabal that is driving the hobby to HO.  Perhaps they are just responding to market forces in the US.  After all, post-war Americans increasingly had access to large suburban basements and leisure time, and they (we) crave detail and a sense of heft in their (our) trains.  HO scratches that itch more readily, but N scale still has a role to play.

[thomasjmdavis]

One of the things that is forgotten is how much of this hobby is inherited.  There are a lot of modelers out there who are running trains (or at least the rolling stock) inherited from a parent or grandparent.  If you go back 60 years (when I started modeling, in HO), N scale was a tiny niche market- mostly European prototype, and a few companies just getting their feet wet in the smaller gauge.   "HOn2-1/2" - HO narrow gauge compromised to run on N gauge track was more readily available than N scale North American prototypes.
So, the equipment that was handed down or gifted to the next generation was HO.  And, while N scale has grown a lot since those early days, HO remains the dominant scale, in part because the trains themselves have passed down to another generation.

Even when the trains themselves aren't passed down, the majority of modelers have their first experiences with HO, build their first models in HO, and... just giving up years of work to change scales takes an emotional toll- we put a lot of ourselves into our modeling, and we have a sentimental attachment.  Not to mention the financial cost involved in changing scale, or adopting a second scale.

I think part of the complaint many have (me included) is that N scale manufacturing is increasingly focused on modern equipment, and those of us who model time periods in the steam or transition eras are having more difficulty finding locomotives and rolling stock.  On top of which, we have the pre-order system- so we can no longer just go down to the hobby shop and pick up a couple more F7s whenever we need them.  Most of our shopping nowadays is in the used or 'pre-owned' markets.

But overall, in the course of my own modeling years, N scale has gone from less than 1% to something like 30% of the US market.  From a couple of niche importers, to several major manufacturers- some of whom are focused on N scale like Kato and Bluford.  And several manufacturers that were once exclusively HO, have introduced N scale products.  Not everything we want... but more products come out every year.


Happy 4th everyone!