N Scale: US, Japanese, or Both?

[Kotori]

Don’t know if this would be better in the Off Topic category, but it is about non-Japanese model railroading in a way.

 

I have an appreciation for both the JR system and traditional American railroads.  Aside from the whole 1:150/1:160 scale difference between N-US and N-J, would it be in poor taste to build a layout in which I could use both types of models?  What is the general opinion on that?

[bill937ca]

Two trams. The yellow Tomytec tram is 1/150 and a bit bigger. The green Arnold tram from Europe is 1/160. Very little difference to me.

 

But really it's your layout. If pictures are part of your plan you might want a divider between the two sides and have a Japanese town on one side and a US town on the other side with a main line for the times when you just want to trains.

 

Its only a 6.66% difference. That alone can crop up in prototype motor vehicles or commercial buildings.

 

Edited March 4 by bill937ca

[Kotori]

@bill937ca Yeah, there’s hardly any noticeable difference unless you’re really going to stare at it.  I’m hardly a rivet counter and if my maths is correct it’s about a 6% difference.

 

The issue is if it’s viewed in the community as “bad” to have a layout using (for example) Shinkansen on viaducts with a mainline using US rolling stock below.

[cteno4]

I and many others feel it’s up to you, whatever you enjoy, it’s your layout! There are many purists that sneer when you are not prototypical or mix things, or go totally fantasy, but who are they to judge, your not making the layout for them or they have any say over what you do. I think the only bad is anyone who tried to tell you it’s bad to do something you want to on your own layout.
 

First thing with a hobby is to have fun, if that goes a hobby becomes a chore. We all have a slightly different interest, backgrounds, and tastes so it’s important to find your best permutation of all the variables.

 

Many folks blend their layouts. One of our club members has a large home layout that is in a big G shape. One end is Kyoto with a large shinkansen station, then it winds around the outside of the room to Philly 30th street station, then around to the middle of the room for Zurich. Bob had traveled and rode trains extensively in Japan and Europe and grew up in Philly. So his layout ended going a good way around the world!

 

enjoy!

 

jeff

[cteno4]

The only place you can start to see the slight scale difference is really with vehicles when you mix them. I have a couple of 1/150 ford f150s in the vehicle box and when those were put out onto setups next to Japanese cars your brain did a little bit of a tilt. Size wasn’t super Stan out to the eye but it was firs more of something is wrong here until you noticed it. I’ve not run many us strains next to Japanese so can’t say there, but I would expect with bigger items the eye may not notice as much with the usual variety in trains.

 

With Japanese trains I usually ran them on separate viaduct track so size difference didn’t show up as not right next to each other.

 

jeff

[Kotori]

@cteno4 Thanks.  My plan is to (eventually) model the railroad of a fictional city and the surrounding area.  I’m going to run Shinkansen on viaducts over/near the mainline of US equipment, so we’ll see where this goes 

[cteno4]

Yeah just start playing with the trains and see what feels fun and good to you! Always good to just play with track before nailing down a layout to find what you like and don’t like in track plans. Also industry usually takes up some space do good to play with some quick cardboard mockups for building and such with your track plan ideas.

 

cheers

 

jeff

[katoftw]

Model how ever you like. It's that simple. If you model to other people's expectations, you'll never enjoy own models.

[chadbag]

4 hours ago, Kotori said:

The issue is if it’s viewed in the community as “bad” to have a layout using (for example) Shinkansen on viaducts with a mainline using US rolling stock below.

 

Your railroad, your rules.    I run Japanese and German/Euro stuff at the same time and I also have a few US prototypes I'll run too.

 

[Kingmeow]

23 hours ago, Kotori said:

@cteno4 Thanks.  My plan is to (eventually) model the railroad of a fictional city and the surrounding area.  I’m going to run Shinkansen on viaducts over/near the mainline of US equipment, so we’ll see where this goes 

 

To add to what has already been said, Kato Shinkansens are 1/160 but for some reason their other trains are 1/150.  So if you are going to do Shinkansen along with US 1/160, they will match in scale.  I run a Kato N700S set (I'm in the US) at train shows with traditional US freight and passenger and it looks fine.  I also run Kato Red Wing which is 1/150 and it looks fine too.  You probably won't notice the difference.  I don't.

[cteno4]

@Kingmeow the shinkansens run on standard gauge so 1/160 is right for n gauge track. Most of the rest of Japanese trains are cape gauge so scale was boosted to 1/150 to make n gauge look a bit closer to cape gauge (actually closer to z gauge to be correct). But all the scenery elements got set at 1/150. It’s odd.

 

jeff

[SL58654号]

The model railroader's first layout isn't always his best. What's important is his enthusiasm - he's built it himself and it's his.

 

Go nuts. Don't let rivet counters get you down.
I collect mostly Japanese N scale, but I'm but no means unwilling to run any N scale model that I own on my (unfinished) rural Japanese-themed layout. I have a few Swiss engines, and I'm enthusiastic about 009 scale models, too.

[bc6]

I've seen a YT video with American double stacks running next to Shinkansens which looked cool. It's up to you what to run it's your railroad 

[Kamome]

On 3/5/2024 at 8:20 AM, Kotori said:

What is the general opinion on that?

This will anger the JRM elders and you will be cast out of the village!!

 

I think appreciation of all things train is common to all of us. Really the question is what do YOU want to do? If you are creating an exhibition layout and you want to portray a particular era or place then you would create something evocative of that and use appropriate rolling stock. If it's for your enjoyment and interest then make what you want. If you have an interest in both Japan and North American rail then who's to say what landscapes and rolling stock you should have or use. 

 

[disturbman]

On 3/7/2024 at 1:51 AM, bc6 said:

I've seen a YT video with American double stacks running next to Shinkansens which looked cool. It's up to you what to run it's your railroad 

Or you model China Railway. CR has both.

[cteno4]

20 hours ago, Kamome said:

This will anger the JRM elders and you will be cast out of the village!!

lol it’s been a debate within JRM since inception about running only Japanese stuff. While we mostly do some odd ones slip in from Taiwan and such in the past and even the Zeppelin rail car (hey it was made by Kato!). But usually we figure at train shows euro and us stuff running on all the other layouts and we are the only Japanese so we pretty much keep to Japanese trains. At cultural events we stick to Japanese as it’s usually a Japanese cultural event so just confusing to the general public as they don’t usually know the difference much.

 

but many of our members have dual stuff going on at home!

 

jeff

[bill937ca]

I think at least half of the members have non-Japanese stuff running.  This is not always where you start.

[Kamome]

Just for clarification, I used the abbreviation JRM referring to general Japanese Railway Modellers rather than to a particular company, group or club. I hope I didn’t cause any offence @cteno4 and I should probably check my acronym usage first. 

 

[cteno4]

Haha no worries, non taken. It was funny as that’s been a 20 year discussion with the JRM club layout!

 

jeff