If you are older and want to get into N scale,  I recommend going contemporary, very contemporary, run steam as an excursion train.  The  reason I say this is that modern rolling stock and motive power is larger which helps as we age.  An SD90 in N scale is a long, but not as wide or high as an HO f unit.  Contemporary auto racks are as long in N scale, but not as high or wide as an HO 40 foot box car, etc.

N scale has really improved over the years so I'm not sure how good that starter set you have will run as compared to todays quality N scale engines.  I went with N because I wanted an empire, you may not want that and HO will probably tickle your fancy very well.

It really depends on how much of layout you want.  Google "Lance Mindheim" and read his blog and then with your experience and his recommendations I'm sure you'll come up with something great.

... sounds like a winner to me!  Welcome aboard, thanks for sharing, and hope to hear more from you as your layout develops.  :)

It's you and not me but I toss my hat in the discussion. I would stay HO. N has lots to offer but it is small. I like to build things and there are times some of the details on HO require a very steady hand and additional visual aids to do. If you are going to use the 20 x 8 foot trailer for a layout you can do quite a lot in a space of that size with just one deck. A space that big would allow you to use 30 inch radius for a minimum and you could really have an easy to take care of layout. Ho scale equipment maybe more forgiving of the handling your young assistants will give it as well.

The one other thing I will toss out there is you are more likely to find what ever you want to model in HO scale than any other and due to it's popularity things will likely be more affordable.

The nice thing about n scale is it will nearly double your space. Isle ways will still be the same size as people do not change. You could really put in quite an empire in that space in n scale. But since my vision is not likely to have a dramatic improvement I would not go smaller if it was me.

If you scan back through the threads on here I would suggest several pages you can see some fine modeling in both scales and see what is involved in performing at that level in the scales you are considering. You also have all the issues ever published at your finger tips as well. You could also check the track plan data base on here as well

Welcome to the forums.

I almost forgot to invite you to visit our club. If your ever in Texas the north eastern part stop by for a visit. Our website is http://etmrc.org/

Rob in Texas

I will offer a different perspective on the scale and aging conundrum.  My space is not quite as large as yours, but I shifted to N from HO despite the fact I am not as steady nor is my eyesight as good as a younger person's.  But the key for me had to do with what my own goals and enjoyment in the hobby come from.  I am not into the very fine detail level of the models.  As others have said, detail will be better in HO, so if very fine detail modeling drives you then HO may be better.  For me, I am very much one to admire an overall scene from a distance, So for me the lesser detail of N scale coupled with imperfect eyesight and distance creates the illusion of N scale looking just as good to me as HO.  But if I were into fine detail, or liked to admire my model up really close, it would probably be the opposite.  The other aspect for me is what area and style of layout I wanted.  I like sweeping and recognizable scenic vistas.  Much of my layout is single mainline through wooded hills, countryside, rock cuts, etc, with a few recognizable locations along the way.  To do that in my space meant N scale and double deck.  If, on the other hand, I were modeling more city or primarily high density industrial areas, then an awful lot of modeling can occur with multiple track mains and lots of switching for operations in HO in the space you have. 

So it really comes down to what drives your enjoyment of the hobby and how you like to model.

Good luck and welcome back to the hobby.

-Ed

Hi Prospector,

I've been in N scale for forty years and still having fun.  It's easier to create a scenic panorama in a smaller scale.  That being said, I envy the DCC whistles, bells, air pumps and chuffing sound options in the larger scales.  You just can't hide a decent speaker in an N scale locomotive.

Regarding your portable layout...do some research on steel stud framing for benchwork.  It's not as sensitive as wood to changes in heat and humidity.  It also requires fewer tools and creates less mess.  If I had to start over from scratch, I'd use steel studs and rails.

Before jumping into a scale test them. Personally I would build a diorama of each including the G. A square foot for each and maybe a bit bigger for the G scale.

Some of the highlights of each scale that I am aware of is N = scenes with a vista. Because the trains are smaller the scenery looks bigger. A city is a lot easier to build than it is in HO.Details are a whole lot smaller and can be a real irritation to put on. Yet there are some really amazing layouts done in N.

HO = Lots of details available for just about any project. Scenes still look really good but are more compact than N or there are a lot fewer of them than N. Everything is roughly twice the size of N, width, length, and hiegth.

G = Think doll house modeling. That is the detailing possibilities and it can be seen easily from just about any distance. Price wise HO and N are running about the same these days. G is a whole lot more. On the other hand you don't need nearly as much stuff, Locos, freight cars, or buildings. On the other hand if you are really into build stuff N in my mind anyway is the way to go. Most parts are available and you can have a real blast creating whatever you want.

I left a lot out of all three areas I know and others will fill in some holes. One thing to keep in mind is that looking at photos can be deceiving as some work is so excellent that it is almost impossible to tell what scale it is or even if it is a scale. Could be the real thing until you read the caption.

Jack

As a side note, drop me a note if you want to talk about your screen name and such.

Now back to the regular schedule train thread

Steve

Hi

Im 61, retiring soon, and planning to downsize home. I switched to N so I could do more in the given space. I am building in 4 foot sections so, like dominos I can fit it any where with maybe a short filler. Yes things are smaller, but optivisors are great. In all reality if i had the space it would be HO. Hmmm, maybe free-mo

On another fourm I frequent, one of the members actually has an N-scale layout built into an RV. It works quite well. He's a retiree and loves N-scale in that space.

Personally, it sounds to me like you have a bit more space than he did and I think you could do HO or N pretty handily. It is really about what you want out of it. 

People don't really think about switching in N Scale, but I have a switching layout that is 74"x14". Atlas/Kato locos are smooth runners and freight cars have come a long way.