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Talking T Gauge The Original Forum Dedicated to the World's Smallest Model Railroad Scale
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oztman
Joined: 14 Jan 2009 Posts: 34 Location: Sydney, Australia
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Posted: Sun Jan 18, 2009 11:23 am Post subject: T gauge modelling objectives |
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Hello All
I joined a few days ago and have been "lurking" since then...
I thought it might be interesting to find out what members hope to get out of this new scale. Is it the challenge of something much smaller than Z, or the sheer novelty of it, or do some members see T gauge as the solution to the old problem of not enough space for a layout? Are there other objectives which I haven't mentioned (it is late on Sunday night here).
As for myself, I'll mainly be waiting to see what develops, especially as far as locos and rolling stock is concerned. Commuter car sets don't exactly do it for me. _________________ Gary
Z scale, but very curious about T - and who knows? |
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David K Smith Chief Cook and Bottle Washer
Joined: 03 Sep 2008 Posts: 435 Location: New Jersey, USA
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Posted: Sun Jan 18, 2009 12:44 pm Post subject: |
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Welcome to the board, Gary! Glad to see you've decided to "de-cloak" and participate. Hope you enjoy yourself. You've started out with a really interesting question.
My objective is to see how far I can take T Gauge. I'd like to start with modifying existing products--improving the appearance of track, "Americanizing" the rolling stock--and continuing on to scratchbuilding totally new stuff, including handlaid track, American freightcars, diesels, etc. Meanwhile, I'll be exploring new ways of scenerymaking, structure construction, and layout design. Eventually I'd like to devise a functional coupler system and try to improve performance.
My ultimate goal is to be a manufacturer of North American T Gauge products. If I live long enough... _________________ —David
http://www.t-gauge.net/
http://1-450.blogspot.com/ |
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trainspotter-usa
Joined: 04 Sep 2008 Posts: 315 Location: Minnesota
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Posted: Sun Jan 18, 2009 2:13 pm Post subject: |
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Hi Gary:
I class myself as an enthusiast of all model railway scales. I've modelled in pretty much every scale (except S). So when T came along I was duly fascinated and curious. All I knew was that I had to have a set, whether I did anything with it or not.
However once I got the trains running the bug bit and bit hard. It's a whole new world. I think you're missing something when you say "commuter car sets don't do it for me". They really don't do that much for me either. But they are tiny and they run and its incredible.
Some of the guys here are very experienced in building in the smaller scales. I'd never really attempted any scratchbuilding in anything smaller than HO (in N and Z I worked straight out of the box). So I really wanted to see if I could scratchbuild in this scale. Check out my "Hitsu" and "Gonou - son of Hitsu" threads in the layout section. I think I have a bit of an ability to work in some aspects of T gauge. I'm enjoying it and having chosen to stick to Japanese protoypes, I'm learning about Japan as well.
So I guess I'll carry on working in T until I get bored or I really can't see what I'm doing.
Ian _________________ I CAN see how cool this stuff is!!!
http://more-t-please.blogspot.com/ |
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ken J
Joined: 11 Jan 2009 Posts: 13 Location: Birmingham UK
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Posted: Sun Jan 18, 2009 4:03 pm Post subject: |
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I suppose that because our club has 2 x 24 ft N gauge layouts [one built and one started] I am more motivated by building small layouts and I like Carl Arendt books from the States. Having just finished a working oval N gauge layout in a video box, complete with working Arnold Kof II loco, which you can see on my website I'm going to build a T gauge layout probably in a cutlery box and have 0 gauge people and scenery so it becomes their garden layout. Normally I model in N,Z and Nn3 so it's not so much what stock is available in T as to someone saying to me about any of my layouts "I like the detail you have put into a small space"
At the end of the day it's about enjoying yourself with your model making whatever scale you are "playing" with.
Ken _________________ visit www.kenjonestrains.co.uk and www.ngaugewmg.co.uk
Ken |
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rmyers
Joined: 19 Nov 2008 Posts: 73 Location: Evanston, IL USA
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Posted: Sun Jan 18, 2009 7:19 pm Post subject: Re: T gauge modelling objectives |
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oztman wrote: | Are there other objectives which I haven't mentioned (it is late on Sunday night here).
As for myself, I'll mainly be waiting to see what develops, especially as far as locos and rolling stock is concerned. Commuter car sets don't exactly do it for me. |
I'm still waiting on my set, so I'm speaking from anticipation here.
First, I'm also not jazzed by commuter sets, particularly Japanese ones, and I know practically nothing about the Japanese railroading scene. As for Americanized interurbans, I can relate more. An ex-CNS&M (now CTA) route passes right in front of my house. I can always model that. However, that's what is available in this scale right now. You have to start somewhere, and if you wait 'til it's easy, it's boring.
I'm interested in T for the chance of being an early adopter in model railroading. This doesn't happen often. In the past forty or so years I can think of a handful of times -- N, Z and G scale, use of computers and digital electronics in model railroading and DCC. Being in at a time like this and with a group of people like this is exciting. There are some really talented and enthusiastic folks in this crowd. Take a look at some of the early kitbashing attempts, and creative techniques and layouts.
As an N scaler, and knowing what prejudice there was against N as being anything more than a roundy-round novelty. I'm interested in helping explore (or disprove) the possibility of T being an operational scale, with practical trackwork, operating couplers and a variety of rolling stock.
I am interested in seeing practical layouts in limited spaces. I'm figuring that an equivalent T layout can be built in about one-third the length dimension of an equivalent HO layout and one-half of N. This gives the advantage of stretching things out along with the smaller size.
I'm interested in seeing the balance that emerges between detail and impression -- whether T goes to jewelery-like mini-dioramas, or layouts where the train stretches out in an overwhelming, and possibly not very detailed impression of an environment.
As a modular railroader, I'm interested in exploring the practicality of a T-Trak like table top modular system using T Gauge.
Bob |
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David K Smith Chief Cook and Bottle Washer
Joined: 03 Sep 2008 Posts: 435 Location: New Jersey, USA
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Posted: Sun Jan 18, 2009 7:32 pm Post subject: Re: T gauge modelling objectives |
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rmyers wrote: | You have to start somewhere, and if you wait 'til it's easy, it's boring. |
Well put! _________________ —David
http://www.t-gauge.net/
http://1-450.blogspot.com/ |
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oztman
Joined: 14 Jan 2009 Posts: 34 Location: Sydney, Australia
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Posted: Mon Jan 19, 2009 1:06 am Post subject: |
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Thanks for the replies. To answer one point immediately, I'm not waiting until it's easy, but rather until it's more interesting. More interesting, for me, would be at least a few non-commuter passenger and/or freight car trains. In any case I've got a Z scale layout to build first, but I intend to use the intervening time to find out more about T and watch developments.
My own conception of a T gauge layout would be a line winding through an impressionist landscape (as one of the replies suggested - impressionist art is my favourite form) with a relatively simple station where trains might stop or go through in the case of an express. Switching (shunting) is NOT on my agenda. _________________ Gary
Z scale, but very curious about T - and who knows? |
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TBA
Joined: 08 Sep 2008 Posts: 120 Location: Massachusetts
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zomer
Joined: 03 Nov 2008 Posts: 124 Location: Victoria, Australia
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Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2009 1:41 am Post subject: |
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Gday Gary!!
Good to have another fellow Aussie on board!!
I guess I got into T gauge for both the novelty aspect and the vast possibilities that are available when dealing with such a small scale. I mostly model Victorian N scale but something about these tiny trains struck an apealing note with me.
Being a new scale it is very exciting to see where it goes. It is very new territory and with every new release or glimmer of information from Eishindo adds more excitement.
I am currently modelling a small Victorian layout in a suitcase but am in the middle of developing a T-TRAK-T standard (will put details of this shortly in a new thread) which when coupled together should create the "line winding through an impressionist landscape" that you mention earlier.
I hope that you find T Gauge a scale that you might want to dabble into.
Cheers
ZomeR _________________ Victorian T Gauge Blog
http://www.victorian-tgauge.blogspot.com/ |
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rmyers
Joined: 19 Nov 2008 Posts: 73 Location: Evanston, IL USA
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Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2009 1:36 pm Post subject: |
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'Zomer',
zomer wrote: | I am currently modelling a small Victorian layout in a suitcase but am in the middle of developing a T-TRAK-T standard (will put details of this shortly in a new thread).
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Take a look in the Yahoo groups T-Trak group file section: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/t-trak/files/T%20Gauge/
I've already started a speculation on a T-Trak standard for T Gauge. Tell me what you think. I've done a mockup set following my proposal, including a semi-sceniced straight module.
If you're not on and don't want to join that list, contact me. We can figure out a way to get you the info.
Bob |
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DanMacK
Joined: 04 Sep 2008 Posts: 127 Location: London, Ontario, Canada
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Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2009 5:31 pm Post subject: |
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For me, T Gauge represents the ultimate in a new frontier. I'm always amazed at small models, and these are the smallest around. The high scenery to train ratio is also a selling point for me. _________________ Regards,
Dan MacKellar |
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oztman
Joined: 14 Jan 2009 Posts: 34 Location: Sydney, Australia
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Posted: Wed Jan 21, 2009 2:36 am Post subject: |
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Thanks for the suggestion Brian. Would thin layers of foam perhaps be better? They could, after all, be more easily carved to the required shape. _________________ Gary
Z scale, but very curious about T - and who knows? |
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oztman
Joined: 14 Jan 2009 Posts: 34 Location: Sydney, Australia
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Posted: Wed Jan 21, 2009 2:40 am Post subject: |
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zomer wrote: | Gday Gary!!
Good to have another fellow Aussie on board!!
......
I hope that you find T Gauge a scale that you might want to dabble into.
Cheers
ZomeR |
Thanks for the welcome ZomeR. Given our small population there seems to be a disproportionate number of us in this scale, and in Z too.
Even though it's very early days for me I've already got a few definite ideas for a T Gauge layout, but it will have to wait for a while yet. _________________ Gary
Z scale, but very curious about T - and who knows? |
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B 67
Joined: 23 Sep 2008 Posts: 277 Location: Stratford, Australia
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Posted: Wed Jan 21, 2009 7:11 am Post subject: |
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I'm one of these poor souls tempted by so many scales and gauges and can't bring myself to settle on only one or two, as they all offer something that interests me.
I have at least dabbled in most scales, if not actively modelled in them. O scale has been my main interest since the early 1980s, with 2 layouts. But I'd had several N scale layouts (American, British, freelance) and HO before that. Have built 2 Z scale layouts as well. I also have some G scale experience, although no layout - apart from a shop window display.
I have enjoyed making several very small layouts in N, as well as a small dual-scale layout (manages to combine an N scale US scene on one side and a UK OO scale scene on the other. Both with continuous running in 18 x 22".
Then there's the interest in miniature railways (I once had a 10" gauge train) and as zomer can attest, I even have a full size Bulldog cab sitting in my backyard. So, I think you get the idea that I'm not one to discriminate against scales and prototypes.
The super small fascinates me as much as the super huge. Yes, I've even had TY layouts (1:900). I've already built a T scale layout (see here) and am keen to do another - once I have the flex track and some other future items.
I suppose my reasons for getting into T (apart from the fact I run a hobby shop) are the challenges of working in such a small scale and the fact it is something new and different. _________________ Darren,
Stratford,
Australia. |
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Ozrail Guest
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Posted: Wed Jan 21, 2009 7:29 am Post subject: |
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I'm roughly the same with interest in different scales too.
I started off with HO,
then moved up to G gauge,
then moved down to N gauge,
then gone up again by joined a Miniature railway,
and now down again soon with T gauge.
So yeah an I've gone up and down in scale. |
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