Hi Jem First you must ask yourself why you want to build a loco. Is it to have as a showcase model or will it be a working engine? If working will it be on a private track for you + family and friends or will it be on a club track? If a club track, will you want to engage in public passenger hauling? 3-1/2" will be very limited in serious passenger hauling capabilities. The limiting factor on what loco you build will be the size of the driving wheel you can turn - on an M10 this will be 7" AS CAST. So it boils down to whether you want an express passenger type in 3-1/2"G or a workhorse type in 5"G. There is the possibility of NG which would give you a large engine in either gauge. Once you get going with the construction, you will find that 5"G is easier for the fitting out because things are that much bigger and so are easier to hold and get at, especially between the frames. If you are looking at close to scale, then it it is definitely easier in 5"G. As to the amount of work, there probably isn't a lot of difference between the two gauges so with 5"G you will end up with a lot more loco for your efforts. There are also the cost and weight factors to take into consideration. How deep are your pockets and how agile are you at lifting? A 5"NG loco will be quite heavy. I started off in 3-1/2"G and regretted it. Enough rambling - I won't even start on didgital readouts! Hope this has given you food for thought. Regards Dave Saudi-Arabia-On-Sea ___________________________________________________________ Yahoo! Messenger - NEW crystal clear PC to PC calling worldwide with voicemail http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com MODEL ENGINEERING DISCUSSION LIST. To UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, send a blank email to, modeleng-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "unsubscribe" in the subject line.