Mike Wyatt posted:As a bonus, in "O" you WILL get:
1.- better running- O gauge trains are WAY less "fiddly", and that is a benefit over smaller scales.
2.- access to what is really a second hobby- chasing old, but still good trains on e-Bay and at train shows. Lionel engines from the late '40's can and do often run as well as when new. (This is "collecting"!)
3.- easier to work on trains.
4.- (I think) more durable trains.
While I appreciate (and share) your enthusiasm for the scale, I think some of those generalizations are incorrect.
1. Not at all true. Attend any train show or watch a youtube video and you will see that good running is easily obtainable in any scale.
2. "Train chasing" on eBay and at shows applies to all scales; although I do agree about what you say regarding "Lionel engines from the late '40's..." 
3. Sometimes: although with the modern tech packed into today's engines, I'm not sure that's always the case.
4. Some of that "durability" may be in part due to the fact that a good deal of "our" trains (think Lionel/Flyer Post War) are not as detailed as a lot of the smaller scales. Certainly a '40's vintage 2035 is going to be more "durable" then, say, a delicate brass engine. I'd hope that we take that all into account and treat out stuff accordingly.
Mark in Oregon
