chinadude wrote:One question I have is why are all of Anonymoys post deleted?
Wan, DON'T let these guys freak you out on the cost of a shed.
Nov. '06 I had a 448 sq ft pre-fab building delivered and setup for $6000. It was unfinished inside, had 2 doors and no windows. I put in plumbing, bath, kitchen, 2 porches, sheetrocked and carpeted for a total under $11,000. It is a cabin for my 90 yr old mother so she can have her own space.
That being said, I am about to build a 8x16 ft shed that will be insulated and finished to living specs for a train room and the current figures are that it will be under $1000.
Not knowing where you live heating/AC and insulation might greatly effect the above figures. If you have a friend in construction, talk to him. Just my thoughts John T.
Wan,
A shed can be a viable solution. I went down that route once. We live in a mobile society and you may move frequently -- maybe sooner than you wish. Some things to consider:
1. Buy a prefinished, delivered on the back of a truck, shed. This way you will know that the shed can be picked up and moved if you do.
2. Custom order the shed with additional floor bracing. Go up one size on the floor joists and double sheath the floor. This will make the structure stiffer if you need to move it in the future.
3. Finish the interior as already mentioned. Insulate and use plywood or OSB for the walls and ceiling.
4. Wire the shed like a house. Run all the wiring to a breaker box and then you can plug-in or run underground wiring to your shed. Follow the codes and check local permits.
5. Investigate a small, single unit heat pump -- like you find in motel rooms. These will provide both heating and cooling and can be mounted through the wall. The prices on these have gone down in recent years.
6. Order the shed with no windows and with a conventional exterior door if possible. In any case make sure the door swings out and is solid and secure.
7. Assume an around-the walls layout design. These are the most space efficient. With a 2 foot wide "shelf" all around the shed you would have a 5 wide foot aisle. (The "10 foot" shed width is usually measured from the outside so you have to subtract wall thickness too.)
Now you can start planning and building and know you can take it with you if you move.
Good Luck,-John
I don't know where you live but let's say the average cost to build an outbuilding to residential standards is $50 a square foot, which is a low estimate for some parts of the country. A 10x14 building is 140 square feet. 140 square feet x $50=$7,000. That may sound like a lot but that's how much it will cost you to get a weathertight, climate controlled building. If it's not a building you're comfortable being in, you'll never get the layout built much less use it.
Since this is your first layout, it would make a lot more sense to try your hand at a bookshelf type layout first and see if this is a hobby you really like. You can stick it anywhere, including just a shelf in a closet. If you want to pop for the 10x14 building as your first expense, far be it from me to stop you, but you need to understand the type of dollars you're going to be comitting to a hobby you know nothing about.
Vail and Southwestern RR wrote: You can do pretty nicely in 10x14 in N scale. I think the best place to start is with a little readin. There are several Kalmbach books on starting in N scale, I think they each have a beginner layout or two in them (often on a hollow core door). As far as designing your own layout, you have to start with (well, in my opinion) John Armstrong's "Track Planning for Realistic Operation". You'll probably go through it two of three times before things start to come together in your head!
You can do pretty nicely in 10x14 in N scale. I think the best place to start is with a little readin. There are several Kalmbach books on starting in N scale, I think they each have a beginner layout or two in them (often on a hollow core door). As far as designing your own layout, you have to start with (well, in my opinion) John Armstrong's "Track Planning for Realistic Operation". You'll probably go through it two of three times before things start to come together in your head!
Amen man, I have that book and it was fantastic help, and as you said, I had to go through it a few times to get my 13 year old head around a few concepts. And 10x14 is very nice for 9mm (N) scale. That is like 20x28 for HO scale. (Which makes up much of the model railroading hobby, about 72% I think... well that is 72% of modellers interviewed for the poll modelled in HO scale.)
Here's an indispensable weblink to bookmark: "The Model Train Magazine Index" at...
http://index.mrmag.com/tm.exe?L=1&tmpl=tm_book
Check out the N Scale specific special issues at...
http://index.mrmag.com/tm.exe?opt=s&cmdtext=book+guidebook+N&sort=2&output=5
I recently bid (under $10.00 with shipping at eBay) on the first book listed there, "N Scale Model Railroading" by Robert Schliecher, and it made a nice addition to my library of Kalmbach special issues....
http://index.mrmag.com/tm.exe?opt=I&MAG=BOOK&MO=7&YR=2000&output=5
Another Kalmbach source that I find to be "must-buy" is their fairly new "How to Build Series" which is not yet listed in the "The Model Train Magazine Index" but at...
http://www.trains.com/mrr/default.aspx?c=a&id=957
These "How to Build..." special issues have just the right mix of prototype background, trackplans, and scratchbuilding projects. If you're on the ball, you can pre-order these issues for free shipping + $1.00 off the list price, and get a pick-me-up in the mail on what might be an otherwise drab day.
A good inspiration source is Kalmbach's "Model Railroad Planning" annual series where the first issues are every bit as good as the most recent ones at...
http://index.mrmag.com/tm.exe?tmpl=tm_mrp
Conemaugh Road & Traction circa 1956
Hi, Wan. I took your anonymous question as a sign of a sense of humour. In case I am mistaken.......somehow the computer has no record of who posted that response...which is weird, unless the earlier supposition about a former member, now barred, has posts in the archives.
I second the suggestion that you find a safer, cleaner, more bug-resistant (can you say "centipede", and "spider"?), and electrically friendly place than a shed. Sheds are noticeable as they get erected, and 'watchers' in the immediate area may decide to check it out one Monday morning at 0400 hours.
I am happy to read that you have already read many threads. You know, then, that taking your time and establishing some parameters, or givens and druthers, will help you to enjoy your layout and to keep expenses to a minimum as you go. You needn't design your own, although many of us feel that designing our own is Rule #1. There are hundreds of freely available designs, some of them actually very good.
I hope you feel welcome here.
Good thing is you don't need much room for N. Here's some Atlas plans just to give you an idea.
http://www.atlasrr.com/Code80/index.htm
Don't know where you live but an unfinished, non climate controlled building can be a real problem. (trust me) Plenty of good people here to give you advise if you need it. just ask.
I think the anonymous posts might have been made by people that got kicked off the forum for some reason.
Wan
First the bad news: For reliability, keeping the dust at bay, and your comfort (just as important as the other reasons), the shed should be finished to house interior standards. This includes at a minimum a real floor, interior walls, ceiling, tight fitting doors with weather stripping, insulation, electric, and heating and air conditioning. All this means the shed will not be cheap by the time you are done. But N is simply more sensitive to dirt, dust, and other issues than larger scales, and if the space is not comfortable for you to be in, it won't get used.
The good news: N scale can fit in a coffee table, or can be done as a portable layout that can be set on the dining or kitchen table. N layouts on book shelves are also practical. If the bookshelf layout has a nice, furniture-quality appearance, it might be allowed in the living room or similar. I strongly recommend at least a small portable layout to learn with while you are building the shed. A 10x14 shed, properly finished, can house a nice sized N layout and a workbench.
my thoughts, your choices
Fred W
Jeff But it's a dry heat!
Hello everybody
I am new to this hobby and I have been looking around the forum for some time now and I have read a lot of posts. I recently inherited some N scale stuff from my grandfather, some engines and three boxes of cars. I don't have much room and my wife wont let me tear out the closet in the spare bedroom, no kids yet, so I am thinknig about a shed in the back yard, 10 x 14 is as big as I can go. I NEED HELP!!!
One question I have is why are all of Anonymoys post deleted?
Thank in advance.