Need advice for my first layout

[Anonymous]

Hi, everyone! Another newbie here. After reading several posts here I've learned a lot and appreciate the information. It all seems a little overwelming just starting out again, but with the help of magazines, the internet and these forums, I'm confident that my return to this fantastic hobby will be somewhat smoothe!

I've finally decided to return to HO scale model railroading after about a 25 year hiatus. I'm modeling the modern diesel era, freelance, with Norfolk Southern as my railroad of choice. I'm starting out small, as research I've done suggests, and have built two 4'x8' tables, which I think I'm going to position in an L-shape. I'm going to have one mainline with one or two sidings, and three spurs for industries. That will be on the industrial side of the table. The other table will be strictly my downtown and residential areas, with the mainline looping around those ares. Not being well-versed in prototypical railroading, does this sound too boring? Because my layout will not be all about working, switching, etc., but also about scenery, everyday life in a railroad town, etc., as well.

Where can I learn more about protypical railroading and gearing it towards model railroading? Any good websites for that?

Thanks for the help!

[Anonymous]

One of the first things I do when planning a new layout is to check out all of the books with track plans that will fit in the space I have available.
Then if you find something you like you will have an idea which way to proceed.
If you don't find something you like, see if there are any plans that you can use where you may be able to re-arrange some of the tracks to your liking.
If that fails, find some blank paper and draw out the outline of your bench work and use a formula like 1 in. = 1 ft. After you have this drawn out, make several copies and get out your pencil and ruler and start sketching in a track plan. It's much easier to change your mind on paper (And cheaper!) than it is on plywood.
Make a list of what industries and what you would like to have on your layout. This way you'll have an idea. Just remember on a small layout like this, smaller engines and freight cars will look much better than the modern high-horsepower 6-axle locos.
A GP-38 or 40 would be the biggest I would want to go with 50' freight cars being the max. Yes, you could runner larger equipment, but it won't look as good.
But it's your RR!!!!
Good luck,
gtirr

[Anonymous]

Well, I've had my eye on an Athearn NS SD-40 to run on my mainline, and I was going to do the switching duties with a GP model. So you think maybe I should 86 the SD-40 and just run a GP of some kind, that that would look/work better??? [?]

As far as industries go, I'm planning on at least two kits by Walthers: the brewery and Champion Packing, and maybe the Red Wing Mill.

[canazar]

II think you were on the right the first time. A SD 40 would be good choice for main line work. Not too big if you are running a smaller lay out, but still big enough to do the job. Plus the extra traction effort would have made it perfect for mainline, or atleast short mailne work. GP would be great in the yard. I am in the process of getting a couple of GP 40s that will my yard and my daily industry work. Good luck NS82. Sound sliek you are off to a good start.

Best Regards
John Kanicsar

[northern_blues]

Pictures are worth a thousand words as well. You'll notice that a lot of members post pics of their layouts and I've learned a lot about positioning scenery and structures and generally how my layout will go. The member layouts are usually highlighted with their signatures and clickable.

I'm in the same boat. I'm prepping my layout room right now and have been using Train layout software to help me design a track layout that works for me.

Actually, NS, you have tables!! You're way ahead of me.... [:-^]

I haven't even thought about the locos I'll run yet except it will prototype anything that ran in southern Ontario in the '50's.

-Dave

[cwclark]

welcome!...get as many publications as you can ...the first one's I would read are ones on benchwork, then laying track, then wiring, then scenery..Kalmbach pulications has a vast array of books to get you started...in a nutshell..1. learn as much as you can. 2. build the benchwork, 3. lay the track, 4. wire the layout and 5. last, do the scenery...Chuck

[Anonymous]

I've bought a couple of Atlas books on the basics and track plans. The internet has been a great help as well.[:D] I've thumbed through several of the Kalmbach books at the local hobby shops trying to get ideas on scenery, weathering, etc. And I'm attending a local model railroad club's meeting this Thursday evening for the first time, with intentions of joining. I have a lot of questions and I figure that would be the best way to get them answered. Reading books, etc., helps, but there's nothing like info straight from some veteran model railroaders.

My biggest dilema right now is, after looking at so many track plans, which track plan to go with. I have an idea of what I want, and with the help of the track plan books, with some modifications, I have an idea of what it'll look like. It's still difficult, though, trying to decide exactly what I want! I've even lost some sleep thinking about it![xx(] Also, whether or not to go DC or DCC. Of all the stuff I've read about DCC, it still seems a little confusing.

I should be getting the 4x8 sheets of plywood and the 4x8 foamboards this week for the benchwork, and then I'm finished with that stage. Then the real fun begins.[:D]

Thanks for the info and guidance, and I'll keep everyone up to date on the progress of my layout.

[Anonymous]

THe best way to look for a plan, is to look for some ideas in MR, or even look for a layout where they do a series on it. For me, my "first" on that I had up and running, came from a December issue. The original plan was called: The Soo's Redwing Division. But, hope you enjoy the hobby!

[Leon Silverman]

Two good resources are the annual "Great Model Railroads" and "Model Railroad Planning" publications. If these are not available in a local library you can order copies from this Website by clicking on "Model Railroader Products.

[jxtrrx]

You mentioned that you're trying to decide between DC and DCC. I'm no veteran, but I allowed myself to be sacred off by the books that talk about how complicated DCC is. I wired blocks and ran that way for a while. Then decided to upgrade to DCC. I bought a Digitrax Zephyr and two locos with decoders. Plugged it in and it's fantastic. I feel it's less complicated than DC, and certainly alot more fun to operate! Wish I had gone DCC from the start.

[Anonymous]

I know what you mean, being a newbie myself, I had a VERY hard time deciding what I wanted on my layout. Well that parts done , but if I had to do it over again (and I will some day) I'd find a layout that looks good and pin it down and play for a little while. then yank it up and do another. I did a little but not as much as I should have and each time I did this I learned a little more about what I wanted. I learned that I wanted A LOT of switching for "make believe" but I also want a lot of main line so I could hear the trains going around while I did my switching. Well after over a year (really two) I'm ready to glue down the road bed under my track and start building scenery.

Later
scada