Pre planned layout publications.

[Anonymous]

I'm starting my first N scale layout(as an adult) and I was wondering what you thought of the pre planned layouts shown in the Atlas book Nine N Scale Layouts. I don't feel I have enough knowledge yet to plan my own layout.
I'm interested in scenery building.
Please, any opinion is welcome. Are there other publications out there for pre planned N scale layouts?

Don

[Shopcat]

Here is my opinion, and it is only my opinion....

As a professional chef, I have no trouble using a recipe that I got from a book or from someone else. After I have worked it a few times, I tweak it and make it mine.....same goes for the layout.

Use a pattern, then make it your own.

Best of luck and have a great time!

[pcarrell]

Track Planning For Realistic Operation, by John Armstrong.

Buy it, it's not to expensive and you won't regret it.

I think that the comments made by Shopcat are very good, but I wouldn't invest alot in that first layout before you read this book. I think you'll find pretty quickly that by using that book and the drawings in it, you will be moved on to bigger and better things quite quickly.

I'm not trying to downplay those plans that you've been concidering, not at all. They are indeed very workable and satasfying plans. They are great for learning on, and, if done well, will serve you quite well for years to come. I know a few people who have built a plan from that book and were very satasfied with it. I just know that once I understood the principals of how trains worked and why, my first layout left me a little, how should I say it,....wanting. I wanted something more like the prototype. That being said, I did learn bunches from that first layout. I just wouldn't want someone to soak a ton of cash into something that 6 months or a year down the road they weren't satasfied. That can be VERY frustrating!

I guess what I'm trying to say is, be sure you know you know what you want. This book might help.

Incase you decide to give it a shot on your own, there's lots of free track planning software out there, and some of them do include a layout or two already done to get your juices flowing. One of them is...

http://www.sillub.com/

Another is...

http://www.atlasrr.com/software/welcome.asp

And remember, opinions are like armpits, everyone has a couple, and some of them really stink![8D]

[Anonymous]

pcarrell thank you for the info. I just downloaded the atlas software seems a little complicated, but I think I will practice putting in one of the track plans in the atlas book and then teaking it to my specs. Thanks alot.
Some of the fears I had was reversing loops and short circuits and this program seems to sniff them out.

Don

[pcarrell]

QUOTE: Originally posted by scootsk

pcarrell thank you for the info. I just downloaded the atlas software seems a little complicated, but I think I will practice putting in one of the track plans in the atlas book and then teaking it to my specs. Thanks alot.
Some of the fears I had was reversing loops and short circuits and this program seems to sniff them out.

Don

The Atlas program is pretty good. I've used it many times in the past. It does take a little time to get the swing of it, but once you do, you're off and running. By the way, that short circuit thing, it's great, huh?

Now the other link I gave you, I just started playing with it, but most of the people I've talked to say they like it better than the Atlas program. Again, it take getting used to, or so I'm told.[8D]

[Anonymous]

I bought the HO version of Atlas layouts and have not regeted it BUY IT !!

[dehusman]

The Atlas plans are designed for the newbie. So they aren't very sophisticated from an operations and design standpoint.

If you ask a veteran modeler and layout designer they will probably have a negative opinion, but the audience for those plans are the people just starting out. Just realize that in 2-5 years you may want to start over with something more sophisticated. So go into it realizing that you first layout won't be your only layout.

Dave H.