9 3/4 Radius track in Scenic Ridge kit

[Anonymous]

I am new at this and have just purchased the Woodland Scenics Scenic Ridge layout kit and the Atlas track pack for it. My grandson and I want to use this experience to ease into model railroading and gain some skills.

I have noticed on this forum, however, some cautions against using track with less than 11 inch radius. This kit calls for quite a bit of 9 3/4 inch radius track. Is this really a big problem? If so, how can I change it or what rolling stock should I purchase. I haven't bought any locomotives or cars yet.

Thank you in advance for your advice.

[Anonymous]

You'll need to stick to the instructions and use the right radius track for the kit. The only real option you might have is to model in a smaller scale (i.e. Z scale), where the radius isn't really that tight, but that would be a much more advanced (and expensive) approach.

My first N-scale layout(s) used 9-3/4" radius without major hassles, but you do want to be cautious with the equipment you buy to run on it. Avoid anything really long, such as any car or locomotive longer than say 5 inches (real world measurement). If you buy deisel engines, get the four-axle versions not the six-axle ones. If you prefer steam engines, don't go for anything with more than four driver axles (steam engines are named after their wheel arrangements, such as 2-8-2; this means "two pilot wheels (one axle, in front), eight driver wheels (four axles; connected by the side rod), and two trailing wheels (one axle, under the cab)". Preferably your steam locos would have six drivers or less (such as a 4-6-2).

For freight cars, you might want to stick with 40-foot cars, which measure about three inches in actual length, since shorter cars will look more natural going around the curves. Passenger cars might be tough to run, unless you can find shorter ones that adhere to the five-inch rule; fortunately, N-scale has a lot of shortened passenger cars to choose from, since 9-3/4" was *the standard* for so long.

[pbjwilson]

Stick to smaller engines and rolling stock and you'll be fine. I even run long passenger cars with 93/4 track and they do fine, although they don't look the best.

Engines like F7's, GP9, GP35 all will run just fine.
Modern engines like SD80 probably won't run to good , they are just to long.
Long steamers will be a problem too.

Have fun - Paul the painter

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the responses - both are very helpful and make me feel a lot better. How about the use of the diesel 2-unit locomotives? Will they be a problem?

[pbjwilson]

No problem at all. Keep us informed on your progress. Sounds like a good project. Go slow and have fun. I don't know the age of your grandson but I have an 8 yr. old son and he likes the more colorfull fun train cars. Crane cars, interesting car loads, truck trailers etc. In fact he has influenced me in the type engines and rolling stock I like.

Paul the painter

[Anonymous]

Would this Steam engine be OK?
http://www.blwnscale.com/Model%20Power%204-6-2%20Pacific.htm

[Anonymous]

You have an EXCELLENT EYE!

Yep, that Pacific would be a great loco to own, though it might even be a little bit TOO GOOD for a young kid, who will no doubt exhibit an interest in running trains hard and fast. Consider the price tag; this is a model engineered for serious modelers, who like to get picky over the details (the "rivet counters") and who yearn for reliable and smooth slow-speed operation. I've never seen one of these in operation, honestly, and probably won't since I model the early 1970's, but my guess is that if you do invest in one and take good care of it, it will still be part of your roster when you mature as a hobbyist and start building your second or third layout.

Model Power and Bachmann are two manufacturers known for their poor-quality N-scale equipment, and who have in recent years introduced top-of-the-line products in an effort to counteract that public perception. They offer a lot of cheaper equipment, which is still very unsatisfactory, targeted towards casual or new hobbyists, and this makes it hard to recommend them as a brand name. I wouldn't want you to get a bad taste for model railroading based on inferior products. This is why I like Life-Like so much, because their equipment is across-the-board mediocre (well, they do have a top-end line of products similar to the other two) and also across-the-board affordable. Their engines run, some of them very well. Another good brand for beginners is Atlas, especially in terms of freight cars, but their stuff tends to be more expensive. Atlas's engines are intended for slightly more serious hobbyists, and they may come with incompatible couplers; it depends on what "vintage" you get, since Atlas has been around a long time and originally they abided by the standard Rapido coupler. These days, though, Atlas markets their stuff with Micro-Trains-compatible couplers, which look more like the real knuckle couplers railroads use, and are the type that dedicated hobbyists use (for the most part). Micro-Trains itself is at the top of the scale, with the highest-quality rolling stock, alongside Kato which builds the best-running engines.

If it were me, I'd start off with Life-Like engines, perhaps a GP-18 or two (they cost less than $30 at most train shows), and then I'd be reasonably sure they would run well, and I'd not care too much about abusive use. I'm still using my Life-Likes today, after replacing couplers with Micro-Trains and making other improvements to match the higher quality of my other equipment, and that's after a decade of being in storage while I went to college and whatnot.

[Anonymous]

Thanks a lot Avondaleguy. I think your suggestion to start with the lower cost trains is a good one. Life-Like seems to offer a wide range of choices and should be a good learning tool.

I will probably have more questions as I go along and plan to use this forum as a tool. We have a family website so I think I will reserve a section for our (Me and my grandson Brenden) little project. He is just 5, but very bright and a joy to be around and has a long attention span. I think it will be great fun.