n scale rookie

[Anonymous]

i have just started building the base of my lay out . i used and an old shelf unit and nailed down a peice of plywood on top my question is how do you find a theme to build by or is it best that i just keep building and see what happens

[Anonymous]

Hi: I to just started out and went to the local hobby shop and got a Atlas layout book and started from there. Atlas has two book , level 1 Introduction to N Scale Model Railroading and level 2&3 Nine N Scale Railroads there is a total of 18 layout to choose from that I found very useful. Good Luck and Happy Railroading.

[Anonymous]

Like he said, by a track plan book, pick a track plan you like, and then ask yourself , "What part of the country do I want to model?" Do you like Colorado railroading, desert, eastern U.S.? Any track plan can be adapted to any part of the country. The only difference is the scenery. Good luck!

[MAbruce]

Hi traincrazy21 & gptw - Welcome to N-scale and this forum! [#welcome]

It's always great to welcome another fellow N-scale modeler. [tup]

Getting started is always half the battle, so you've taken a great first step. I have heard from many who seem to get stuck in a perpetual planning stage and never (for one reason or another) get started.

Finding the Atlas layout book as one of you mentioned is a great idea. You can also pick up many books on scenery and other modeling ideas. If (like me) you have a tight budget and would rather not spend your MRR dollars on books (which can get expensive), then try to find them at your library. You can also hang on forums like this and get a ton of great advice. Just try some searches on certain subjects and you will come up with many topics to look over.

Overall, it's always better if you have an idea of what you want to do before you go much further. I would also start small, so you won’t likely get overwhelmed. It will help you stay focused and keep you going. The worst thing that can happen to you now is that you lose interest and stop. Most find it hard to re-start once this happens. But above all, have fun! This is a hobby that should be enjoyed.

Get you inspiration at places like these, but my advice is not to get too caught up in comparing what you are doing with some of the advanced work that you may see here or in other places on the web.

Good luck and check back with any other questions.

[bcammack]

Welcome to the forum and to N scale!

One thing that is fun to do is to download a free copy of RTS from the folks at Atlas (www.atlasrr.com) and noodle around creating layouts that will fit in your defined space.

Here are some good places to check out regarding N scale trackplans and layout design:
http://www.naisp.net/users/mfischer/m_train2.htm
http://www.vetmed.auburn.edu/~smithbf/BFSpages/LDSIGprimer/TOC.html
http://www.thortrains.com/

Enjoy!