Changing scales on home layout - a Q about laying N scale track...

[Kozzie]

Due to moving house and having less space, I've had to change from HO to N scale for re-assembling my layout. Basically it's 18 feet long and 2 feet wide.
(I can still run my HO stuff ont he clubhouse layout) In some ways it's a whole new world...
I'm up to laying straight part of the main line - 2 tracks, and I was wondering how far apart, centre to centre, is a good distance? At the moment I have them sitting (but not tacked down) with the distance at 1 & a quarter inches. Is that basically what's done generally in N scale layouts for main line straight tracks?

Thanks for any help on this one. [:)]

Dave

[retsignalmtr]

i went with 1 3/4" between mainline passing tracks on my n scale layout and 1 1/4" for yard tracks. i don't know why i used those measurments but i like the way it looks. i only have one mainline track as i'm building an around the walls one track type modular layout with a couple of passing tracks. i also wanted room for signals between the tracks. i have about 38' of track laid with about 40' more to go. it's too cold outside so i can't build any more modules till the weather warms up.

[Kozzie]

Thanks retsignalmtr. Your comments are appreciated.

Dave

[DSchmitt]

NTRAK standard is 1-1/2 inch center to center. Some modelers criticize NTRAK for this spacing which is 20 scale feet. The American Railway Engineering Association (AREA)standard was 13 ft. Many railroads used 14-15 ft. Recently the UP has started laying tracks at 20 ft in some areas.

1-1/2 in allows some room for our out of scale fingers and allows cars and locos on reasonably sized curves to clear.

I've gone as close as 1-1/8 in

[n2mopac]

I use 1 1/4" on tangent track and 1 1/2" on curves with good results.

ron