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Im a beginner and need help

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  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, June 12, 2003 6:04 AM
well most importanly , your locos and rolling stock has to be all southern pacific cos they once and still are a good railroad and there ant much products left that are in southern pacific , well not in australia there ant ....
  • Member since
    February 2001
  • From: US
  • 506 posts
Posted by snowey on Thursday, June 12, 2003 1:03 AM
also, look at the Jan. 2001 copy of "Model Railroader" for the article on building the "Rock Ridge Central" layout in HO gauge. It tells you how to build a sturdy, lightweight table for a layout, and lists all the materials to buy, and how to put it together.
"I have a message...Lt. Col....Henry Blakes plane...was shot down...over the Sea Of Japan...it spun in...there were no survivors".
  • Member since
    February 2001
  • From: East Lansing, MI, US
  • 223 posts
Posted by GerFust on Tuesday, June 10, 2003 12:11 PM
Check out World's Greatest Hobby at http://www.greatesthobby.com/wgh/site/downloads.asp for some downloadable .pdf booklets that will help.

-Jer
[ ]===^=====xx o o O O O O o o The Northern-er (info on the layout, http://www.msu.edu/~fust/)
  • Member since
    January 2001
  • From: Guelph, Ont.
  • 1,476 posts
Posted by BR60103 on Friday, June 6, 2003 11:04 PM
Your layout should be as big as you can get away with minus a space for operating it. :)
--David

--David

  • Member since
    January 2001
  • From: US
  • 1,300 posts
Posted by Sperandeo on Friday, June 6, 2003 3:45 PM
Hello "FThunder11,"

You didn't mention what scale you want to use. For the most commonly used scale, HO, a 4x8-foot tabletop layout is the way most people start out. I'd recommend that you get a copy of the January 2003 MODEL RAILROADER Magazine and look at the article on building the Turtle Creek Central layout.

That shows how to build an all-plywood table with a foam insulating board top that we've used for several small layout projects. The article explains how to build it and lists exactly what you need to buy. Even if you don't follow the Turtle Creek Central track plan, you can use the methods in that and the subsequent articles in the series to build almost any small layout.

If you don't have the January MR, go to the "Shopping" section of this Web site to order a copy.

Glad to have you with us, and good luck with your layout.

Andy

Andy Sperandeo
MODEL RAILROADER Magazine

Andy Sperandeo MODEL RAILROADER Magazine

  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: San Jose, California
  • 3,154 posts
Posted by nfmisso on Friday, June 6, 2003 3:11 PM
FT;

Before starting a layout, you need to answer a bunch of basic questions:
what are you trying to accomplish?
what aspects of railroads are you interested in?
what era?
which railroad(s)?
what region of the country/world?
how much space? indoors or outdoors ?

After answering the above, you can choose a scale.

If you end up with HO or N scale, take a look at back issues of Model Railroader magazine, various books published by Kalmbach and Atlas, and pick a layout. Typically, at the beginning of the year, MR starts a project layout that goes three to four issues or more.

Feel free to contact me (email below) for futher discussion.

Nigel
nfmisso@cox.net
Nigel N&W in HO scale, 1950 - 1955 (..and some a bit newer too) Now in San Jose, California
  • Member since
    June 2003
  • From: Colorado Springs
  • 728 posts
Im a beginner and need help
Posted by FThunder11 on Friday, June 6, 2003 2:49 PM
I am wanting to start a layout and I would like to know what kind of material to put my layout on and what size it needs to be.

Thanks
Kevin Farlow Colorado Springs

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