Hi John,
Can you provide a few measurements of the surface available for the track? That way, we can make some suggestions for the track configuration.
Also, any description regarding the function of the railroad would be helpful. For example, would it include a passenger station? If so, where do you want the station?
Unless you start adding lighting to the layout, the heat generated should be minimal, and a plexiglass enclosure should be fine. Even with lighting, if you use LED's rather than incandescent bulbs, the amount of heat generated will still be minimal.
Rich
Alton Junction
Hi Rich ! If I had a track plan I would gladly show it to you but this is exactly what I need some help with,the planning.As of right now I am open to anything.I have the whole perimeter to work with actually,all four sides.The only restriction would be for picture taking purposes and viewer sight lines for the stuff in the middle, although with today's cameras picture taking should not be a problem.
It could also be an "L" shaped layout with the N scale train running on two sides only ,outside of the fence's perimeter.The fence itself would make a nice surface for any background work.
Would an N scale layout generate a lot of heat ? All of my work so far has been enclosed in plexiglass,would this be a problem ? I would also have to be able to easily get at the layout inside for maintenance etc..Maybe a good idea would be to enclose the theme park portion only and leave the layout portion open.Lots to think about.......Cheers!
Once Upon a time.........
My photobucket:
http://s6.photobucket.com/albums/y250/JohnReid/
I am a man of few words but lots of pics
I quit drinking beer because the download was taking longer than the upload !
JohnReid If you haven't guessed by now my approach to model RR is a little different.I don't mind breaking the so called rules and regulations and crossing artificial boundaries that only serve to divide us into groups controlled by a few "old timers". I enjoy creating something different rather than repeating the same old stuff just because it has always been done that way.This is a fantasy world that we are creating here where creativity and imagination rules,so anything goes right ? Just leave your disbelief at the door and enjoy a little freedom of thought.Every one of us that runs a mobile train through a static environment is doing just that. So what is wrong with mixing scales if it is a fun and interesting thing to do ? Yes,remember Gulliver's Travels or Alice in Wonderland they were written by grown men who had wonderful imaginations. My work has been for kids and the young at heart,always was and always will be.Artistically I have been very successful with this approach to my art and sorry but I am not about to change now.My work has been accepted at well known world class museums and I a very proud of that. If you must criticize please keep your remarks at a level that is not meant to be hurtful at a personal level. I am here to learn new things so any help would be much appreciated. Cheers ! John.
If you haven't guessed by now my approach to model RR is a little different.I don't mind breaking the so called rules and regulations and crossing artificial boundaries that only serve to divide us into groups controlled by a few "old timers".
I enjoy creating something different rather than repeating the same old stuff just because it has always been done that way.This is a fantasy world that we are creating here where creativity and imagination rules,so anything goes right ? Just leave your disbelief at the door and enjoy a little freedom of thought.Every one of us that runs a mobile train through a static environment is doing just that.
So what is wrong with mixing scales if it is a fun and interesting thing to do ? Yes,remember Gulliver's Travels or Alice in Wonderland they were written by grown men who had wonderful imaginations.
My work has been for kids and the young at heart,always was and always will be.Artistically I have been very successful with this approach to my art and sorry but I am not about to change now.My work has been accepted at well known world class museums and I a very proud of that.
If you must criticize please keep your remarks at a level that is not meant to be hurtful at a personal level.
I am here to learn new things so any help would be much appreciated.
Cheers ! John.
John, that is a fair statement on your part on what it is you are trying to accomplish. Let me just make a few comments.
You do need to keep in mind that this is a model railroad forum, so it is to be expected that the members are accustomed to operating electrically powered trains on their layouts. So, your challenge is to reconcile your approach with that of the "old timers" who, of course, will be somewhat intransigent.
There is nothing wrong with mixing scales. Not too many model railroads do it on the same layout, although some do it. More often, scale modelers do it sideby side. I mainly model HO scale, but I do have an S scale (American Flyer) layout along side the larger HO scale layout.
I would encourage you to make a greater effort in organizing your threads. Most importantly, get the photos and the text together in a single reply rather than in separate replies. It will be much less confusing that way. And spend a little more time explaining what is going on in the photos. If you just post a photo and say nothing, it can be quite confusing to the casual viewer.
One last thing. You need a sense of humor on these forums. I don't think that the forum members mean any harm. If you post a photo of a 30 foot man in solid white standing next to a one story saloon and leave it at that, sure as shooting, someone is going to have some fun with it. Given that we are all operating in a fantasy world, none of us take ourselves too seriously.
JohnReid My RR will be of the old west variety of course, with short cars so the turning radius could be a little tighter than normal.I would really appreciate any info that you could give me in this regard. Cheers! John.
My RR will be of the old west variety of course, with short cars so the turning radius could be a little tighter than normal.I would really appreciate any info that you could give me in this regard. Cheers! John.
John, curved track is measured in radius, so the diameter of the minimum space required will be twice the radius. Atlas makes N scale curved track in a radius as tight as 10 inch, so you could design an N scale oval track configuration on a 20" x 20" board. Of course, that would leave no room for error should the train derail, so in N scale at least a 1 inch overhang would be desirable, requiring at least a 22" x 22" surface at a minimum.
You are apparently not going to provide a track plan for us to see, so let me ask you a few questions about your track plan.
Will it be a circle, a simple oval, or something more complex such as one with turnouts and sidings and spurs?
Will the train simply run past the fenced area or do you plan to stop it, say at a station?
Look forward to hearing back from you.
Good for you Mobileman ! Enjoy yourself ,I know that I will!
Thank you Soo Line for actually reading what I wrote.If I have the room that would be my ultimate goal to encircle the other two, if I could.Would you have any idea what is the minimum space that would be required ?
It is here in front of the fence that I am planning for my N scale layout.
"Childish Comments" !!!!!
"I resemble that remark" (as my idol Curly would have said).
I'm 68 years old and I play with toy trains - not much different than when I was 8 years old!
One thing though................. my trains have always been motorized and moved!
ENJOY !!!!
ENJOY !
Mobilman44
Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central
Okay, I think I got this figured out
I went back and reread this entire thread. John is building a G scale module attached to a HO scale module. Now a N scale module will be attached also.
He called it "a layout within a layout within a layout"
What I like is the N scale layout is actually going to move. The other two will not, of course.
John,
Is the N scale train going to circle the other two?
Jim
JohnReid I will just ignore the childish comments. Cheers! John.
I will just ignore the childish comments. Cheers! John.
Childish comments from others aside, I was being quite serious when I asked if you could provide a layout plan so we could see what you are trying to accomplish.
You titled the thread HO Modular Layout, so it seems that you are trying to design a layout in modular form to operate an HO scale layout.
I am just not certain if you are looking for advice and critique in this regard, or simply looking for comments on your work, or whether your intent is to simply post photos for viewing and not looking for anything beyond that. What are your expectations regarding this thread?
I think that it would help immensely to get some direction from you in this regard.
John likes a lot of attention. And we all give it to him by replying to these vague threads.
Maybe we should try a different approach -- I'll start.
Thank you North Coast ! I will just ignore the childish comments. Cheers! John.
I don't know about the rest of you, but I really miss the General !!!!
richhotrain Where is the layout? The track, the locomotive, the rolling stock?
Where is the layout? The track, the locomotive, the rolling stock?
And most importantly, where is the over sized white figure???????????
Sorta reminds me of the "Seinfeld Show" - a show about nothing.
Joe
richhotrain LOL You are the OP !
LOL
You are the OP !
"The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination."-Albert Einstein
http://gearedsteam.blogspot.com/
JohnReid I wish that the OP would learn that there are beginners here too that require time to get up to speed.Again patience my man,patience.
I wish that the OP would learn that there are beginners here too that require time to get up to speed.Again patience my man,patience.
You cannot get off that easy, John. You must have a plan, you can't be doing all of this just on the fly.
Show us your plan so that we can make sense out of all of this.
We are asking no more of you than we do of anyone who posts a thread on starting a layout,
JohnReid Patience my man,patience !
Patience my man,patience !
Can you provide us with a visual plan, a track diagram or something, so we can see where all of this is headed?
I don't believe the OP has ever shown us an operable electric train and/or usuable trackage of any kind. The beginning of the threads are always so promising, but after umpteen - often ambiguous posts by the OP - nothing remotely reeking of a layout and/or moving trains results.
What's the deal ???
Now,where the hell do I start ?
This is where I am as of today.The lower right hand side of the pic is where the HO removable module will be.There will eventually be 15 buildings and facades in there.The future N scale module could be attached to any of the four sides by simply screwing it on.The trains movement should really be an eye catcher.
Yup !