Start small, take your time and have fun. "Model Railroading is fun!" Do some reading about layouts, track plans, and scenery. Pick a track plan that fits your space and modify it to your liking. Model Railroader is good reading, has something from every topic. Before starting scenery, I recomend making a diorama on a small piece of foam or plywood, and practice different methods before trying it on your layout.
Harrison
Homeschooler living In upstate NY a.k.a Northern NY.
Modeling the D&H in 1978.
Route of the famous "Montreal Limited"
My YouTube
hon30critterGet a copy of John Armstrong's 'Track Planning for Realistic Operation' (exactly what David Starr is recommending)
I also recommend this book.
You don't say, but assuming this is your first layout keep it small and not too complicated. There's a lot to this hobby that is not readily apparent until you actually build a layout. Don't glue anything and you can reuse it all on your second layout.
Personally, I started with a 4'x8' trackplan from Armstrong's book that was in the first edition (sadly not in the current 3rd edition) that was a basic twice around all one level with a crossing. I learned a lot from it. And since nothing including benchwork or plywood was glued, I was able to reuse all of it including wood for my second 6'x6 1/2' layout of my own design.
Paul
Hi Nathaniel,
Have you looked at the 'Get Started' section of this website? It's in the black strip across the upper part of the main page.
As far as my goes:
- Resist the urge to buy everything that looks good to you, that is unless you have deep pockets and lots of storage space.
- Before you start buying rolling stock, learn what is worth spending your money on and what isn't. A $20.00 locomotive on eBay is not a bargain. It's a disaster.
- It's your railroad. Run what you want, but....
- If you have a 4' x 8' space and you want to run Big Boys or 89' container flats, it just won't work.
- Get a copy of John Armstrong's 'Track Planning for Realistic Operation' (exactly what David Starr is recommending). I designed my original layout without it, and after I read the book I realized that my 'perfect' design would have been pretty much disfunctional.
- Be realistic about what will work. If you are using pencil and paper to plan your layout get the turnouts and the curves drawn accurately. Better still, get a CAD program. It will prevent you from trying to squeeze things in where they won't fit. I love 3rd PlanIt but it's not free. There are free track design programs available.
- Go with DCC to start. (Directly the opposite of what David Starr is suggesting). Yes, it costs more than DC but it allows you to focus on running your trains instead of having to constantly keep an eye on track polarity. Sound is neat too if you manage it properly, i.e. turn the volume down. If you go with NCE it is not complicated to get started. Digitrax is IMHO.
- Build your grades so that the trains that you want to run can actually get up them. Remember that a grade on a curve increases the pulling power required.
- Ask us lots of questions! We are more than willing to help.
- Have fun!
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Get Track Planning for Realistic Operation by John Armstrong. It has all sorts of info that you will need. An around the walls layout will give you more layout than a table in the middle of the room layout. If you do a 4 by 8 table top layout (many start with one) think about a view block down the center of the table to divide the layout into two scenes. You can put a paper photo back drop on the view block, or just painting it sky blue is pretty effective, or if you some artistic talent, a free hand painted backdrop. Think about a big deep river valley somewhere that your main line can cross on mighty bridge. Even if you don't model the valley and the bridge right away, if you plan for it, the space will be there when you need it. Much of the fun in model railroading is seeing the trains run under their own power. I would push hard to get something running as soon as possible. You can keep working on the layout and add more track, scenery, everything, but getting something to run is a big motivator. I would start off running DC, it's simplier and you can convert to DCC later if you get into operating with friends. If it turns out to be a sole operator layout there is little need for DCC. Good Luck. Have Fun.
David Starr www.newsnorthwoods.blogspot.com
Define what you want and what interests you the most and what is possible in the space you have:Do you like watching trains loop in circles through scenery? Maybe a classic table or dogbone shaped layout is the best fit for you.Do you like running trains that imitate the prototype via switching and dropping off cars? Then a shelf style switching layout might be best.
Is there a specific space of real life prototype railroading that tickles your fancy? Design a custom layout to model that real life space the best you can. Do you have little space available and what some flexibility in the layout? Try building it to follow popular modular styles such as Free-Mo or NMRA standards so you can easily swap in and modules and perhaps join a club to build a bigger layout as a group.
Do you (to quote the late Freddy Mercury) "want it all" with a massive basement sprawling empire with a dozen scenic highlights, countless spurs, hidden staging yards, CTC controlled signalling and LED lights in every building and street lamp? Build a smaller layout first to test the skills you want to take to that basement empire someday in the future.
Get the various Kalmbach starter books on the subject and read them. Then act accordingly.
Ed
The old Model Railroader slogan was Dream, Plan, Build. I can't think of a better starting point.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
I am about to start on building an ho scale layout and what wondering what advice people have. Thanks!
Nathaniel Nagel