Dave-the-TrainAsk Santa, he'll give you the correct answer. ()
Ask Santa, he'll give you the correct answer. ()
Santa can certainly fit more N-scale trains than HO-scale trains in his sled! :)
And when he slides down the chimney, he can just fit that Kato SD70ACe in his pocket!
Metro Red LineN ALL THE WAY! ...Jolly Ol' St. Nick may say, "HO-HO-HO" but you caN't spell SaNta without "N"! :)
N ALL THE WAY!
Jolly Ol' St. Nick may say, "HO-HO-HO" but you caN't spell SaNta without "N"! :)
Since St. Nick and Santa start with S, you should too.
N S ALL THE WAY!
Enjoy
Paul
This question or ones like it (i.e. x vs S or O or narrow gauge or ???) seem to crop up once a week or so. There is no definitive "best" or "worst" to model, for they all have their plus & minus points. I would suggest that factors like available space, money, product availability, modeling abilities, eyesight & manual dexterity, your particular interests, and a few others are prime considerations.
I started in Lionel O as a youngster, but its size became a limitation (as did the costs) later on. I then thought about S gauge, but product availability and cost stopped that early on. Ho was begun as a teen, and kept mainly due to product availability, cost, and "realism". I did a stint and layout with N in the late '80s, but soon found that it was just too small for me to work well with, and that killed my enjoyment. So I got back into HO in a big way in the early '90s, and am here with it today. Oh, almost forgot, I seriously considered going into narrow gauge a few years ago, but my love of mainline railroading won out.
I guess my point is that there is no right or wrong answer here, and if you are unsure, I would spend some time at train shows or clubs and hobby shops to get a feel for "what you really want". Take your time now to answer that question - THEN spend the bucks!
Mobilman44
ENJOY !
Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central
wedudler Here's a better plan, for snap track. Text in German
Here's a better plan, for snap track. Text in German
Wolfgang, an appealing track plan drawing, but again very demanding in terms of radius for a complete beginner. If scaled to the 4X8 table the Orignal Poster has already built, 15 1/2" radius curves are needed, and even then the towns will need to be shortened because some of the turnouts are drawn slightly too optimistically for off-the-shelf components.
I don't mean to pick on you, Wolfgang (of course), but this is always the challenge with HO on a 4X8. Reasonable end curves (of even fairly tight 18" radius) must take up most of the width.
Steve75 This was the plan I found but if any one knows of a better one I would like to see it as I am not very good at track plans because I am not very good at the wireing aspect and can't get them to work.
This was the plan I found but if any one knows of a better one I would like to see it as I am not very good at track plans because I am not very good at the wireing aspect and can't get them to work.
It's certainly not your fault that Atlas foists these plans on unsuspecting newcomers, sorry if I implied that. Wiring can seem more intimidating if you've only seen the Atlas books because of their insistence on using their clumsy products in the wiring schemes.
The Atlas plan books are designed to sell Atlas products, not necessarily to be the easiest entry point for a newcomer.
Wiring for two-cab DC control is much easier with DPDT toggle switches, in my opinion. But of course, DCC would eliminate much of the electrical switching complexity altogether.
As far as the best beginner path, I'm not sure it's always jumping directly into building your own layout, especially if you've had limited exposure to the hobby. Working on an existing layout is also a good way to begin. This can be either formally, such as by joining a club, or informally, by finding a local layout where you can help out.
If you are fortunate enough to have a good local train shop, they can often be an excellent source of referrals to either of these possibilities.
If you decide to start with a layout, I think the Kalmbach how-to books are often a better choice -- although sometimes I am frustrated by the limited track plans they feature.
Marty McGuirck's new book is a step-by-step guide to building, wiring, and scenicking an N scale 4X8: N Scale Railroading: Getting Started in the Hobby, Second Edition I haven't picked up a copy yet,but the cover art depicts a nicely-detailed model railroad.
Similar HO scale oriented titles include:Basic Model Railroading: Getting Started in the HobbyHO Railroad from Start to Finish
These books, in my opinion, are probably better than trying to piece together a layout from advice gleaned from online forums. There are too many divergent opinions, only a few of which actually make sense for a beginner, so it can be difficult to winnow the wheat from the chaff.
Best of luck.
Layout Design GalleryLayout Design Special Interest Group
Steve75I am trying to choose between N gauge or HO. the problem is money and space. The space I have got is 8' X 4' maximum and I would like to have a medium to long run.
Any advice would be welcome
There are probably at least 10 others if you go back through the year and also check the "layouts and layout building discussion" forum too.
cuyamaWolfgang, an appealing track plan drawing, but again very demanding in terms of radius for a complete beginner. If scaled to the 4X8 table the Orignal Poster has already built, 15 1/2" radius curves are needed, and even then the towns will need to be shortened because some of the turnouts are drawn slightly too optimistically for off-the-shelf components. ...
Wolfgang, an appealing track plan drawing, but again very demanding in terms of radius for a complete beginner. If scaled to the 4X8 table the Orignal Poster has already built, 15 1/2" radius curves are needed, and even then the towns will need to be shortened because some of the turnouts are drawn slightly too optimistically for off-the-shelf components. ...
No problem. I wanted only to give ideas. I have not built such a layout, if I don't count my childhood layout. But I like those ideas. Nowadays I would go with a H0n3 layout. I'm just in narrow gauge.
Wolfgang
Pueblo & Salt Lake RR
Come to us http://www.westportterminal.de my videos my blog
Byron, in fairness to Wolfgang, that plan doesn't use Atlas track, but more like track from ROCO. ROCO's R2 curves are about 14" in radius and they have an curved switch that goes from R2 (14.1" radius) to R3 (16.5") radius. I believe Fleischmann's track has a similar geometry at the smaller end.
Andre
I have cosen to go with N scale, and I have just orderd 101 Track Plans for model railroaders from my local hobby shop. So I hope that will help, thank you all for your advice and help it means a lot to me that you all are willing to help someone that doesn't know what they are doing. I only wish that their was a local club near me which I could join. any way thank you again.
Steve
Steve75I have cosen to go with N scale, and I have just orderd 101 Track Plans for model railroaders from my local hobby shop. So I hope that will help, thank you all for your advice and help it means a lot to me that you all are willing to help someone that doesn't know what they are doing. I only wish that their was a local club near me which I could join. any way thank you again. Steve
Woo-hoo!
Congrats, Steve! Welcome to N-scale! It's actually the fastest-growing scale these days.
I converted from HO to N back in 2006, so I'm relatively new to N myself, but there's a lot from my HO scale days that carries over. I also have a 4x8 N scale layout with a fairly long run (a folded dogbone configuration). What era do you plan to model? What railroad? What part of the country?I'd be glad to help you get started.
I live in Wisconsin so I would like to do some thing local. about the era I was thinking about doing 1930's to 1960's. I would like to hear any ideas any one has one. I also stuck on where I can find the correct information I looked at the local libary but the dont have any thing on the rr near me as I live in Chilton WI, which is a very small city.
hope any one can help
I too recently switched to N scale due to space limitations and constant moving since I am Active Duty Navy. Another option that is very popular in N scale is building on a layout on a hollow core door. http://www.thevollmerfamily.com/Pennsy/index.html here is a link to Dave Vollmer's N scale Pennsy layout on a door.
Jason
Modeling the Fort Worth & Denver of the early 1970's in N scale
Steve75 I have cosen to go with N scale, and I have just orderd 101 Track Plans for model railroaders from my local hobby shop.
I have cosen to go with N scale, and I have just orderd 101 Track Plans for model railroaders from my local hobby shop.
Choosing N scale is a good choice for maximizing run length and minimizing curve radius limitations on a small island style layout.
The 101 track plans book is probably not an optimal choice if you want to learn about some newer ideas about track planning/layout design, as it is a fairly old book.
The newer book "102 Realistic Track Plans" or quite a few other newer track planning books might have served you better, if what you are looking for is examples of how others have planned their layouts.
Or maybe one of the standard books on layout planning - it all depends on what you are trying to get from a book - whether you are just trying to find a simple track plan you can copy, or whether you are trying to learn about how to do track planning in some way.
In another post in this thread you write:
Steve75 I live in Wisconsin so I would like to do some thing local. about the era I was thinking about doing 1930's to 1960's. I would like to hear any ideas any one has one. I also stuck on where I can find the correct information I looked at the local libary but the dont have any thing on the rr near me as I live in Chilton WI, which is a very small city
I live in Wisconsin so I would like to do some thing local. about the era I was thinking about doing 1930's to 1960's. I would like to hear any ideas any one has one. I also stuck on where I can find the correct information I looked at the local libary but the dont have any thing on the rr near me as I live in Chilton WI, which is a very small city
I guess one thing you should start thinking hard about is to decide what is most important to you - to get a ready made plan from a book or to try to represent your home town in e.g. the 1950s in some way.
Looking at what tracks are in Chilton, WI these days (from http://www.bing.com/maps), there seems like there is a RR running North to SE through the eastern part of Chilton, with one rail served industry just north of East Breed Street, crossing a small bridge or something just north of East Grand Street, crossing under (possibly - could be crossing at grade) East Main Street, with a runaround on the east side, a couple of tracks parallel to Clay Street, a rail served industry on the east side of these tracks, and a spur leading westwards from Clay street, parallel to Webster Street, crossing Adams. Douglass, Pennsylvania and Columbia, before ending up in some kind of rail served industry in a triangular shaped area between East Main, Commerce and Columbia.
According to http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/localgov/docs/railmap.pdf, Chilton is also just a little to the SE of Green Bay & Western route between Kewaunee, Wisconsin and Winona, Minnesota. There is a lot of interesting modeling information on the Green Bay route here: http://www.greenbayroute.com/index.html
Further google searches on Chilton WI and railroad yields the information that a depot built there by the Milwaukee Road still stands.
Googling (http://www.google.com) for "Milwaukee Road" and Chilton WI, I also found a snippet on a web page for the Milwaukee Road historical association () that mentions a former employee that worked at Chilton, WI after WW2: http://www.mrha.com/employees.cfm (search for Chilton on page) - it is written by someone who was a boy in Chilton, WI in the late 1940s/early 1950s, and mentions his dad Edward Krans, who was the station agent in Chilton at the time. The son also mentions getting doodlebug rides from the section foreman at Chilton, something which might be fascinating to model.
Further googling mentions that there was an industry in Chilton called "Briess Malting & Ingredients Company", in Chilton since 1876 - might be a lead to follow up for further googling, which among other things yield this site: http://www.brewingwithbriess.com/About/Facilities_Malthouse.htm
Here is a list I found by googling for industries in Chilton now (or at least recently) - some of these (or their predecessors) may have been around for quite a while:
http://www.chilton.govoffice.com/index.asp?Type=B_LIST&SEC=%7B086828AF-51E4-433F-B0A7-9225013EF32D%7D
One thing you can do is to look up the adresses of these industries on www.bing.com/maps and compare that with the RR lines, to see which of these are rail served.
Also, a quick search shows this contact information (which may be outdated) for the Calumet County Historical Society : http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/localhistory/directory/viewsociety.asp?id=42
Should be very possible for you to take a camera and go take some pictures of what is still there, to get some ideas about whether you would want to model this town set back in an earlier age (1930s to 1950s), and if so - what aspects of the town you would want to model.
Then again - judged from your posts so far - trying to do a model of a prototype location might be quite a bit too advanced for you at the stage you are at now.
It is often smart to learn to walk before taking off at a run.
Maybe you ought to start by just doing a small "chainsaw" model railroad - a simple test model, not intended to be the ultimate layout, but just a way to get a railroad up and running fast, where you can learn some skills, run some trains, have some fun, while you learn more about what you like or don't like about model railroading.
Just use latex caulk to fasten down your tracks, and then you should be able to take them up again and reuse them on a later, maybe more advanced layout.
In any case, I wish you the best of luck with your model railroading. Have fun!
Smile, Stein
steinjr The 101 track plans book is probably not an optimal choice if you want to learn about some newer ideas about track planning/layout design, as it is a fairly old book.
I agree if "fairly old" means something like 50 years. I don't know a book on model railroading with such a long publication, and there are some "jewels" in the book, but I would not put it on my priority list of track planning books, especially for N scale since it never existed when the layout plans were developed. I'm no N-scaler, but I suspect there are publications containing track plans more suitable for that scale although they may be more geared to door-sized layouts. Perhaps magazines geared solely toward N-scale modelers would be a good source. ... Seems like N-scalers could have been more helpful.
Mark
101 Track Plans has some good ideas and will get you started looking at types of track plans available for table top type layouts. It has more basic plan ideas for small layouts - twice around, loop to loop, out and back, etc. - than other plan books Any of the smaller plans (halve the dimensions for N scale) will benefit by being stretched to a larger size. Track Planning for Realistic Operation is another book I would recommend, it explains what real railroads do and how to adapt it to a layout. The two together will enable you to plan a layout.
IRONROOSTER 101 Track Plans has some good ideas and will get you started looking at types of track plans available for table top type layouts. It has more basic plan ideas for small layouts - twice around, loop to loop, out and back, etc. - than other plan books Any of the smaller plans (halve the dimensions for N scale) will benefit by being stretched to a larger size. Track Planning for Realistic Operation is another book I would recommend, it explains what real railroads do and how to adapt it to a layout. The two together will enable you to plan a layout.EnjoyPaul
I agree, pick a 4x8 HO layout plan and use it as the basis for an N scale layout. You'll find more space for industries, towns, mountains/hillsides, etc. - not to mention broader sweeping curves of 15-18" radius, which are too tight and toylike for HO but are much nicer looking in N.
IRONROOSTER Any of the smaller plans (halve the dimensions for N scale) will benefit by being stretched to a larger size.
Any of the smaller plans (halve the dimensions for N scale) will benefit by being stretched to a larger size.
Actually, the reduction multiplier is more like 55% (not 50%). (An HO 4-by-8 layout would be reduced to 2.2-by-4.4 in N.) However, merely reducing an HO plan to N results in a more toy-like setting because of the compression of the scene. Like others, I'd think it would often be better to just use an HO plan and modifiy it for N-scale components. For instance, the scale size of the structures can be increased (something like 6 times in volume) if the same footprint is used, making industries nearer the size needed to justify being served by a railroad.
Steve75I live in Wisconsin so I would like to do some thing local. about the era I was thinking about doing 1930's to 1960's. I would like to hear any ideas any one has one.
I also stuck on where I can find the correct information I looked at the local libary but the dont have any thing on the rr near me as I live in Chilton WI, which is a very small city.
Basically this town is on the main north-south main line of the Chicago Milwaukee St. Paul and Pacific railroad often shortened to just Milwaukee. The town had a brewery that had some interesting railroad tracks to it. A way cool interesting sweeping curve just to the north of the town. It appears this is still active CP trackage.
markpierceIRONROOSTER Any of the smaller plans (halve the dimensions for N scale) will benefit by being stretched to a larger size. Actually, the reduction multiplier is more like 55% (not 50%). (An HO 4-by-8 layout would be reduced to 2.2-by-4.4 in N.) However, merely reducing an HO plan to N results in a more toy-like setting because of the compression of the scene. Like others, I'd think it would often be better to just use an HO plan and modifiy it for N-scale components. For instance, the scale size of the structures can be increased (something like 6 times in volume) if the same footprint is used, making industries nearer the size needed to justify being served by a railroad. Mark
I think you misunderstood him. I took his post to say that if you got an HO layout plan and used N-scale track on it, you'd get *roughly* twice the space, and not that he suggested you reduce an HO layout by half.
Metro Red Line I think you misunderstood him [IRONROOSTER]. I took his post to say that if you got an HO layout plan and used N-scale track on it, you'd get *roughly* twice the space, and not that he suggested you reduce an HO layout by half.
I think you misunderstood him [IRONROOSTER]. I took his post to say that if you got an HO layout plan and used N-scale track on it, you'd get *roughly* twice the space, and not that he suggested you reduce an HO layout by half.
I didn't misunderstand him. My statement was in support of his comment that an N-scale layout benefits by using the HO-sized space. I also wanted to point out that N isn't half the size of HO, so reducing an HO plan to N by using a factor of 50% is off the mark. My opinion is contrary to the MR magazine world, but it is correct. Half of 1/87.1 is NOT 1/160.
Good for you. I've had extensive layout's in both scales and like them equally. I don't think its really fair to pick one over the other. They each have their pro's and cons. My first complete N scale layout was the "Monopoly and Octopus" by Atlas. I've since converted to HO, but again thats just a personal choice. If I had the time and space, I'd have both scales if I could.
http://www.trainsetsonly.com/page/TSO/PROD/150-N14
Guys --
N scale vs H0 scale is a no-brainer in this case. Or at least - it would have been a no-brainer if the original poster had formulated his question clearly. Taking into account his previous thread, a month back, where he announced that he had started building an N scale layout on a 4x8 foot table, the question becomes "I am already building an N scale layout on a 4x8 foot table. If I keep the same size table, what will give me the longest run - staying with small trains or swapping them out for bigger trains" ?
The very obvious answer is "stay with N scale if you want to have the longest possible run". One loop around a 4x8 table is about 20 feet of mainline length. If your train consists of a medium sized engine and ten 40-foot cars, your train will be about 3 feet long in N scale, about 5.5 feet long in H0 scale. Or put another way: in N scale, one loop around the table is a little under 7 train lengths, while in H0 scale one loop around the table is a little under 4 train lengths.
As I said - that one is a nobrainer.
Now - I am not going to waste (much :-) time pointing out again that a 4x8 foot table in the middle of the floor may not be the smartest use of space in your home. Unless of course the space you have available in your home is a 8x10 or 8 x12 foot open space in the middle of a bigger room, and you cannot make your wife or parents or whatever accept that you put stuff along the walls instead.
That has been pointed out before, and Steve has not reacted in any way to that information. With no feedback from Steve about what kind of room space he has and why his layout has to be exactly 4x8 feet, we have no idea about what other form factors could be used to quite possibly give him a longer run in N scale. We also do not know if he could do one scene down along one side of the table, a central divider and a second scene down the other side of the table, viewed and accessed from the other side of the table.
Obvious, but probably not considered by Steve - there is not much point in having a 4 foot wide layout if he cannot easily access the stuff along the rear side. You obviously could have a layout on wheels and pull it out when you need to work on the landscape in the back, but wrestling a layout back and forth as you are running your trains is not a realistic option.
Getting a clear answer as to what his room look like is a far more important issue for his track plan design than discussing whether N scale is half of H0 scale, or 56% of H0 scale, which is the true answer, found by using elementary school math (87.1 / 160).
Next issue : how do a beginner come up with a track plan?
We all know that it (probably) takes more skills and more Model Railroading/Railroading background to come up with your own track plan based on/heavily inspired by one or more real locations than it takes to simply copy an already existing track plan.
We also all know that copying someone else's plan can provide an excellent layout or it can provide a layout that will give you no ends of problems. It depends on whose plan you are copying and why.
We can direct a beginner to some not too complex track plan we like ourselves - say something like the Red Wing layout from Model Railroader way back, here in a variety by layout designer Byron Henderson: http://www.layoutvision.com/id49.html
Take that H0 scale plan, reduce it to 75% of size (ie 3 x 6 feet - or possibly keep it at 4x8, if the room it will be in can support it), and away you go. Gives you two scenes that can be scenicked totally differently, some yard work, staging/interchange, space to have two fairly long trains meet, experience with various kinds of track work, runaround moves, and so on and so forth.
Is a fairly simple 4x8, but also applies more modern layout design principles than running figure-8 over/under on a low table, viewed from the helicopter pilot perspective.
Or we can try to get him to work through a list of questions about what he really wants to model, and see if we can come up with a track plan for him that fits his room and his design goals.
An example of the types of questions one should ask someone planning to design their own layout can be found here: http://www.layoutvision.com/id13.html
No matter what way you go otherwise, Steve, I strongly encourage you to describe the room you will have your layout in, and describe your goals for your layout.
hi Steve
I am not as polite as Stein; I will tell you my feelings.
Your input is very modest. Some of the best men in modelrailroading like Stein and Cuyama are offering help and you don't respond at all.
It can be quite difficult to respond to postings when at the same time some old hats (me) seem to make war about the quality of trackplans that were brought in (sorry Wolfgang). Anyhow what was missing is the next step.
I showed you a posting by Byron Henderson about a 4x8 not being your best roommate. You did not respond at all.
You told us you were not very succesful with RTS. I told you not to end the story, but to tell us were you get struck, so we could help you out. No reaction by you. I get struck many times, every time I posted my question, someone gave the appropriate answer; we all have to learn and are still learning.
Not your fault, but Byron told you he found your Atlas plan a waste of space or a bad choice. You could have asked him to be more specific. My feeling was the plan could be reworked into something quite pretty; problem is the debate ended before it even started.
There are people around willing to help you to get your plans and your space on this forum. There are people willing to help you to have a good look at the footprint of your empire. There are people willing to help you research your own area. And there are even men wanting to help you finding weak and good spots in existing or new designs. (I could give you some hints, but first things first)
It is up to you to keep their attention. BTW usually you can find out easily who are giving proper advice and who are not. If someone explains why, you can value his reasoning. If someone is only expressing his feelings you can't.
Byron Henderson(Cuyama) is a very well known professional modelrailroad designer; his work can be seen in all kinds of publications. I've never seen a bad advice by Steinjr and he always takes his time to explain the reasoning behind his idea's.
So I would take the bait. What can you loose if people like the above are willing to help you out with your project. What can you loose by starting with the footprint of your future layout and going though the questionaire of Byron Henderson(Cuyama); and ask if you do not understand for the full 100% what he is saying (we all forget how much railroad-slang we are using).
Don't shy away, most things are looking far more complicated then they really are. You just need some help from time to time. (Good books are often the best starting point; they show you the overall concept)
Have fun, keep smiling and take the next steps
Hi all
First let me say that I ma sorry if I have been vague. I have tried to do a plan of the room I have but I don't know how to post it. The room dimension's are 13' X 10' which we also use for storage as well. Also my wife will not let me fix it to the wall's. So I have put the table on wheel's so I can move it out and get to all sides. As for the track plans I am sorry that I did not get back to any one about them. I would like to know how I could improve on the N-12 layout from Atlas and if their is an easer way to do the wiring for it because I don't understand it. So I am asking how do I post Images? and how could I improve on the N-12 layout? also how can a dummie like me do the wiring?
Thank you
Steve75As for the track plans I am sorry that I did not get back to any one about them. I would like to know how I could improve on the N-12 layout from Atlas
and if their is an easer way to do the wiring for it because I don't understand it.
HI
Yes that was the layout I was on about. I would like to have at least 2 trains running at one time where they could pass each other ether, in the same direction or in opposite directions. But like I said I don't know how to do the wiring for that. If some one could help that would be great or if anyone knows of a better plan where I could do that that would be great too. I would like it also if there was room where I could do the scenery where you go from a small industrial park to the countryside and back but keep it in a loop if that is possible?
Thank you for your time
Steve75The room dimension's are 13' X 10' which we also use for storage as well. Also my wife will not let me fix it to the wall's. So I have put the table on wheel's so I can move it out and get to all sides.
It is not totally clear from your words whether you already have built your table and tested access or not.
You have already built your table ? Can you push it in by the wall, and have enough space to access everything else in there ? Can you pull it out from the wall and move around it on at least three sides, even with all your storage items in there ?
You say "We also use for storage as well". What does that mean ? Do you have storage shelves in there ? Cupboards ? Piles of boxes on the floor ? How much space do that stuff take ? Where is it ?
Try to describe the room and your situation with words, if making a diagram and posting it is too hard.
Room is 13 x 10 feet. Okay - let's call the walls north (up), east (right), south (down) and west (left).
Where is the door into the room, what wall, how many inches from which corner, how many inches wide is the door ? Does the door open into the room or out from the room ?
Are there more than one door (e.g. doors to cupboards or built in closets or porch doors or whatever) ?
Is there any windows, electrical boxes or anything like that which you need to preserve access to ? If so, where are they (on what walls, how far from which corner, how wide, how high) ?
Next step is to describe your modeling goals - what you would like to have on your layout, and what you feel you must have if you are going to build a layout at all.
What is it about N13 that appeals to you?
Next time, try to use a few more words to describe how things look, what you want to accomplish and why you want things that way. I need to understand your goals to be able to suggest some possible ways to get there.
An example : you are planning a table layout that is 4 x 8 feet. Okay - why is it not e.g. 30" x 80" instead - the size of a hollow core door you can buy cheaply at e.g. Home Depot. 30" is wide enough for a 13" radius curve at the ends, but still no wider than you can reach across it from one side (at least if the layout is not located too high up on the wall) instead of needing access from both sides ?
Saving 18" of width actually ends up saving you 40" of depth, since you don't need an access aisle on the back side of the layout. At the cost of not having two scenes - one on each side of a viewblock divider down the middle of the table.
How about building a layout that is dogbone shaped along one wall or around a corner ? The center of the layout can be narrow, while the ends widen out to allow engines to turn around. A shape not unlike e.g. this one:
How about having a layout where trains do not run in a circle, but where they go point to point. Start from somewhere, go out to somewhere else, and then stop and head back. Real railroads doesn't run in circles - they go back and forth.
You can model railroading in your home town that way pretty easy. Here is e.g. a plan for railroading around a paper plant in New England based on that principle:
The plan above has a main part that is 2 x 10 feet in H0 scale - that would need about 14" x 6 feet in N scale. The detachable cross piece is 1 foot wide (for most of the way, 2 feet wide at the top) and six feet long in H0 scale - would be about 7" wide and 3 1/2 foot long in N scale.
There are lots of ways to fit a layout into a room. But one needs to have an idea of what your design goals are - is e.g. being able to just let trains run and run in a loop an important design goal for you ?
Is it important to you to have more than one train running ? At the same time ? Or just having the option of parking one train on the layout and run another ?
I would suggest you forget about the wiring for a moment - you first need to find out how much room you really have. Then you need to find out what you want to be able to do with your trains on your layout. Then you figure out how to build it.
Available space and goal first, then designing track plan, then figure out how to build benchwork, lay track, wire track and build scenery later.
Steve75 I would like to have at least 2 trains running at one time where they could pass each other ether, in the same direction or in opposite directions.
I would like to have at least 2 trains running at one time where they could pass each other ether, in the same direction or in opposite directions.
Two trains both running at the same time, or having the possibility of having two trains on the layout, and running them one by one ?
I would like it also if there was room where I could do the scenery where you go from a small industrial park to the countryside and back but keep it in a loop if that is possible?
Let me repeat my link one more time: http://www.layoutvision.com/id49.html
Click on link, read. It is a pretty decent track plan for a two scene (front and rear) 4x8 layout in H0 scale. In N scale you either have a lot more space (which means longer trains and longer spurs and bigger buildings), or you can build the whole layouit quite a bit smaller.
No problem to go to 75% of table dimentions (ie 3 x 6 feet) or 62% of table dimensions (ie 30" x 5 feet) when going from a H0 4x8 foot layout to N scale - you are still a little ahead of the 4x8 H0 scale layout, since N scale is 56% of H0 scale.
There is also a very nice moveable N scale table layout in the current issue of Model Railroad Magazine. Industrial on one side, countryside on the other side.
That is very much doable. Keep coming up with your design goals .- what do you want in your layout ? What kind of trains do you want to run ? Check my previous posts for the list of questions from Byron Henderson.
Hi
Ok about the room I have. It is 13' X 10'. 13' long and 10' wide with a window on the north wall which is 4' from the floor. The entrance door is on the south wall and opens into the room and is about 6" from the east wall, the door is 4' wide (including the door casing) also on the south wall is a closet with sliding doors which folds into the room which take up 2 feet. the closet is 5 feet wide and comes into the room 2 feet so on the west wall the room will only be 8 feet long when the closet is closed. We have a book case on the east wall which is 4 feet wide and 1 1/2 feet deep and 3 1/2 feet high. Their are electrical outlets on the west wall 1 foot from the north wall and 1 foot from the floor, on the north wall there are 2 electrical outlets in both corners 1 foot of the floor and 2 feet from each corner. on the east wall there i only 1 outlet 3 feet from the north wall and 1 foot of the floor. I have already built the table which I put wheels on so I can move it out and get to all side's the table stands 3 feet high and is 4 feet wide and 8 feet long.
About track plans I also liked the salt lake route that was in Model Railroader and would have liked to do it but I only had the 4 X 8 table and my wife won't let me add onto it and I don't know how to modify it to fit the 4 X 8 table so some thing close to that would be perfect for me.
Hope this helps
Steve75 Hope this helps
Quite a bit. But sadly, not quite enough to make me continue to spend time on trying to communicate with you.
You are responding to only a very few of the questions or comments you are getting, and you seem to take days to provide those partial answers or responses.
You can't get a functional and effective dialogue going this way. Or at least - I can't get a functional, effective and fun dialogue going that way.
So I am bowing out of this thread.
But I wish you the best of luck with your layout! I really hope that someone else will help you find a simple track plan that you have a fair chance of building, that your layout will turn out well, and that you will have a lot of fun with it.
Merry Christmas!
Stein
Steve75Yes that was the layout I was on about. I would like to have at least 2 trains running at one time where they could pass each other ether, in the same direction or in opposite directions