I’m probably biting off more than I can chew, but is it possible to build a N scale layout on a 2’ x 4’ board its about all the space I can spare. Ok now comes the part thats going to kill it. i want it to be mountains, either logging or coal mining. Would like a tressile bridge and a stream under it. Would be steam 1940’s area or earlier. I don’t know where or how to start a layout like this. I’ve seen several track layyouts this size but they are all flat. Any ideas? Jerry F.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veEvKHFGd5s
Jerry, Take a look at Dave Vollmer’s PRR Nscale layout, I think you get a ton of ideas from this layout…
Good Luck
Welcome to the forum. What you want can be done. If you make the mountians out of foam you can have huge mountians and canyons. Pick out the theme. Draw a simple track plan that works. I built a 4x8 HO once that had three levels of track in a continuous overlapping loop with a three level trestle and a mountian and a water fall and a lake and a small yard. Build it and have fun. Later you can do it over or include it in a larger layout.
Randy Gustafson’s multi-level N scale logging layout is even smaller than you are contemplating (something like 18"X36"). Tight curves and streep grades, but it shows how much can be done in N scale. There’s a hidden turnback loop below the visible scene.
The layout was described in the July 1995 Model Railroader.
There have been many examples of a 2X4 N scale layouts with grades and topography. Although they are somewhat expensive compared to alternative methods, the Woodland Scenics pre-cut foam grades work well for grade changes.
Byron
Model RR Blog
Wow, thanks for the info. I guess I can do what I want. Next step subscribe to the magazine then figure out how to get that issue and study it.
Jerry - NR5A
You don’t need to subscribe to get back issues (although a subscription is, IMO, worth it).
Here you can order back issues.
http://www.trains.com/mrr/default.aspx?c=bi&id=6
Smile,
Stein
I model in n-scale and think you should have no problem doing that with a 2 x 4 size. Mine is 2 x 8 (with an even narrower segment in the middle that allowed me to set it up as a shelf above my workbench. Go for it, and keep us posted on your progress.
My first "Pine Ridge & North River was a 2’ x 4’ with that theme. I have no pictures or track plan from it, but I did expand it to a 2’ x 8’ in 1978 as below. Well, I should not say expanded. I started over from scratch. On a 2’ x 4’ the grade up to the mine obviously had to be much steeper, the mine smaller (no run around at the mine), and less room for the industries below. The upper bridge over the river had a water fall immediately behind it. The river was fairly far below grade level. Note the radical (for the time) hidden storage area.
The mine had its own switching locomotive that worked the cars through the mine. It would make trips with full cars down to town to put on the interchange track (the long dog leg one toward the center), and pick up empties & supplies for the mine. Through trains and the local that took the hoppers away lived in the hidden yard. At shows, the hidden tracks were accessible from behind so a person could 0-5-0 different trains onto the out most track. That way a spectator would not see the same train circulating over and over.
