has anyone built this layout?

Model Railroader Layouts and layout building
1

My son & I are wrapping up our first layout (not the greatest, but a great learning experience), and have been talking about “the next one”.

Has anyone ever built the layou in the book “N Scale Model Railroad That Grows: Step-By-Step Instructions for Building Your First N Scale Layout” by Kent Wood & Ric Laban? We’re thinking of using this as the basis for a layout and expanding on it a bit.

Thanks

2

Haven’t built it but any railroad designed to be expanded in the first place is a good direction to take. Otherwise you will join the rest of us tearing everything up and starting over.

3

I didn’t build that layout when I built my 2 N scale layouts in the 90’s, though I did borrow extensively from it. I think it’s a good design. It truely has possibilities.

4

Which is exactly what I will be doing one of these days because I running a “temporary” 18’ x 30" switching layout.

I have the book but never built the layout. Good point is to find layouts that allow for expansion. The one thing I did like about that layout is that you could start running trains early on, then add whenever you want to.

Many small layouts featured in Model Railroader provide the option for “future expansion”. You can’t go wrong by keeping future expansion in mind.

Good luck, have fun,

–Ed

5

I started to build this layout. The track plan itself is pretty good with lots of potential for future expansion. After a while, though, I got tired of the tedious task of trying to make straight, repeated slices through the foam board. I also realized that, for me at least, working with a saw, electric drill, screwdriver, etc. was a lot more satisfying than running around with a hot glue gun. I also found a couple of important points had been omitted from the book.

I ended up scrapping the while thing and ended up building an expanded version of Layout N-9 from Atlas’s N Scale Model Railroading Book #6. I also ended up building a good plywood table and legs.

I know that something that didn’t work for me might be someone else’s cup of tea so If you like the “N Scale That Grows” layout, use it but I think you’ll find that foam boards and hot glue guns have a lot of limitations. Either way I wish you the best of British luck on your venture. Keep us posted on your progress. I’d really like to know how it works out for you.

FritzvB