Because of a lack of space I had to place my n scale track right next to my ho scale track for a 24 foot section. Before I rip up the n scale track, can someone tell me how to hide it to save me all the trouble of ripping up the n track? There is no room to put a background board or bushes. I know I can say I have narrow gauge for the ho guys but I have no explanation for the n scalers that see them side by side. The longer I look at it the worse it looks and if I rip it up I will have half the running room for my n scale long freights.I am trying to be realistic but you can only go just so far.There is no room anywhere else in my train room to run the track anywhere else. Bear in mind the track is ballasted and the scenery completed. May God Bless
A photo would help. If not that, some dimensions on track spacing, benchwork width and what kind of scenry or structures live in that 24". Which is closer to the front, the HO or N?
Could you make a low relief building or buildings like factories or warehouses that would hide the N? If more rural, maybe a hill with a rock face or retaining wall.
Assuming you are not running both scales at the same time. Make a small cover out of 1/4" plywood (or hardboard,etc) that fits over the track. I suggest a piece as wide as the roadbed. Cut strips of grass mat (Woodland Scenics or others) and glue to the top. Put the cover over whichever track you’re not using at the moment so it looks like a low berm. You could add bushes or small trees if desired.
Good luck
Paul
This may sound silly, but can You add another rail to Your existing HO scale track? Does not have to be functional, just give the appearance that it is dual gauge?
Just a thought!
Take Care! [:D]
Frank
That berm idea is a great one. Depending on track spacing, you could make a short divider out of corrugated cardboard, or even ceral box if space is that tight, and glue a photo backdrop to one or both sides. Cut a slot in the ground with a dremel or the like to hold it up, or drill some holes and plant some rods/nails for the cardboard to sit down onto.
Get some small diametre PVC, paint orange and white two inch wide verticle stripes on it and have a pipeline sitting over/on the track. It could go into the ground at either end. Make it so you can lift it off and cover the other scale when you want to change.
Pipeline photo’s
thanks for the great suggestion. I have just trees and grass in this area so both scales look fine in that respect,its just the track thats out of place. The n track is maybe one fourth inch from the ho track in places and there is some curved track also. I thought about covering the ho track while operating the n scale but the ho does a loop in the not to distant background and that would be covering over 40 feet of ho track alltogether,like I say it is a problem I might have to learn to live with. May God Bless
If I had both N scale and HO scale track next to each other, I would purchase a couple pieces of HO narrow scale rolling stock. I would then place the narrow gauge rolling stock on the N scale track while running my HO scale trains.
DRFan Great Idea but it still does not solve the problem when I run n scale trains how the ho tracks look next to the n scale tracks.
If anybody is still following this thread, I have just ripped up the ho track that was beside the n scale track and rerouted the ho away from the n scale. It was a big decision but I finally did it. I am currently putting ground cover and ballast down. Thanks for all the suggestions. May God Bless.