Hey guys,
Awesome forum! I’ve been lurking for a few weeks now.
I’ve got so many questions I don’t know where to begin. Since it’s my first post I feel I should give a little history… About three years ago I was in a hobby shop looking for r/c helicopter parts. They had an n-scale layout on display and I was fascinated. I couldn’t believe how much you could cram in a such a small space. When I held an engine I knew this wasn’t like the cheap HO set I had as a kid. I had to have one. So, without knowing anything I grabbed a locomotive that looked cool. Yes, I picked it based on the “uniform”. [] I left the shop with a Kato SD45 (Reading Line green & yellow paint), a loop of Kato Unitrack and a couple of Walthers’ building kits.
I ran the engine in a circle a couple of times and never built the kits. Believe it or not, I think the biggest mistake I made was reading. I subscribed to the mag and picked up all the recommended books. Getting started, layout books, realistic operations, etc. Information overload maybe? I just couldn’t make a decision. I had dreams of an empire I knew I couldn’t build (or at least knew better than to attempt). I couldn’t pick a time period or RR to model. Everything I saw was just ‘really neat’, you know? I didn’t feel passionate about any RR that I saw modeled. I’d tape layout pictures I liked to the fridge but in the back of my mind I knew even these smaller plans would be quite an undertaking. Luckily, other life events distracted me from the hobby… for a while.
Now I’m back and I need to reavaluate some goals; the ultimate to build a model railroad in n-scale. I know now that I’ve got to start small to actually make some progress. I’ve never laid track or wired a layout or built scenery so this first layout will be a learning experience. Saying that, I think I’ve settled on Chris Roper’s 2’ x 4’ compact advanced plan
with some mi
I’m not a big fan of the X x 2X (2x4 N, 4x8 HO, etc) tabletop layouts but they are a good place to gain experience. I’m going to assume there is some reason you can’ t build a 1 foot wide shelf around a room, or even along a couple walls. Ultimately you’ll tire, as most of us do, of watching the loco chase the end car around the circle… Here’s a weblink of advice I offer to all beginners… Written mostly so I don’t have to keep typing it all out…
I know what you mean and I have thought about this a lot. I kind of know I’ll get bored with it but I feel like I’ve got to accomplish something. That’s probably a bad way of starting out, huh? The thing is, all of the small layouts look like they could get boring after a while. (But what do I know? I’ve never run a train through a turnout.) That’s why I had these big dreams of larger layouts.
I’m looking at this 2x4 plan almost like 2 1x4 shelves back to back. One half with the j.allen timesaver and the other with the inglenook siding. I want to be able to put this layout away or bring it up from the basement. Just a portable little layout that will give me some building experience.
I thought I’d start with this first and then attack the two walls I have available in the basement at a later date.
If you have the space, I would recommend that you expand the layout to the size of a hollow core door - 30" x 78" and add a couple of passing sidings. As you have learned one of the traps in this hobby is analysis paralysis. At some point you have to just lay some track and run some trains. When I started I just bought whatever appealed to me and started building. This experience helped me to develop a focus later on.
Enjoy
Paul
while the “tabletop” layouts have their limitations, and can get tiresome… The fact is I’ve also seen some absolutely amazing small-size-loop layouts. The one you mention which drew you into the hobby was obviousy not large but drew you in with its focus and attention to detail, right?
So take all the well-intended advice you’ve been offered here, but also don’t let it stop you from doing your layout if that’s what you can do. Better to do your 2x4 now and learn, then move on when you’re ready than to bite off more than you can chew (space- time- or money-wise) and end up discouraged.
I know you have the bug to build something. I had one when I was just starting last January. You have found a “plan” which most people think they need. What I haven’t heard is what era you want to model and where in the country you want to model.
If you make a loop to run trains you will get bored. If you design and build a model railroad in the same space you will have hours of enjoyment out of the same space. Take the time to find out what interests you. I strongly suggest John Armstrong’s Track Planning for Railroad.. Once you have an idea of what it is that is important to model, you may decide to use that plan you chose. You may decide to modify it to fit the location you have chosen. You may throw it out and start from scratch.
You are about to drop a lot of time and money into this project. Take a little time and plan it out right.
I am going to be just a little contrarian here. I have been interested in model railroads for over thirty years aoding a lot with friends. But a little over a year ago my daughter got the bug - she caught it form THomas - and when we went to the train store she fell in love with “those cute little N scale trains”. So it was time to take up a new hobby.
I spent a few months in, the so aptly named, analysis paralysis.
But I can assure you that there is a cure! I went and got a 2x4 piece of ply at Home Depot. Went to the local hobby shop and bought some Atlas flex-track, some turnouts, track joiners, track nails and some Woodland Scenics foam roadbed.
Brenda and I learned to lay roadbed, and how not to lay roadbed. How to lay track , and quite obviously, how not to lay track! We have a simple oval on that piece with a passing siding and a small industrial spur on the other side. It is the first of now three little layouts in the basement, and it is still used almost every day, just to run some trains around.
I enjoy reading the books and magazines, but they are no substitute for actually getting your hands dirty and being able to watch a train go around something. Don’t worry too much, just build it. Because it is probably true to say that you will find so many things wrong with it that you will want to rebuild it anyway!
I’m going to agree with John on this. I think the plan you have chosen will help you gain experience in the art and science of model railroading. It will also help you decide what type of operation you like (switching, mainline hauls, local freights,etc.)
The first layout is genrally a learning experince and is seldom the only layout ever built.
[#welcome] (back) to the hobby!
Good luck on whatever you decide. Keep us up to date on your progress and feel free to ask questions. There is an amazing amount of knowledge here and all are willing to share. Also post pictures! We like to look at pictures![:D]
Well said by everyone. At this point, I’d agree that it’s time to build some benchwork and lay some track. I spent a lot of time in analysis (now, that didn’t come out right, did it? I mean analyzing my MR plans.) but once I made the trip to Home Depot I was committed (and some times my wife thinks I should be committed.) Plans change anyway after you start laying track, so it’s time to go for it.
Ya know, I didn’t even recognize the timesaver in your plan… Should have since I’ve included one in just about every plan I’ve ever drawn.
Reads to me like you’ve thought this out… I guess you could even split the table and incorporate it into a later shelf layout… Now go have some fun, don’t worry about what we think [:)], and build your layout… The others are right though, some amazing things have been done with small layouts and being able to easily move it would be a big plus…
you’ll have plenty of time while building this layout to figure out what you want for the next one , and you’ll be learning the techniques needed to build it
Cool! Thanks for the replies. I feel better. I’ll start with this and see how it goes. If I get bored with the loop, so be it. I’ll build bigger and better with my 2nd layout!
I love looking at pictures too so I’ll be sure to share and keep you up to date.
The real good thing is that you’ve introduced yourself as a beginner after 3 years… most of us that have been around 30 years + and still love the hobby are still beginners… learning something new everyday.
] I left the shop with a Kato SD45 (Reading Line green & yellow paint), a loop of Kato Unitrack and a couple of Walthers’ building kits.