Hello everyone…occasional lurker and I think this is my first post…
I’m building a two story 24 x 34 garage that will house model railroads on the second floor (I was unsatisfied with the amount of space available in my house, and this was the best alternative from a cost standpoint…I live in Wisconsin in an area where the housing crunch has not affected the slow stready appreciation of house values…)
I’m a life long N Scale dabbler in my mid thirties, and I finally decided to take the plunge…this will be a life long project lasting 30 years or more…
THe space will have an unfinished height of 7’ 2", and there is a 3’ x 6’ trap door area that will be used for an internal entrance to the second floor and/or a way to transfer materials to the topfloor without going outside (the main enterance will be a wooden stairway that goes to the second floor…
I’ve been thinking about switching to HO just because there is EVERYTHING available and also because it is probably a little easier to work with, however, I also very much like the fact that one can model more space in N…I plan on being very precise with the scenery as far as dimentions are concerned (no scaling to fit is my intent), and if I get my way, I’m going to create an “older” and “newer” setup in particular spots of the layout using a spindle system to turn each module so that I may model a location in two separate time periods…
I am sure you have already thought of the climate contro issues, so you can use all 12 months of you lifetime. I live in Minnesota, and the heat/cool options more than double the time I like spending in the train room/shop.
As you have said, you get better scenes with HO and larger scope with N. Pick wisely so you will still be happy when you are 60.
You will have to scale to fit, no matter what you do, unless you have an old domed stadium to work with. Even Northlandz is scaled to fit.
By the way, welcome to the forum. Keep us posted as many of us enjoy watching the progress of others.
I assume you have read “Track Planning for Realistic Operation” by John Armstrong. I call it the bible, it discusses and shows examples of everything, plus it reads well. Decide on a minumum radius and a ruling grade before you start doodling track plans. Larger radii and gentle grades allow operating big equipment and long trains, however they reduce the amount of track you can squeeze into the space. I still regret the 3/5% I did on one layout. A good paper (or CAD) drawing made before construction begins will save you from a number of blunders.
Concealed (underground) trackage can add greatly to the charm and operability of even the largest layout. The underground trackwork needs to be of the highest quality to avoid derailments underground.
Try to avoid the “trains on a table” look. More satisfactory is a series of diorama’s, into which the trains enter and leave. Well planned viewblocks help greatly. Avoid running straight runs of track down the edge of the bench work, it just emphasises the edge of the layout. Gentle curves suggesting the track is following the terrain can be effective.
Consider a walkaround control scheme. Mount the turnout and cab select switches on the fascia. Engineers walk along beside their trains with a hand held throttle and throw the turnouts as they get to them. I would divide the layout into reasonable electrical blocks and provide block select switches even if I planned to use DCC. A working signal system is very cool if and when you get the time to build it.
If at all possible, design without duckunders or lift-outs. Fifty years from now you won’t be the lean and limber feller you are now - and you’ll still be younger than my father was when he passed on.
In thinking about HO, bear in mind that fingers that could once put doorknobs on Z-scale doors (and eyes that could see to guide them) tend to age - and not like fine wine. N scale might prove more than a little challenging when you’re drawing Social Security.
Make the aisleways wide and the reach distances short.
If you’re thinking of modules anyway, design them to be removed easily and taken to a workbench for any significant maintenance or modification.
One final thing. Unless you intend to be dependent on a squad of volunteer operators, it would be good to design, ‘Big, but simple.’ No layout will be satisfying for years unless it lends itself to solo operation.
My layout isn’t large, on the low side of medium because of room size. I was glad to have several modules in operation and to test track and scenery methods. Being able to run trains while building on other parts of the layout was really important for me anyway.
Thanks for the tips…they are all great! I am thinking about track planning and the like…I plan on developing a fictional short road (kind of like Graham County RR) and then using modules to represent all of the important stops on the line with the inclusion of some mainline action from Class I roads as well…
In addition to everything, I’m also looking for more room design stuff like track ceiling lighting, electrical outlet placement, ceiling construction, and anything else that will help me design the room to accomodate pretty much anything I can think of…heh heh, I know it’s a tall order, but ANY experiences that you share help!
I’ve been working on my 46 x 26 empire for about five years so I can relate to what you are about to undertake.
First of all, begin with a solid concept because it will drive your track plan. Whether you choose to model a real prototype or freelance, you want your railroad to have a purpose. Decide whether you want the layout to feature a lot of switching or do you just like to run trains. You seem to have space to do both but decide which is more important to you.
Decide whether you want continuous running or point-to-point or point-to-loop operations. A flexible track plan could incorporate all of them.
Prepping the railroad room should be your first concern. Insulation, climate control, wall materials, ceiling tiles (if that’s important to you), lighting. Now is the easiest time to take care of those items.
Sound benchwork is a must. Without it, it will be difficult if not impossible to lay smooth running track.
With a large layout, it is going to take you longer than you think to get it up and running. I would get the whole mainline in and running smoothly. Later you can add the sidings, spurs and scenery. Once the mainline is down, I would work from one end to the other scenicking it so you will get an ever growing scenicked portion of the layout to run your trains through. You don’t have to add a lot of detail initially. Just something other than bare plywood. You can add the finishing touches once you get the base scenery down on the whole layout.
I’m an HO guy so naturally I would recommend it, especially with your space. I would have seriously considered going even larger to S-scale if there was more available. I find working in HO to be challenging enough as my eyes get older. I can’t imagine working in anything smaller.
Depending on your personality and skills, you may find that a larger undertaking begins to pale after a few months of not seeming to be making much progress. Also, most of us begin to second-guess some of what we thought was A1 ingenuity and plans. That would be a shame if it came 14 months into what is really a 24 month project.
I guess I am saying you need to know yourself really well. If you are somewhat impatient, you may need to have a fallback layout that is simple but fun to keep your pressure levels in check. That is why a sectional/modular (they’re not the same) approach makes sense for those of us who want to be up and running soon, even if on a small switcher layout, but who have also taken on a huge project that will likely go on for a few years.
About the HO, we all have opinions on this. Those who model HO do so for good, but mostly personal, reasons, and I would bet the same applies to our intrepid N-scale modelers. Fact is, few of us do one thing for long…we want to try new stuff, new ideas, and that sometimes means a whole nuther scheme, road, scale, layout. It gets expensive over time. I am not in a position to comment on how you might relate to these ideas, but if you would rather keep expenses in check for the foreseeable future, you may want to err on the side of conservatism, which means plan for future needs. As mentioned earlier, your physical limitations will add up over time, and that tends to mean shorter stoops and reaches, more light (lots more light!), more room for you girth if it increases, and more bulk and size for your fingers and eyes (hey, that rhymes!).
There is a recent thread on how high a main surface ought to be…you can find it on page two or three of this forum or the one on layout building next door…I forget which.
I hope that adds to your “to think about” list. [:-,]
