It’s been a while since I messed with N scale model railroading, and after good spell of exclusively 3 rail O gauge, my current duty station has caused me to return to it. When I last modeled, everything came with rapido style couplers and now Bachmann trains are coming with the new dummy knuckle couplers. I was wanting to upgrade all my old equipment (that I dug out of storage) and my new equipment for working magnetic couplers. Is there any manufacturer out that that makes couplers for Bachmann trains that are magnetic?
Secondly, I am only allowed (by space available, and my wife) no bigger than 15 sq ft. I know I want continuous run with minimal switching oppertunities. Any suggestions on the track plan I should use?
Thirdly, I have alot of cars that are painted and lettered for the same railroads, and I would like a more variety, so I was thinkin of somethin along the lines of repainting for my own free lance railroad, but I have no clue what colors I should use, or a design for that matter. Any suggestions?
Any help would be greatly appreciated. Especially with being stationed in Italy and limited resources available to me.
To address the idea of your own railroad for the freight cars: I have modeled Santa Fe in various layouts since 1958 in HO. But I had a lapse several years ago and built a shelf railroad apart from the big layout to create a small “my own road name” layout. Since the area I model on the big layout is Oklahoma, and I am a born and raised Okie now stuck in Kansas City, I decided to do a fictional Oklahoma shortline on the small layout. I created the Oklahoma Northern, red and white paint (Sooners you know) and did several diesels and cars. In fact, I got carried away on the cars, mostly grain covered hoppers.
One day, tired of managing two layouts, I realized on my Santa Fe I had an area on the bottom deck that represented a line from Enid OK to Kiowa Ks with a town, Cherokee in between. On the real Santa Fe, Cherokee had also been a junction with the old Orient railroad which was absorbed by Santa Fe. You can guess the rest. The Orient went away and the Oklahoma Northern took its place on the big railroad. So now I have grain trains coming off the ON onto the Santa Fe and running across the railroad.
Point is; create your switching freelance railroad, then at some time in the future you may find a way to incorporate it into a real railroad and have the best of both worlds.
I am not familiar with the particular models you are using, but there probably is a Micro-Trains solution. It may require the installation of an 1127, 1128, or 1132 coupler, which can be tricky, but it can be done.
You might get a better answer to this question if you told us a bit more about your modeling interests.
What era? Steam or diesel? What is the geographic setting for your layout? Does your proposed layout have a theme? Do you get inspiration from a favorite prototype? Is there a lettering style you like? Are decals available in that style, and in the desired color? If you owned a real railroad, what colors would you paint the equipment?
I hope this helps. Best wishes on your new assignment.
I think the other posters have pretty much said anything I’d have to offer, except for the layout design. If you are a subscriber to MR, go the the track plan section. They have several small layouts listed. There is also an N scale track plan book by Kalmbach (I think).
What I have done, though mine is a 4’x6’ HO, the idea could be the same, is a continuous loop with a passing siding on each side of a scenic divider. Your divider can be placed so that the “front” of the layout is your main scenic area with any amount of switching you can fit in a small yard. On the “back” the passing track allows two trains to meet or pass. You can have more than one passing track, depends on how many trains you want running.
Mine is DC, but with blocks enough so I can easily have two trains, going in the same or opposite direction, though usually just one operating at a time. One loco could work the small yard on the front side, while another ran the outer loop.
The other option is to have the divider about in the middle (not necessarily square to the edges), a small yard on both sides and have trains pick up on one side and take to the other. Two operators could use this layout idea.
Do you have a spare room available that may be furnished? One place where I was stationed I set up a four inch shelf around the walls of a room. Not a lot of scenery, but the trains sure had a long run. I was even able to have a couple of passing sidings and a few industries. When we left, I did have to fill the holes used to mount the shelves on the walls and paint them. But the RR didn’t disrupt the main use of the room.
I’m thinkin transition era shortline with ATSF having trackage rights. Ive got all bachmann trains with a few Life-Like frieght cars mixed in. It’s going to be set in a fictional nothern Texas rural community. No particular prototype influence.