Howdy
My son is into n scale and I would like to give him a better layout board to work from. I know when I was a boy and into HO the common size was 4x8. I am curious what the common size for n scale would be. I know he needs to move up in radius because two of his passenger coaches he has will derail on curves.
Thanks
I don´t think thee is a “standard” board size for N scale layouts. Quite a number of people make use of the smaller size of N scale trains to either get more railroading onto a 4 by 8 or to make the layout a little more “generous”. I´d prefer the latter one.
Many N scalers use a Hollow Core Door (HCD) as simple benchwork.
They’re easily available (usually for free as people remodel) and, most important, easily able to make it through a doorway!
Popular sizes include 36" x 80" or 30" x 80" or even take two 24"x80" doors and join them together for a wider sectional layout.
Even a 30" wide door will give you 13"-14" radius curves: fine for most coaches.
The 36" wide door will allow up to 16"-17" (squeezing to the edges) which is more than enough for almost everything N scale.
David Popp’s Naugatuck layout uses a couple of HCDs.
Dave Vollmer’s Juniata Division is probably the most famous HCD out there today, though many people are building great HCD layouts all over.
Most forums like Trainboard and NScale.Net have dedicated HCD threads & “support groups”.
David K. Smith has a bunch of HCD designs on his White River & Northern website.
And some of my designs for smaller spaces can be adapted readily to HCD size.
Hope this helps.
There are thousands of HO “starter” and even more advanced model railroads designed to fit on the standard 4x8 sheet. Track plan articles usually indicate that the same plan in N scale would be 2x4. While generally true this is not a good idea. Building the same plan in N scale on 4x8 would allow more room for scenery and also allow adding additional track (industrial spurs and/or yard tracks).
In any case I recommend not building the N scale in not less than 3/4 the space when using an HO plan (3x6 N from a 4x8 HO plan). A 36" wide hollow core door would work very well and the extra length allows for some expansion in length and/or better scenery treatment on the ends.
8 X 4 is only a common size because its easy to go and buy that sized sheet of ply wood.
The reality is there are probably as many sizes and shapes as there are model railroads.
Once people get passed the traditional 8 X 4 Ply Wood Pacific stage of the hobby the layouts are invariably tailored to 1) the space they have and 2) what there particular interests are.
Many do not use a solid table only having it solid where track and towns etc sit this allows the scenery to go above and below track hight.
Others have mentioned hollow core doors as a good size
I am not a fan of using actual doors however a number of modelers have very successfully used them as a base to build there railroads on.
It is also a very nice size for a manageable well thought out N scale setup.
Never go down to first radius in any scale (in N this is 9") unless really restricted for space or its in a very tight packed urban industrial area.
Third radius curves are much better but, I am not sure any more what that is in N. Something like 12" radius or larger will be a lot better and most things should look right running round it.
I always advocate having some where on the layout where an extension can be added with minimal fuss and bother.
Even when this extension is most defiantly not going to happen it more often than not does.
Hope this helps
regards John
You really are only limited to your and a helpers imagination. The hallow doors and 3x6 foot table tops are good starter sizes. I myself am looking ay a small shelf 6 feet long and around15 inches wide or so. I am also into modeling though so while there may not be much railroad, there will be supporting scenery up the wazoo and it will be fairly well detailed. I also enjoy getting HO car kits (a few Accurails built, looking to get some Bowser) and am getting very interested in detailing and weathering, so my N shelf layout will also be sharing some space (probably ‘double’ decked) for displaying HO models when I’m not running them at the model railroad club, and underneath the main N shelf will be a display set up for my 1/18 diecast collection, and eventually some display space for my other modeling interest of 1/24 and 1/25 vehicle kits, and my burgeoning interest in model ship building and ship-in-a-bottle modeling, although those can be displayed around the apartment and also given as gifts. Luckily I have a father who enjoys sail boat, um, memorabilia, so some stuff would be given away.
Of course, by the time I have all of this going on at once we may be in a house or duplex with a spare room/basement just for me.
I model on the blue or pink (depending on what big box store you buy from and it’s location in the US) foam board. There is not difference, according to MRR staff, between the colors. I find the foam helps, along with the coark roadbed, to deaden sound. It’s also light weight and very easy to scuplt/poke holes in for electrical wires. However, it is usually placed on wooden benchwork for support. One 4x8 sheet will run you around $13 … vs plywood which might be between $13-30.