Hello everyone, I am just getting started with N-scale railroading. My family has been around it for years. Now I've caught the bug. My ever loving wife has given me a space to create my masterpiece and I have no idea where to begin. I've been sitting at the drafting table for 2 days now drawing diagram after diagram of layouts. I found this site and hope that someone out there can help me get started. BACKGROUND I have a room 11x11 that is at my disposal. I was thinking of starting with a 4x8 sheet of plywood as my layout area. I want to put in a lake area and a mountain range. I would like to have at least 3 main lines, and I love the look of a nice rail yard. After looking at a few of the posts, I fear the electronics may be outside of my area of expertise. EQUIPT. I am starting from scratch. I have 2 engines that my father gave me as a child, and a handful of cars. Other than that, I have nothing. I planned on ordering most of my items from e-bay, unless someone as a better source. anyway, I hope someone out there can give me a little guidance. Thanks for reading this and for any help you can provide me.
Welcome aboard. Feel free to post any rough layout plan in the Layout Design Discussion forum and there will be many folks willing to make suggestions to help get the most out of your plans and ideas. As for electronics, sometimes it is hard to know what to even ask to begin with, but there are always plenty of people who can help you out once you start. You can start with very basic questions if you want.
Welcome to TrainBoard! My advice is to not rush. And certainly keep asking any questions. You'll avoid wasted time, money and frustration. Check our Forum for design as suggested. There are some real pros who will have plenty of ideas. Boxcab E50
Welcome to the hobby and yes it is addicting and it is for life!!! But it is harmless fun and just gets better every day. What I suggest is to start slow, and just get a small piece of plywood and get some trains and run them. Try to get something of highest quality used and just run it and enjoy yourself right away. When thinking about your permanent railroad line, think of some photos or scenes that really struck you, or a favorite layout you know or have seen in a magazine, and a favorite railroad line, and just start slowly, creating what comes up in your imagination. I modeled and still model my youth as many of us do. For example, I left Sharpsville, PA in 1955 as a kid who lived near the tracks in a Pennsy steel town, and have been modeling Sharpsville, surrounding scenes and townships since. My current rail line is the Bessemer and Shenango Valley Railroad Company. Work slowly and deliberately especially when laying track, it will pay you back in efficiency oodles of years and sessions to come. As you run trains more and more, participate in forums look at the photos, share ideas, and you are in!!!! YOu will no doubt get a lot of people to tell you what to do, but my suggestion is to evaluate yourself, your conscience, your tastes, needs and wants, and come up with a layout to suit you. For example, I love to watch trains barrel down straights and weave their ways through intricate switching yards, and love watching multiple trains run, so I built my layout with a double mainline, a large panorama along the back wall with a straight shot on a 4x8 modified L design, and then look into your own physical limitations. I abhor spaghetti wiring and uncouples and derails so I chose Kato Unitrak, sacrificing a little reality for efficiency as I don't like to get up out of my chair to tend to my trains. The point is that whatever you do is YOURS, and your creation, and while listening to advice, treat it as that. If it is useful, use it, if it is critical, out the door. I have a friend who has a large room size layout but uses HO scale structures and vehicles because he can see them better, but likes N for the long trains. You know, I like that layout because he owns it, and loves the hobby and scale, and that is what is important. Just have fun and that fun comes from deep within. Ken "FloridaBoy" Willaman
Welcome to TrainBoard! Instead of buying stuff from eBay, I recommend checking out local hobby shops, online retailers, and swap meets. You can usually get much better prices and save on shipping charges. Most of the bargains on eBay dried up a long time ago. If you are in the Detroit area, the Gratiot Valley RR club show is always a good swap meet. I recently found a Pecos River Brass water tower for one fifth of the price they go for on eBay. I also recommend John Armstrongs Book called "Track planning for realistic operation." I wish I could start over again after reading his book. Two other inspiring books I recommend are John Allen's Gorre and Daphetid, and George Sellios' Franklin and South Manchester - although they are both HO scale masterpieces, they illustrate what is possible when you apply some imagination. Also, get a copy of the video "Great Model Railroads Vol. 10" by Allen Keller Productions. This showcases the Reid Brothers N scale empire "The Cumberland Valley System". Try to pick a specific railroad and era to model - this will help you decide what to purchase, and steer you away from spending too much on locomotives that you don't really need. Before buying anything, I ask myself "Do I NEED this?" and "Do I WANT this?" - the answer must be yes to both before I proceed any further.
SLOW DOWN!!! Take Your Time. Don't rush into building a layout. Get to know the hobby, TRAINBOARD is a great place to start. But it is not the only place. I don't know where in the Wolverine you live, but I hope you have a local hobby shop[LHS] (and I don't mean a HOBBY LOBBY or Wally-World that sells trains!) and there is also a local model railroad club in the area. The club can usually be found through the LHS. Check out the National Model Railroad Association's website for an area group also. You are NOT going to build a "Knock 'em dead" layout on the first try. You have to walk before you run. Find out what you like, passenger trains, freight trains or maybe industrial switching. Maybe a mixture. AND REMEMBER: It's your layout, do it the way YOU want!
You'll get allot of great advice here, so there is no need for me to repeat it all. But, you are on the right track by asking questions first. Dont' rush into buying until you know what ya want. But, I just wanted to say Welcome not only to the hobby, but to the site.
11x11 is a great space. I would take that 4x8, cut it into 3 18"x96" pieces, and make a U shaped layout that is 8'x11', this will get you a longer run, a feel like you are going somewhere, and a more realistic layout. IF you make it an oval by putting in a forth piece, you can add a yard that can double as staging. Also, 3 main lines is not typical. There were a few, like the famous Pennsy 4 track. Cajon Pass has 3 main lines, and had 3 different railroads crossing it. I would look at using a double track main with a possible passing siding.
Another question would be what era are you thinking about as well as equipment (steam, transition, diesel)? Also, we have a section on trainboard where fellow trainboardians sell items as well. I have been thinking about starting to "thin the herd" a bit and this would be the first place I try.
