Hey! My first post! Maybe my last post! LOL. Part of the trouble with a forum like this (for a newbie) is that whatever I ask will probably have been throughly covered and discussed to death last month or last year or at least sometime in the past. So I'm sorry in advance if this is old hat to most of you. I did spend some time searching without success. And I really am curious.... I've decided to start a train layout after a short 42 year time-out and as part of the preliminary stuff I bought the magazines (you know the ones) and pulled up a lot of Youtube movies on the computer. I want to do something "realistic" - I'm thinking of the Monon shops in Lafayette that I used to sneak into when I was a kid, maybe with the other end of the line being Sheridan, IN, because it's not too far from where I live now. And although I would like the trains to move, I can't see me trying to mimic railroad "operations"...I just want a great 3-D picture of a railroad. But all the track plans and stuff I find seem to show loops and wyes and multiple track right of ways all squished up against each other, one up high and one down low with bridges stacked all over the place. Heck, some of the video's show three different trains whizzing around and around, usually on the side of the same mountain. Some beautiful modeling....and probably great wiring and track layout and switches and everything...but I never see more than a single track around here unless it's a siding or actually in the yard - so although no matter how beautiful the modeling, these layouts just don't look very "real" to me. More like extremely detailed car racing sets than a "model"...but maybe it is just me? So, I'd just go off an do my own thing, but...(yikes)... I have no idea what all this computer controllers, CDC and all the other "letter stuff" is about...nor how to begin to wire anything. Last I knew it was just a wire to each rail and something about "blocks" that my teenage buddy always took care of. The layout, after all, was in his basement, not mine - better he should wire the thing. That way if his house burnt down..... So...at any rate - can anyone steer me to a model train track layout design (incorporating great suggestions on how to wire the thing so trains actually move but also using very simple words) that won't take up the entire basement and is mostly a single line from a small town to a bigger city, where, just by happenstance...the main shops for the railroad are? Can something like this be done? Is this a stupid question? I hope not, but alas...it probably is. Stupid newbies..... (but then again, I have a Pacific Fast Mail caboose made out of brass which most of you probably don't have....it cost me $12.96 new which was pretty darn expensive at the time. Good thing I had that paper route. Ha!)
It's your layout. You can build a diorama if you want. Some people also build "switching layouts." They don't go anywhere, not even in a loop, just shuffling cars around, and lots of modelling. I have found that the British do a lot of that. Very small layouts, with emphasis on modelling, not operation, and fantastic scenery. If you don't plan to operate more than one train at a time, no, wait, don't plan to have more than one locomtive on the layout at a time, then you don't even need blocks. It can still be as simple as just connecting two feeders. Personally, I enjoy watching a train just go round and round at unprototypical speeds. It's almost hypnotic. Very relaxing. What scale are you going to work in? You might be able to find a modular club, which would be perfect for you. Just one small section to do with as you please, plenty of brains to pick, and an occasional setup where you can run through trains on your layout.
:thumbs_up: Welcome to Trainboard! Sounds like you have a basic idea for what scene you'd like to capture, city to city, so from there I would grab the pen & paper and start sketching out some plans. Rough drafts are meant to be rough, so take some time and have fun with it. Remember, your railroad is your railroad, and anything is possible! Keep all your sketches! It's neat to see the transformation from idea, to trackplan, then to the hands on project! By starting small, and keeping things simple, you can enjoy the hobby every step of the way from planning to running trains to planting trees and painting backdrops!
Welcome back to the hobby, and relax it's not all that difficult. And not everything needs to be learned all at once. A good place to start off is the idea of a Hollow Core Door layout. Usually not that difficult to build/wire in DC or DCC. ANd lots of examples completed to go by to include wiring. DCC wiring is actually easier than wiring DC. Just something different than when you were in the hobby last. A Starter system would fill your needs for a HCD layout and NCE DCC manufacturer puts out easy to read and follow instructions. ANd you can download them to read through as you wish. And so do the other manufacturers Like Digitrax, MRC, Lenz. But I found NCE to be the easiest, and simplicity to their Manuals As you look up and read on your specific topics the actual specific questions will roll around. DOn't hesitate to ask Njoy it's built right in:tb-wink:
JRan, your questions are not "stupid" or naive. In fact, you are ahead of the game because you already have a solid concept of the kind of model railroad you want, and you have a prototype RR in mind as well. The kind of layout you envision is not unusual at all. Ironically, the modelers who prefer to see one track in a scene at a time tend to be those who are into realistic operation. The loopy plans you have seen are an attempt to get a realistic distance between stations in the limited space available for a layout. In other words, it's nice to have the caboose leave town A before the engine gets to town B. Ninety-five percent of the info you need is still in books and magazines as opposed to the web (though of course that's changing every day). I'd strongly suggest you start with Track Planning for Realistic Operation by John Armstrong (3rd ed., Kalmbach Publishing). Don't let the word "operation" in the title scare you off--it's a great book. Also pick up a book on basic model railroad wiring, and one on DCC (digital command control) so you can compare the two control options. Looking forward to seeing your version of the Monon. Have fun!
You sure don't have to apologize for being a "newbie." Almost half a century ago so was I. Then, through my hobby shop met a great guy Lou Corbett who through visits to and working on his layout taught me an awful lot. But, to your questions. I encourage everyone to use hollow-core doors (HCD's). My layout is on 24" and 30" HCD's tho' I now believe that narrower is better (i.e. 24" or less). If you find them "bad One side" that'll be just about the cheapest lumber you'll find. The HCD's are also normally pretty flat and square and with your choice of 2" or 4" foam board will allow below-grade features (creeks, rivers, a road under your track). My HCD's rests on 40" high book cases (the cheap ones) which holds approximately a 50 year hoard of modell rr mags. and cars that are "off layout" at present. Then there are metal brackets that do minimal damage to walls. As for height, I suggest finding your most comfortable stool or chair, get comfortable in it, then figure out where your eye-level is - that's about the right height. As for lenght, go wih the longest run that your walls will allow. And, you don't have to have a scenic "tour de force" every 3 or 4 feet. Give your layout some breathing room between your main cities. Now, I'm just about certain someone will come along and take issue with everything I've jus written - that's normal. Your task is to find that way/method that best suits what you want to accomplish.
JRan, welcome to Trainboard. I 2nd what everyone is saying, your questions are not stupid. When I got back into this hobby some 20 years ago, I felt the same as you. Almost all the track plans packed a large amount of track into a small space. This left me with little room for buildings and scenery. Compared to my home railroad, the B&M, it did not look right at all. Then I realized that those plans were selling track and not prototypical operations. The beauty of a forum like Trainboard, is that you can not only find people with the same ideas as you, but you can learn from each other. What you want to do is mimic what you see around you or what you remember. While a track plan with a dual main, large yard and many industries may work well for someone modeling a hub, you enjoy branch operations, single main, a few customers, single engine and a small string of cars. I like branch operations and when I designed my track plan for my N scale 3 x 6 layout, I tried to keep it a simple loop with just enough track to serve one large customer and two small ones. Even now I wonder if there is too much track. I want the scenery of Central New Hampshire to dominate the scene. Rolling hills, large pine trees etc. I also want the structures to be typical New England and be crammed in there. To me the trains are the actors, rolling through the stage that is our layout. A philosophy many here share. I'm working on a plan now for N scale that is 2x4 feet. The viewer will only see the front of the layout as the two ends and back will be hidden. The front will depict Potter Place NH as it looked in the 1960's. This means I model a single main line, a siding, a few turn outs to some spurs and thats it for track. A main road, passenger station, freight depot, general store, two houses and structures are done. The whole thing has a large hill behind it which is not only prototypical, but acts as the view block to get rid of the "round and round" look. When done, my goal will be to show what Potter Place looked like with a train running through it. Essentially a diorama with running train. Sorry for the long post, I hope this has been some help to you. Look up our T-Trak group, that philosophy has us running modules that are only 18" long. N-Trak as stated earlier is also a good place to look. Many of us have built small layouts in N and HO, from 2x4 to 2x10 switching layouts. I have found some of the smaller layouts are some of the most realistic because one can work on the details more easily. Good luck, ask questions and welcome to Trainboard!
Welcome aboard! I like the thinking you are putting into this. May I suggest that you look over in the N Scale forum here on Trainboard at Jim Riesing's New Oakville Sub thread? It's a very large layout, but there's almost nothing there. He has a yard at one end, and some staging, and one LONG mainline between the two. I think you could count the number of buildings on one hand, maybe two. You might also have a look at CSXDixieLine's layout (can't seem to locate it at the moment) as another example of lots of mainline, but with more industry and operations than Jim's layout. These are just two of MANY such great layouts you'll find if you poke around here a bit. Now, I'm not suggesting you need to build something that big, but at least it will reassure you that you can build something fantastic that has almost nothing in it. I see a lot of recommendations for a HCD, but I'm going to suggest a shelf around the walls... it will take less "functional" space out of the room and will also help guide you away from the "roundy-round" type track designs that your original post mentions you don't like. Not to say that you can't do some really cool stuff on a HCD - nor that they aren't easy to build - but I think a shelf would suit what you're saying you want a little better, and can be just as easy - or easier - to build. If the shelf is only 12-16 inches deep, there just isn't room to succumb to "spaghetti syndrome" ...
You may want to start a thread in the "Layout Design Forum" including an idea of space available, desired scale and such.
JRan Sounds like you would like the thoughts of Lance Mindheim. He is a layout designer and has some real nice books out that I think would be right up your alley. While he likes operations and interurban, I think you will like his look of realism and track plan thoughts. Here is a sample of his work http://www.youtube.com/user/LanceMindheim#p/u/3/3GWeAibgG8c This might be a good starting point for you http://lancemindheim.com/bookstore.htm Here is a quick video on book http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGJE9Q1EBOM It's worth you time to look at his books and plans. Also, here are some organizational thoughts from another great model RR designer Byron Henderson http://www.layoutvision.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/ld_bc.pdf Another worthy read worth your time. Steve
Have you seen this site? Lots of great thought available there. http://coxy.squarespace.com/ho-scale-layout-pictures/
Conversely, if the shelf is deeper, there's more room for scenery. That better convinces my eye that the world isn't crowded.
round and round My cat likes watching the train go round and round and round... until it gets bored or falls asleep. My attention span is about the same as my cat's. Casimir
You can make your model look as real as you want. Take a look at the link in my signature. The club prides itself of being close to real as possible. Long stretches of single track with passing sidings, and some double-track. Remember, there was a considerable change in railroads in the 1970s. Excess RoWs were torn up and a lot of capacity was reduced on lines (triple to double track, double to single track, sidings torn out, etc). What you see today as a single track may have actually been two or three tracks at one point. Mergers created redundancy, hence things were eliminated. My suggestion if you want something real is to pick a timeframe and a location. You want a large terminal, so I'd start there. For example, the major terminal on the NEB&W is modeled after Rutland, VT circa 1950. From there you can see what the surrounding area is like and "build out" to that point.
Lot's of people model stuff that is familiar from long ago, and if it is nearby and extant it can be very useful to be able to visit to research, measure, etc. I can't complain about the other end of the line either That's what someone above referred to as a diorama, which in our usage means a piece of RR and adjacent scenery modelled as a non-functional unit. It's a perfectly valid thing to build. (And before I get jumped on, some dioramas can become functional, usually by connecting them into a larger model RR system.)
