Ahoy! I am new here and I dont know if I am posting this in the right place but since I am trying to plan a N scale layout I am posting here. Anyways when I was 6 or 7 My grandfather and I set up a pretty big H.O. layout in his garage and I have been fascinated by trains ever since. I am now in the process of setting up a simple layout for my son and would like to see a couple ideas. I have drawn up a couple plans but I think that they are horrible. I guess what I am looking for is a big (maybe double loop) main line with a few turns (I hate straights) and a very small yard. I am looking to keep this single level so I can store this under my sons bed when not in use. I have been looking around at different layouts here and elsewhere online and the drawings get complicated quickly for me. Any ideas? Thanks, Josh.
Hi & welcome to TrainBoard! You should be able to find quite a bit of assistance from our community. First stop should be the Layout Design Discussion [<--LINK] located right here on TrainBoard. We love to see progress pictures so once you get started, please share!! Again, Welcome Aboard! -Mike
Welcome to trainboard Josh. That is an unusual size. Are you trying to maximize the area of the bed? How would you get around the the far side? From what I envision the layout will be slid from under the bed into an area that would accomodate 51x60 inches plus another 24" around at least 3 sides. Is this right?
You might also try Kato's website. They have several plans that would fit into the space you have. Go to the Unitrack section and you will find the link to the n track plans on the left. www.katousa.com You don't mention your son's age but if he is around 6 or 7, Unitrack would be a great choice for track. You can put together a layout very quickly and your son would be able to help. If he is younger a simple design would be easier for him to operate. If he is older a simple design might get boring. His age would also be a factor in the building of the layout. If he is younger you will want to get things up and running as soon as you can. If he is older the actual building of the layout is a great father/son project. I would suggest keeping the size down if you are going to store it under the bed. It seems like a 51" x 60" layout would be pretty hard to manage. Two inch pink or blue foam on a wood frame makes a great light weight base to build your layout on. You don't need a plywood base so it is very light. It might be hard to find in Arizona however since it is designed to insulate houses.
Hi, welcome Josh! You can see a large collection of layout tour photos at this website (it's mine): http://home.comcast.net/~j.sing See the Layout Tour section, there's probably 25+ layout tours or more, I haven't counted. (smile)
Josh, Below is my layout plan for my 36" x 80" hollow core door layout. Feel free to use the plan for any ideas and what not. Mine sits about 52" off the ground, but the hollow core door could sit on the floor and be slid beneath a bed. Good luck. Here is an image of the in-progress construction of said layout
Wow, thanks for all the replies and links. My son is almost 3 and I bought him a Bachman set for Christmas and added a couple sections of flex track. Grey One, I had not thought about side access but there should be plenty of space on the sides and rear when it is pulled out. The size is maximized to use all the available space under the bed minus 3 inches on all sides for clearance. I dont have to use all the space but I would rather not have to tear up all the track when my Son get bored with the current layout and wants something bigger. one after nine o nine- I like that foam Idea and I am pretty sure that a local home depot carries that stuff. Thanks for the idea! mightypurdue22- I like that layout very much and with the foam it would be easy to add tunnels and stuff without taking up too much space (height). I only have a 5 inch space between the floor and the bottom of the bed. I am going to look around at the various sites that you all posted but I like your layout alot. I will post my final decision just to see what you all think. Thanks for all the 'howdys', links and sugestions!! Josh
Mightypurdue: Dave, you've done a great job on your layout. Keep the pictures coming. Now I can remember your layout as you post your questions. Stay cool and run steam.....
Josh: There are some small trackplans in Linn Wescotts' "101 Trackplans for Model Railroaders". You can downsize any HO plan to N scale. Kato also has small track plans on their website. After you enter the website, go to N scale. Kato USA website Have fun..... Stay cool and run steam......
Loops may be good for your son now as most small children like to see the trains go round and round. The more and the faster the better. But I would put in some sidings. Soon both you and your son may get board and some switching of cars could keep both of you playing longer. My sons are 6 and 9 now and we switch a lot
Dave - That is a superb door size layout. I feel there maybe be a version of it in my future. Thanks for sharing.
