HELP!! (with my new n-scale layout)

[newbie]

Hey, I just started this new hobby, and i need help. I really don't know what I'm doing. I have a smaller layout and i dont really want any hills or that sort o' fancy stuff. I just want some flat ground. That doesn't look like painted plywood!! Does anybody have any ideas?

 

[Nazgul]

Hi newbie, welcome to the gauge! You said, "I have a smaller layout "...do you already have trains running and just want scenery suggestions? If so, a desert scene or urban area would both lend themselves to flat areas. Give us more info so we can help.

 

[Catt]

Hi newbie,welcome to the Gauge.I will echo what Steve said.Give us some more info,possibly a trackplan if you have one.

By the way there's nothing wrong with a flat layout though you may want to do some small hills just to break up the flatness of it.

 

[Herc Driver]

Welcome...you've found the right place. My track layout is built on a flat smooth sided interior door. A door is smooth enough for operations, light enough to move easily, and strong enough that it won't bend like plywood (that normally needs bracing to minimize the flex). More info about what you want to accomplish would help us all out.

 

[shaygetz]

Welcome to The Gauge

Can't claim any credit for the work on this one but, aside from the over and under bridge design, at 4'x5' it's flat and complex enough to keep one switching for hours. It was given to me back in April by a retired engineer---the building kind

 

[Herc Driver]

Cool layout!!! Looks like someone enjoyed modeling city streets...and did a nice job of it too.

 

[newbie]

Thanks guys for showing that you are soo interested in helping me! I wanted to do a village and farm area. I just don't know how to get started.

 

[Nazgul]

Read, read, read! As much as you can....here on the Gauge and elsewhere. Go to your local hobby shop and look around and handle things. How much space do you want to dedicate for your layout?

 

[newbie]

i have maybe 4'x4' area. There are some really wierd spaces to it! I'll get a pic and show you guys. Probably later today.

 

[brakie]

There is a way that you can start simple without investing in several books..Woodland Scenic makes ready grass vinyl mat that has possiblilities...

http://www.woodlandscenics.com/index.htm

http://www.woodlandscenics.com/nnb/ReadyGrass/RGwebpage.html

 

[3railguy]

Mine is on a doorslab. (You could use a 4 x 4 sheet of CDX plywood framed with 1 X 2 firring strips). I glued down to table surface a sheet of 3/4" thick foam insulation board which helps deaden sound. You can also cut rivers or lakes in it. Over that I glued down a grass mat like brakie linked. My track, structures, and trees are glued down to that with hot melt glue. Hot melt glue peels off easy for when I rearrange things. It's a toy like layout but it went together quickly at minimal expense. Isn't difficult to go back and detail one section at a time into something more realistic.

 

[Herc Driver]

Mine is built the same way...but stupidly, I didn't put the whole thing on a bed of foam first. With little cost you can have a basically flat layout on a foam board/door base, and detail setions of the layout as you are able. I would encourage you to spend some time looking at the various layouts on this website...you can get a lot of tips and ideas by looking at the work of other's and how they solved some scenery details.

 

[newbie]

You guys are a lot of help! I barrowed about 10 books out of my library. I think I'm off to a good start! I have a few paint colours picked out to mix as a base coat. I'll let you know how things go!