N or HO

WVfan

New Member
Finally got my spare room looking at a 9'6' by 3' to start wondering which way to go. Any ideas ?
 

Triplex

Active Member
In that space, you can't even fit a loop of 18" radius for HO. (Radius is to the centerline of the track.) This is definitely the occasion for N scale.

And welcome aboard!
 

WVfan

New Member
Thanks

Was leaning toward N gauge When to local Hobby Lobby and was checking out both the people and animals in N gauge ..... gotta have to buy tweezers . Starting from scratch :thumb:
 

60103

Pooh Bah
If you don't want a loop, you can fit a small station or yard in in HO -- what the Brits call a shunting plank.
 

Nomad

Active Member
Hi Wv:wave: welcome aboard. As you said, the only problem with n scale is the size. If your eye sight and dexterity allow you to handle n scale, that would be best for your size of area. I am in ho because it is to small for me, but here are some track plans in n to get you going.

Mike's Small Trackplans Page

Loren
 

Nomad

Active Member
Herc, I know. He has some great plans there:thumb: If you look at the door plans, I built the sixth one down in ho. Had to double the size, so it ended up being 6x12' in ho. I loved that layout, but the wife didn't want it in the dining room anymore.:cry:

Loren
 

WVfan

New Member
Looking for software to design with the atlas software is not ideal had trouble getting the track sections to join when putting 2 loops connected by turnouts

DRail is nice but not DPrice would rather spend the $55 on track

will probably go old school with K.I.S.S. method and order the templates and draw it on paper.
 

MasonJar

It's not rocket surgery
You don't (initially) mention scale or other requirements for the layout, so there are a few options open to you (as suggested above):

Nscale - if continuous run is wanted. However, you might be able to do something in a larger scale, narrow gauge railroad - eg. HOn3, HOn30 or perhaps even On2...

Larger scales are easier to see, and to work on (theoretically at least), but you will have to make do with less space overall.

A switching layout may require cassettes or other devices to get rolling stock and engines off-layout, so what else is in the room where your space is? Does the layout have to co-exist with a dining room, for example?

Hope that helps.

Andrew
 

WVfan

New Member
The room is my den it is 7'9" by 9'10"
Plan on starting it down one wall I got 3' from wall to door. So it will be 30"-36" wide and 7' to 7"6" long with room to add a table to make it L shaped the leg being about the same size .
 

Russ Bellinis

Active Member
I was looking at all sorts of track plans for a possible home layout, when I joined a modular club. I discovered in the first operating session at a local mall that about the third time my train went around the loop, I was bored. Subsequent shows with bigger layouts demonstrated to me that I didn't get any less bored no matter how far around the oval the train went. After the first time the train went through the same scenery, I wanted to see something different or do something different. I started switching on another member's switching module, and discovered that I really liked switching. My home layout won't even have the possibility of a continuous run. What are your interests? The space you have outlined will make a nice area for industrial switching. As far as equipment storage goes, you can either limit your models to what fits the layout, or you could install shelves or drawers under the layout to store extra rolling stock. A layout that size would even lend itself to swapping buildings and details around to use the same layout in different eras allowing you to run steam, first generation diesels, or modern diesels as the mood struck. If you find you enjoy switching, that size will work very well in ho scale.
 

Bones

Member
I was looking at all sorts of track plans for a possible home layout, when I joined a modular club. I discovered in the first operating session at a local mall that about the third time my train went around the loop, I was bored. Subsequent shows with bigger layouts demonstrated to me that I didn't get any less bored no matter how far around the oval the train went. After the first time the train went through the same scenery, I wanted to see something different or do something different. I started switching on another member's switching module, and discovered that I really liked switching. My home layout won't even have the possibility of a continuous run. What are your interests? The space you have outlined will make a nice area for industrial switching. As far as equipment storage goes, you can either limit your models to what fits the layout, or you could install shelves or drawers under the layout to store extra rolling stock. A layout that size would even lend itself to swapping buildings and details around to use the same layout in different eras allowing you to run steam, first generation diesels, or modern diesels as the mood struck. If you find you enjoy switching, that size will work very well in ho scale.


Or just pick a locale that allows the same buildings to serve all of the listed eras. :thumb: It all depends on what you want to model. I fully endorse the 'variable era' layout, though. I'm another member of the "I can't decide what era I like most" crowd.
 

WVfan

New Member
Going N Gauge

I am going to do both scenic and switch yard. Planning on 2 main loops . Want to do scenery model places from my past. maybe industrial on both ends with towns in the middle . Civil war buff thought about doing table in the era. set it up so can swap out buildings to go different eras too.
 

Gary S.

Senior Member
Ah, the great debate, HO or N. Because I like to fiddle with and modify rolling stock, I just can't imagine doing N scale. It is tough enough handling the itty bitty HO scale parts (and finding them after fumble fingers has dropped them on the floor).
 

nkp174

Active Member
I would highly suggest an On30 mining/logging layout.

I suspect that the dinky Bachmann 0-4-0s and freight cars could go around 12" radii without any problems. The advantage is that the stuff is fairly large...but you could pack one heck of a railroad in there.

This is the polar opposite extreme from N-scale which seems to be dominated by 4 diesels pulling 150 freight cars. Instead...One engine pulling 6 freight cars looks great.

It'd be especially cool if one uses Grant Line's Gilpin Gold Tram cars...here's an Sn2 version of it... Al Blaser Gilpin Sn3/Sn2 The same concept would be awesome in On30 (O-scale trains...HO track)
 

baldwinjl

Member
Atlas code 55 or 80 ? Any feedback

55 looks better. 80 is a bit cheaper. If you are getting all new locos and rolling stock 55 should work fine. The switches in 55 especially look better, but the whole profile of the track and ties looks better as well.

Jeff
 

WVfan

New Member
All new from start haven't invested anything yet most stores I checked carry 80 can you get 3 foot sections in 55 ? Plan on taking a while to build it completely (if they're ever complete).
 

baldwinjl

Member
I think the sections are actually 30 inches, but yes, they exist. Our local store stopped carrying it, there was more demand for 80, I guess. I mail ordered my last batch from Wig-Wag.

Jeff
 
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