New member

[EssTee]

Hi and thanks for accepting me.

I've been modelling for years and doing a lot of DIY before SWMBO will let me start a layout and that time is near, so I will be asking some questions that may seem obvious so please bear with me.

Main interest is 'N' Gauge but I have just been left some - as yet mostly unseen - OO locos from the father of a friend. I have very little space but I have been told I must use them rather than put them on a shelf...I have some plans for that!

Scott

[Brian]

Hi Scott.
Welcome to the forum.
Just ask away and Im sure you'll get plenty of helpful replies.

[IanS]

Welcome to the friendly forum.

[footplate1947]

Hello Scot welcome to our forum. ......John

[mijj]

Hello Scott. Welcome to the site and ask away - I have no answers but I can read those others give .
Jim.

[Mountain Goat]

Hi and welcome. Actually, in a way a layout needn't be that big. Having said that, the smallest layouts will be end to end layouts which I personally would easily get bored of unless they ran for a fair length and actually went somewhere, which defeats the concept of being small.
An oval or even a circle solves this somewhat as one can at least gives ones trains a good run. A circle being the best space saver of this type (Known as continous run) I do find a little boring as trains return a little too quick and the track is all roughly the same curve... I still prefer this to a small end to end.
A small oval and things begin to get interesting. Many modellers will build a small double track oval on a board of lets say 6' × 4'. However, scenically it can be hard to disguise the layout from the train set look to it, especially in the space available. I find that a single track oval in a small space looks better in this respect as it looks less cluttered, and gives a little more space for the scenery to blend in.
There are tricks I learnt from once buying and reading an American model railroad magazine which would with subtle changes decieve the eye to think "Model railway" rather then "Train set". Nothing wrong with train set but it looks too rigid and out of the box to give a realistic look. Two of these tricks are very easy and practical to do and the third can be easy or may be difficult depending on the space available and the track angles etc.
The first is to take a basic oval on the board and instead of having the straight sections run parallel to the edge of the board, one can shift the track so it is at an angle to the board. In other words, the oval is still the same but sits on the board at an angle if you get the idea. However, some layouts in a small space do not have the room to do this, so a slightly different approach can be employed to decieve the eye from thinking trainset, and this is to introduce a small curve effect instead of a straight track. Flexible track is ideal for this and needs to be cut to fit the space required. Code 100 flexible track can be fully mixed with the sectional track provided in a trainset. The effect can be quite dramatic as the mind no longer thinks trainset and now thinks railway.
Now the third trick can give the illusion of space and that is to take a siding which is made for scenic effect and run the siding off the edge of the board. The track is trimmed at the boards edge. The effect will often be highlighted if such a siding is taken from another siding and crosses the main running line with a diamond crossing. If you are into building your own track (Something rarely done these days. It requires lots of patience to get things running right so is definately not for beginners so maybe not recommended at first, but I mention it for the scenic effects it can give), one can build a dimond crossing at an unusual angle (Lets say a siding running straight trough a curve) which if it can be pulled off and made to work, it will look amazing. However I am getting well ahead of things now so lets get back to a standard diamond crossing.
In regards to a diamond crossing used in this way, normal ready made diamond crossings will do fine, and the ones which are made to more extreme angles seem to look better in this way, though obviously the angle needs to fit with the rest of the track plan. Get it right and you can achieve a look where a line may continue to some sort of industry beyond the layout e.g. a dock or other industrial area.
Senically wize, it helps for an oval to be broken up with a centrally mounted backscene or a tunnel as this will prevent ones eyes from following trains visually all the way round the board.
I hope these ideas may help. Also, if all the stock you have been given are all older and you are really short of space, you can use first radius curves. It is not ideal as many of todays models are not made to turn that tight. Smaller shunters will certainly work, but larger locos and longer coaches or wagons may jump the rails, hence the ideal situation would be to go for secod radius curves or larger. If you are stuck for space and it is first radius or nothing, it can be done by ensuring you buy any new model selectively. (That is assuming the stock you have been given will run on such tight curves). If first radius curves have to be used, if careful one can add a check rail to give a scenic effect. It would have to be carefully done though with a lower profile rail as the check rail may need to be partly glued onto the railchairs of the track, as model track was not made with adding such features in mind. It is just an idea as I think aloud...
To sum up , go for whatever works best for you!

[Mr Bones]

Hi Scott and welcome to the forum. Friendly helpful bunch on here so ask away....

[Walkingthedog]

Welcome Scott, lots of expertise on here and me.

[EssTee]

Hi and welcome. Actually, in a way a layout needn't be that big. Having said that, the smallest layouts will be end to end layouts which I personally would easily get bored of unless they ran for a fair length and actually went somewhere, which defeats the concept of being small.
An oval or even a circle solves this somewhat as one can at least gives ones trains a good run. A circle being the best space saver of this type (Known as continous run) I do find a little boring as trains return a little too quick and the track is all roughly the same curve... I still prefer this to a small end to end.
A small oval and things begin to get interesting. Many modellers will build a small double track oval on a board of lets say 6' × 4'. However, scenically it can be hard to disguise the layout from the train set look to it, especially in the space available. I find that a single track oval in a small space looks better in this respect as it looks less cluttered, and gives a little more space for the scenery to blend in.
There are tricks I learnt from once buying and reading an American model railroad magazine which would with subtle changes decieve the eye to think "Model railway" rather then "Train set". Nothing wrong with train set but it looks too rigid and out of the box to give a realistic look. Two of these tricks are very easy and practical to do and the third can be easy or may be difficult depending on the space available and the track angles etc.
The first is to take a basic oval on the board and instead of having the straight sections run parallel to the edge of the board, one can shift the track so it is at an angle to the board. In other words, the oval is still the same but sits on the board at an angle if you get the idea. However, some layouts in a small space do not have the room to do this, so a slightly different approach can be employed to decieve the eye from thinking trainset, and this is to introduce a small curve effect instead of a straight track. Flexible track is ideal for this and needs to be cut to fit the space required. Code 100 flexible track can be fully mixed with the sectional track provided in a trainset. The effect can be quite dramatic as the mind no longer thinks trainset and now thinks railway.
Now the third trick can give the illusion of space and that is to take a siding which is made for scenic effect and run the siding off the edge of the board. The track is trimmed at the boards edge. The effect will often be highlighted if such a siding is taken from another siding and crosses the main running line with a diamond crossing. If you are into building your own track (Something rarely done these days. It requires lots of patience to get things running right so is definately not for beginners so maybe not recommended at first, but I mention it for the scenic effects it can give), one can build a dimond crossing at an unusual angle (Lets say a siding running straight trough a curve) which if it can be pulled off and made to work, it will look amazing. However I am getting well ahead of things now so lets get back to a standard diamond crossing.
In regards to a diamond crossing used in this way, normal ready made diamond crossings will do fine, and the ones which are made to more extreme angles seem to look better in this way, though obviously the angle needs to fit with the rest of the track plan. Get it right and you can achieve a look where a line may continue to some sort of industry beyond the layout e.g. a dock or other industrial area.
Senically wize, it helps for an oval to be broken up with a centrally mounted backscene or a tunnel as this will prevent ones eyes from following trains visually all the way round the board.
I hope these ideas may help. Also, if all the stock you have been given are all older and you are really short of space, you can use first radius curves. It is not ideal as many of todays models are not made to turn that tight. Smaller shunters will certainly work, but larger locos and longer coaches or wagons may jump the rails, hence the ideal situation would be to go for secod radius curves or larger. If you are stuck for space and it is first radius or nothing, it can be done by ensuring you buy any new model selectively. (That is assuming the stock you have been given will run on such tight curves). If first radius curves have to be used, if careful one can add a check rail to give a scenic effect. It would have to be carefully done though with a lower profile rail as the check rail may need to be partly glued onto the railchairs of the track, as model track was not made with adding such features in mind. It is just an idea as I think aloud...
To sum up , go for whatever works best for you!

Hi, thanks for those thoughts...very useful ideas. I probably don’t have room for an oval, or any continuous run as yet, but I have a plan...when I build this I will probably build a motive power depot at a heritage railway...he seems to have an eclectic mix of locos that won’t all fit into one era. So this way I can honour my promise they will all be used. Eventually I hope to run a single track around the room they are in to give the locos a run. Meanwhile I have asked a question about my N gauge goods yard that has been read but no one has yet commented, so please feel free to jump on that post too!!! Thanks again.

[Mountain Goat]

I have tried N gauge in the past which had to be around 25 years ago. I didn't have it for that long as I gave it away to a friend though I don't know who has the little layout after that. I tend to concentrate on the 7mm narrow gauge and the 00 gauge sections as I have more experience in them. The N gauge loco I had... Well, I just had to open it up to take a look inside. Umm. Well. I was glad to be able to put it all back together correctly. Those little brushes and springs are tiny!