New layout need ideas?

[NB1231]

Hello everyone

 

I'm planning to make a mixed use layout including US trains with Japanese trains. I want to make the shinkansen elevated and the American freight/japan commuter and limited express on the "ground". The layout would be 12 feet by 4 feet. I just would like some ideas and advice on what track I should use and any other ideas you all have.

 

Thanks!

 

Nate

 

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[enoden]

 

Hi Nate,

 

Here are some photos for you to help with planning your layout.  The first photo of a European themed layout uses Kato Unitrack, a Unitram section that is raised above the mainline layout and measures 14 feet by 3 feet in size.  The next two photos show a Japanese style layout that also uses Kato Unitrack and features a viaduct loop along with the table top loops and yard.  An easy trolley setup for trams is employed along part of one side.  This layout measures 12.5 feet x 5 feet.

[NB1231]

DSCN1518.JPGDSCN1520.JPGDSCN1521.JPG

 

Hi Nate,

 

Here are some photos for you to help with planning your layout. The first photo of a European themed layout uses Kato Unitrack, a Unitram section that is raised above the mainline layout and measures 14 feet by 3 feet in size. The next two photos show a Japanese style layout that also uses Kato Unitrack and features a viaduct loop along with the table top loops and yard. An easy trolley setup for trams is employed along part of one side. This layout measures 12.5 feet x 5 feet.

Thank you sir! These both look really cool!!

 

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[cteno4]

Nate,

 

12x4 that must be most of your dorm room!

 

Jeff

[NB1231]

Nate,

 

12x4 that must be most of your dorm room!

 

Jeff

Haha, it's going in my parents basement [emoji13]

 

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[cteno4]

Damn I had this picture of you and your room mate sleeping and studying under the layout!

 

Jeff

[NB1231]

Damn I had this picture of you and your room mate sleeping and studying under the layout!

 

Jeff

LMAO! That'd be hilarious!

 

Nate

 

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[NB1231]

I need more ideas everyone! Any help is appreciated!

[railsquid]

"Use Kato Unitrack" sounds like a good start.

[NB1231]

"Use Kato Unitrack" sounds like a good start.

;) I'm planning on using the unitrack for the elevated section for the bullet trains, on the ground probably use flex track and cork roadbed.

 

Nate

 

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[cteno4]

One of our club members is from England and he had a big group of family come over one summer and they were squirreling away people all over the house to sleep. His train room was basically a big storage closet with about a 3' walkway along one side and a 4'x10' layout table. Air mattress went under the layout and 7yr old grandson slept under the layout and had a blast!

 

I hope your old bedroom was not remodeled into something else and you don't end up under the layout in the basement (haveta watch it when you go off to college!)

 

Jeff

[NB1231]

One of our club members is from England and he had a big group of family come over one summer and they were squirreling away people all over the house to sleep. His train room was basically a big storage closet with about a 3' walkway along one side and a 4'x10' layout table. Air mattress went under the layout and 7yr old grandson slept under the layout and had a blast!

 

I hope your old bedroom was not remodeled into something else and you don't end up under the layout in the basement (haveta watch it when you go off to college!)

 

Jeff

Lol! I don't see that happening [emoji6]

 

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[Kb4iuj]

Before you start building. Pickup a copy of the N Scale Railroading (May/June 2015 issue). Checkout how the Northwestern Pacific layout is built. Since your building this thing at your parents house. You might really put some effort into it verse laying down some track. Hence, make it really look like an investment in their house and a selling point. Otherwise, if your not around much after it's built it will just become a shelf where they plop stuff down on. Thus, if it's a master piece your parents might come down and run the trains and keep those rails clean for you.

 

I might add in North America we have two magazines devoted to N Scale: N Scale & N Scale Railroading.

Edited August 9, 2015 by Kb4iuj

[NB1231]

Before you start building. Pickup a copy of the N Scale Railroading (May/June 2015 issue). Checkout how the Northwestern Pacific layout is built. Since your building this thing at your parents house. You might really put some effort into it verse laying down some track. Hence, make it really look like an investment in their house and a selling point. Otherwise, if your not around much after it's built it will just become a shelf where they plop stuff down on. Thus, if it's a master piece your parents might come down and run the trains and keep those rails clean for you.

 

I might add in North America we have two magazines devoted to N Scale: N Scale & N Scale Railroading.

Thanks for the advice I will be sure to do that [emoji16]

 

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[Kb4iuj]

Here's a photo of what I was pointing out.

[tossedman]

Check out this thread for some ideas.

[Guest Closed Account 1]

However you design it make sure you can get it through a door.

[NB1231]

Check out this thread for some ideas.

Thanks for the help [emoji4]

 

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[NB1231]

However you design it make sure you can get it through a door.

That's my plan!

 

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[cteno4]

Yes doing it in sections can be very helpful if you move it or have to store it! These can bolt together and you can always slice scenery and snip wire and rails if needed and rejoin later. Hauling a full 12x4 layout would be quite difficult! 2x4 or 4x4 sections are much easier. I made a 10x4 layout table out of 2x4 sections for one of our club members that he had on his dining room table for a few years. His apartment was up a long narrow stairway with a 90 degree turn at the top so this made it very easy to get up there and re assembled. Sections can be made of 1x2 lumber frame and 1" extruded polystyrene board pretty cheaply. Then just screw/bolt them together and add a support framework under it to attach legs to. IKEA has some cheap leg options that even have leveler feet. Our first club layout was done like thsi and I've doen three home layouts for club members like this. Simple, cheap, and very easily transported and stored.

 

Murphy's law of model train layouts is if you make it hard to move you will have to move as soon as you have made some good progress on the layout!

 

Cheers,

 

Jeff

[Guest Closed Account 1]

Use the Blue 1" insulation sheets not the gator board. Gator is loud.

 

Heres a peek at the 6ft x 3 module I made with a club member. Super light.

[NB1231]

Thanks guys! I was planning on 4x4 squares. I wanted to just use wood as the base since styro foam is expensive.

 

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[cteno4]

Nate

 

4x4 are fine, just a bit harder to move around. I would suggest a simple 1x2 frame and doing two cross braces one direction and one the other or even 2 and then 3/16 luan ply for the top if you want inexpensive but decent. I've found the big box sand plys and birch plys at 3/16-1/4" getting really crappy. Even the luan is degrading in quality. Going to 1/2" is going to make these heavy. 1x2 frame should do you fine and then do 6 legs with one pair on each module. Do a 1x6 cross piece to mount the legs to and also a piece of 1x6 across the two module joints to firm them up. If you don't want tall, ikea has some great $4 legs with leveling feet. Cheap plastic saw horses also work for support.

 

You can then put a like 3" wide strip of luan ply around the edge then to make it all pretty and cover the top ply edges and the frame and support pieces. Done a few like this and simple, fast and inexpensive. They then come apart easily if you screw the support bits to the modules. Glue and nail/screw all the module frames and top well and even with the 3/16" ply they will hold up well. I did a 3x6 layout for Aaron like this in one piece with 1x2 frame and 3/16" luan and it held up well.

 

While you can go heavier, layouts really don't need to be built to stand on and over the years I've found going lighter has its advantages and is a lot cheaper these days. In the last 10 years 1x2 lumber has over tripled in cost.

 

Jeff

[NB1231]

Thanks!! I already got the wood for the layout just need to find the time to build it. I need to see what wood we got, as it escapes me now. What we did get I know it is not heavy. Wood is very expensive these days!!!

 

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