what would you do with 12 foot by 4 foot?

[velotrain]

> I assume that would mean I would have to delay the shinkansen?

 

I shouldn't think so - if you use a 36" wide door, that should give you plenty wide curves, although it may just be a basic oval.  However, that's all many much larger Japanese layouts are - using "snap" track vs. flex tends to dictate that.  If you want to use the viaduct track, it would likely need to stay elevated all the way around.  You could fit in a single track local line below, or even a double track regional loop if you don't mind things being track-centric.  They could perhaps share a station, but don't expect to have platforms for all the cars.

 

> this would be my first layout and I'm fully expecting it to be rubbish but learn a lot from it          

 

Exactly my point - you don't need to spend a lot of time and money filling a 4' x 12' space to learn those lessons ;-)

I'm sure some of the guys can point you to small, but well-done layouts running Shinkansen.

 

Actually - to some extent they can be learned from building a T-Trak module, but you'll miss out on continuous running, which is what most want - especially if they plan to run Shinkansen ;-).

 

If the point is to have a Japanese-themed layout, start with a smaller one that will allow you to run some trains more quickly and complete it to whatever level you want to.

Guys - especially beginners - who try to build their "dream" layout with little experience, invariably lose interest in the project due to it's scale.

 

You're not going to know what type of layout you really want until after you build the first one.

[railsquid]

It's only taken me about 2 years to work out what I want to do, or more precisely what I can do in the space available, fortunately the space I have available includes a small shelf-section as branch-line terminus sort of thing which was a good starting point.

 

10x4 is actually quite a big space especially in N, there are infinite ways to arrange things. The advantage with Japanese track system over traditional track like Peco is that it's much easier to "play" with various designs, and as I'm doing now, it also makes it easy to maintain a temporary running layout while constructing something more permanent.

[cteno4]

Staffy,

 

As you probably see from my posts I'm a big fan of playing a lot to begin with and all thru the layout process. I think it lets you get started easier and quicker and you learn a lot w.o much cost in money, time or frustration. Wrong turns can easily be righted.

 

The great thing if you go Kato or tomix sectional track is it's very easy to play around a lot with ideas and grow. You can do quite the layout w.o having to jump to a fully finished test layout that you scrap. Smaller bits of scenery can be made on hunks of chipboard or styrene and plopped down. These smaller bits are great ways of learning and testing out scenery techniques. Easy to try a few itterations with little lost and a lot gained! I still do this with every new scenery technique I see that I want to try after 40+ years of doing model trains. Lots of free print out buildings you can cut out and paste up to have something there to fill space and get ideas.

 

For a first test layout I think this the much wiser, fast and less expensive route. Track can easily be reused in a larger static, nailed down layout and even scenery bits can be used later and blended in and at least give a little scenery right away when you lay track and don't have to wait to get to doing large bits of scenery on the big layout (this is a classic stall out point).

 

I'd say get some track and a table or two and get playing with trains, wiring and trying your had at scenery stuff in some little chunks. You can really have fun trying ideas out rapidly and get a much better idea of what you want in a bigger layout and enter into it with a lot more confidence and less bumps later. If for some reason you do stall out it's also not as much spent, but I've seen so many times that the more folks attack layouts in small bits like this and make sure to play a lot along the way the firmer they get bit by the hobby and the better the end results!

 

Here are a few threads of folks doing this approach of a fun slower build out with lots of experimenting

 

http://www.jnsforum.com/community/topic/9070-and-so-it-begins/

 

http://www.jnsforum.com/community/topic/11598-noahs-latest-layout/?do=findComment&comment=137589

 

And the small bits of scenery idea with a temp layout

 

http://japanrailmodelers.org/pages/modelingjapan/tempoary.html

 

Cheers

 

Jeff

[inobu]

that's an interesting point...I planned to just work up one section at a time

...but it would be better to complete something smaller? I assume that would mean I would have to delay the shinkansen?

 

this would be my first layout and I'm fully expecting it to be rubbish but learn a lot from it

it this is the case you should look at this instead of the scenic ridge.

 

 

Do you have power tools? that the first question. If not get the kit. If so get the instruction sheet and use it as a shopping list. I found that the kits are cheaper as it gives you just enough to finish the project. If you buy each component yourself  you will be spending more and wind up buying more than you need.

 

It all depends on you. If you like to experiment take the route that Jeff outlined. If you just want to get it done the first time around just get a kit.

 

Its up to you.

 

Inobu

Edited July 24, 2016 by inobu