Hobby Dreamer Posted October 14, 2012 Share Posted October 14, 2012 So what is keeping you back? There is always the no-time, no-space and no-money part of the hobby; but is there something else holding you back? ---- I'm waiting for Kato to release more tram track. Just the turnouts promised plus straight track without road would be enough to start. I have a tram set and also bought a loop of Kato rail track with a turnout years ago but it got boring watching one train go by. (OK, the turnout was fun and my power unit had momentum and brakes but it got boring quickly after that!) With trams you can have 2 running, at least... I'm also buried with too much stuff, other hobbies etc to want to bury myself with building structures etc. My layout will be tram-centric; but I'd like to have some small trains (such as a railcar) whipping around. I'd also like a small dock or port district with some shunters and containers.. I always wanted to light a layout but a long time ago N scale lighting stunk! Like old flashlight bulbs.. Way out of scale. But there are some very impressive lighting available in scale; as well as other lighting options (LEDs, E/L lighting etc) I'm going to order some lighting to play with shortly. I'll never attain Quinnopia good; but 0.1% Quin would be great (A Quin is a unit to measure lighting coolness!) I'm liking the LED strip lighting but they might be tricky in N scale. It was this photo: http://www.1999.co.jp/blog/img/20120823jam18.jpg that has me thinking a lot. I like everything about it - small urban with trains and scenery. A bit more foliage and lighting and that would be ideal!! I guess this and similar photos remind me that I like a Euro setting. Rick Link to comment
ianlaw Posted October 14, 2012 Share Posted October 14, 2012 You N-scalers are all so sad... :grin In the "who is actually building" thread I saw: the attic, barn, shed, basement is too hot/cold/damp/insect infested to build.... Why not build a nice small Z-gauge layout in the livingroom? Ideal temperature, no rodents (I hope ). Z gauge means you can build a nice point to point layout on a narrow shelve, or a rectangular layout in as little as 40x150cm... You can build a really complicated layout in maybe 80x200cm... The small size will mean that you can actually finish the layout before you move, lose interest or die... Your wife will love it, because she can always see and talk to you. You can build whenever you have a spare moment. You can look at it all the time and be inspired by the progress. You can give the trains a spin every night before you go to bed. You might find that your wife plays with the cute small trains when you are at work and shows the layout to her friends by webcam... This will allow you to then expand the layout or build a second one.... There is some nice japanese rollingstock available and more in the pipeline.... Link to comment
cteno4 Posted October 14, 2012 Share Posted October 14, 2012 touche ian, touche! i floated the idea of a t scale coffee table in the living room, but that didnt fly. did get permission for a roll around table in the family room that i can piddle on kits and such while watching the tube. cheers jeff Link to comment
Krackel Hopper Posted October 14, 2012 Share Posted October 14, 2012 Indecisiveness. That is the main reason I am not building. I have a couple t-trak modules, but I want to go a little bigger. I have been terribly indecisive when it comes to plans for a modular/sectional layout. 1 Link to comment
Hobby Dreamer Posted October 14, 2012 Author Share Posted October 14, 2012 Hi Ian, I made the jump to N scale 15 years ago even though there was not much around here in N.A. in terms of product compared to HO; but lately I've been thinking about Z for the reasons you stated. I have 2 N scale fuel trucks that seen large now. My N loyalty is because there are some nice trams for the first time and a tram layout is like a passenger train layout in miniature. I guess with Z you focus on the whole layout but N still gives a chance for details, lights etc.. I have some HO stuff but that suddenly seems large. I think I like that this hobby has many facets and its fun to explore each; right now its lighting but one day soon it will be foliage! Cheers Rick Link to comment
Nick_Burman Posted October 15, 2012 Share Posted October 15, 2012 Living in the bush + residing in a company dorm (rather a house which I share with 6 other work mates). Not a very congenial location for a layout. Plus, as Krackel Hopper aptly said, indecisiveness - other that the prototype I want to model I can't get a fix on what would my layout look like. Cheers NB Link to comment
Martijn Meerts Posted October 15, 2012 Share Posted October 15, 2012 Ian, I don't think my parrot will agree with me building something in the living room.. Or well, he'll agree and then claim is as his chewy toy ;) Actually, I am building, just very slowly. Reason is little time at the moment and the first parts of the layout I need to build are also some of the most costly and time consuming ones (large hidden yard, large partially 4-track helix, large main station with space for 16-car trains.) I also helped my father a lot with his smaller, somewhat temporary layout, so quite a bit of time went in that as well... Link to comment
Bernard Posted October 15, 2012 Share Posted October 15, 2012 Ian - I would love to build a "Z scale" coffee table layout in our living room, but if I bring another scale into the house the land owner (wife) will flip! (I already have LGB, O, S, HO & N scale trains....too many to keep track of!) I like being outside so when the Winter comes....and who likes to shovel snow....that is when I go back to working on my layout. Link to comment
ianlaw Posted October 15, 2012 Share Posted October 15, 2012 Wow Martijn, (large hidden yard, large partially 4-track helix, large main station with space for 16-car trains.) It doesn't sound as if you plan on moving the next 20 years.... I need to see progress, put some track down, build some scenery and add a few buildings and fine details. Building a hidden yard for a few years wouldn't really get me motivated. Ian Link to comment
Martijn Meerts Posted October 16, 2012 Share Posted October 16, 2012 Wow Martijn, (large hidden yard, large partially 4-track helix, large main station with space for 16-car trains.) It doesn't sound as if you plan on moving the next 20 years.... I need to see progress, put some track down, build some scenery and add a few buildings and fine details. Building a hidden yard for a few years wouldn't really get me motivated. Ian There's a few pictures here: http://www.jnsforum.com/index.php/topic,3687.0.html , including a few where I temporarily put a bunch of trains on the track that's there already. I do agree though that building a storage yard is rather boring. I'd much prefer adding scenery while building, but that's why I'll be doing some small T-Trak modules soon as well. Also, I don't have much in the way of a layout design on paper, apart from the yard, helix and main station. I do have some ideas in my head, but in the end I really just need to build the yard, helix and main station, and just wing it from there :) Link to comment
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