# 2x4 feet - Mini N-Scale Layout - Out of the Dark Ages



## ShaderMike (Jan 23, 2016)

Hiyo,
After finding several boxes of my father's late N-scale MR gear, and a few specific purchases on eBay or at LHS, I've been spending a bunch of time in Anyrail and SCARM trying to get an idea for a layout.
While I do have a copy of the 1984 reprint of Linn Westcott's "101 Track Plans for Model Railroaders", I am not a big fan of any of the small foot print layouts he presents.

I'm out of practice. Like 20 years out of practice. So this is my "rewet my feet" plan.

Here's my wishlist:
1 - Start small (budget AND footprint)
2 - Work mostly on a flat plane
3 - Relearn "the basics"
4 - Freelance Railfanning
5 - Make something in 2x4 viable so:
--- the wife gives a go-ahead on something larger, maybe Hollow Core Door
--- the wife likes enough of what she sees that she contributes from a creative standpoint (this would be huge)

Here's what I have:
- I have a 30x40 basement of which I've blocked out a 6x10 corner for layout placement and hobby storage. (It's the closest to power, and furthest away from laundry and heater.)
- I have a 2x5 table which will be the entirety of my work bench (right now) 
- Between what I recovered from Dad's stuff and my own recent purchases, I now have 
--- A dozen locos, half of which need cleaning and repair
--- About two dozen mixed rolling stock, a quarter of which need repair, and most of which need cleaning
--- Approximately two dozen mixed buildings, all of which need to be cleaned up (from sitting in boxes for over 15 years)
--- A single Tyco DC controller (not interested in DCC at the moment, partly due to budget, partly due to the wiring requirements)
--- A bunch of mixed curved track pieces (Atlas 2510, for example) 
--- A few lengths of flex track
--- A curved rerailer
--- A couple terminal curves and straights
--- 3-4 turnouts that work manually

Here's where I think there'll be problems:
- Wiring. I've got some colorblindness issues, so wire colors might be troublesome
- Um, yeah, that's about it

Before I even started doing much online with regards to looking for layouts I had a very basic image in my head (as well as laid out with unjoined track on my table.)
I started with and used this arrangement half-assedly tacked to purple foam board (and a running 3-axle switcher pulling four of the working cars) to show the wife "hey it works."








http://imgur.com/OE7hYFU

Her first question: "When do you start construction?" 

OKAY NOT GOING TO ARGUE

I did some fiddling with the track I have, and here's the closest representatives of what I've envisioned








http://imgur.com/F9cT6po







http://imgur.com/olJzMVZ







http://imgur.com/xuajYoU
The long spurs would be useful to store some of the extra rolling stock I have, but isn't crucial. I have a front-opening filing cabinet that will be used for storage.
I know some of the lines aren't connected, I was up late doing a lot of poking on them and apparently didn't save what I'd fixed.

After doing some poking online, and finding sites like this one
http://www.thortrains.net/nscale/nminis3.html
The layouts look neat but as dumb as it sounds I almost feel guilty for copying them and not doing something "from me," if that makes any sense.

Which is really ironic, considering when I found this particular page
http://www.thortrains.net/trackplan/scottrack.html
I thought "wow, some of these would be neat to try out."
I managed to recreate the last one in SCARM (Anyrail just wouldn't behave with some of the curves).
The size ends up being a bit bigger than 3x3 which isn't much but is still a bit big for the area with which I have to work.








http://imgur.com/9sZaNTy

(I blocked it out and it doesn't leave me much elbow room.)
So I'm thinking the last one is more of an "eventuality", or maybe a "v2 especially if using elevations and grades".

I think options 1 and 3 have the best opportunities for:
- watching trains run round and round
- relearning wiring and track laying
- A miniature town-like settlement
- Haphazardly placed industries


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

Mike

Unless you already have a door on hand, I would
suggest that instead you buy a plywood sheet, 3 ply
would be sufficient. You will find it easier to work
with than the thin panel on a hollow core door. A frame
of 1X3 lumber will prove adequate support.

Track 20 years old is likely brass. Be prepared to
do regular maintenance on it, especially any sectional
track with all of those joiners. The more flex track
you use the better your trains will run.

Don

Check our for sale or trade Forum for used DC power
packs. Since you have several locos you may want
to have ability to run 2 at a time and would need
a 2nd power pack. We can help, if needed, on the
wiring.


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## MtRR75 (Nov 27, 2013)

ShaderMike said:


> Hiyo,
> Here's where I think there'll be problems:
> - Wiring. I've got some colorblindness issues, so wire colors might be troublesome


You may already know this, but you can buy books of stick-on wire numbers. You can assign each color to a number (e.g. 1=red, 2=black, or whatever). Put a number on each piece of wire that you cut off of the spool.


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## ShaderMike (Jan 23, 2016)

MtRR75 said:


> You may already know this, but you can buy books of stick-on wire numbers.


I did not know about that! I'll have to check it out next time I'm in a hardware store.


DonR said:


> Unless you already have a door on hand, I would
> suggest that instead you buy a plywood sheet, 3 ply
> would be sufficient.


Surprisingly, I already have some 1/2 inch foam board in the house - we were using small squares of it to jam fiberglass insulation into the ends of the joists in the basement.
I certainly don't have a problem with plywood but was thinking of reserving it til a later revision.


DonR said:


> Track 20 years old is likely brass. Be prepared to
> do regular maintenance on it, especially any sectional
> track with all of those joiners. The more flex track
> you use the better your trains will run.


Some of it probably is; some of it might be nickel. I know it was purchased over the course of 10-ish years.

The flex track and some of the Atlas 2510 I bought new at LHS. I knew off the bat that I'd have trouble getting good conductivity unless I spent a bunch of time scrubbing the crap off the old track. With the "minimal" loops I have set up right now for testing my repairs, it's all new track.


DonR said:


> Check our for sale or trade Forum for used DC power
> packs. Since you have several locos you may want
> to have ability to run 2 at a time and would need
> a 2nd power pack. We can help, if needed, on the
> wiring.


Will do, thanks!


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## dwyaneward (Aug 4, 2011)

You might want to check out this site for 2x4 and up

http://www.cke1st.com/m_train2.htm


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