# Simple setup for an apartment dweller?



## Doll (Sep 6, 2013)

Hi all,

My daughter and I have developed a certain love for trains over the past few years, we've taken a few cross country train trips together and we love it and have started noticing all the different kinds of trains. We recently visited the model train museum in San Diego, and LOVED it.

I would love to get a simple, set-up-and-tear-down type of setup for a train (think something to go around the Christmas tree or can be taken out and played with and put away when done) - preferably Amtrak . But, I don't want to just buy "anything" because I can definitely see us getting into this as a hobby in the future, so it would be nice to have something that can be used if/when we ever have a home big enough to set up a full layout. I could perhaps buy new track if we ever decide to do that (since we'd be going from a portable to a permanent thing), but the controls and trains I would like to be able to keep... start as you mean to continue kind of thing, I'm not a fan of buying things twice. I haven't a clue where to begin figuring that out?? I don't even know if portable track for a real, good quality model train exists?

I was looking around and I love the HO scale Amtrak Superliner train cars as they are what we love to travel on and seem to replicate it the best!

Honestly I would love it if someone would just tell me what to buy! :laugh: There is a lot of different stuff out there and it's difficult to piece it all together compatibility-wise and trying to figure out what I would need. For the time being I just want something simple that my daughter and I can enjoy that doesn't require a dedicated piece of furniture in our 700 sq ft apartment 

Thanks for any help you can offer!


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Hello and welcome to the site.

My advise without going into a lot of detail would be to look into getting N scale they are about half the size of HO.

You can put up a fairly nice layout on a 4' x 4' piece of wood or less which can be easily be stored under a bed. 

This little N scale is 34" x 47". ( A donation from my big sis to me.)

She had a small town set up when I got some other things I just threw all the buildings on it in 5 mins. I am going to expand this layout. The first picture is what she had the other 2 are what I threw on in 5 mins.
The whole thread on them is here, http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=7158

Remember this is N scale it is only 34" x 47".


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## santafe158 (Jul 14, 2010)

Depending on what scale you go with, here's an N scale Kato starter set with your Amtrak superliners. Kato makes some good quality trains and the track system (in my opinion) is great.

http://www.katousa.com/Zcart/index....d=1037&zenid=a68ffafe52fec9bb2e94254c109b7df2


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

I second the Kato set. 
Can't go wrong with Kato.:smilie_daumenpos:

You could probably get it cheaper if you look around.


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

Glad to see more interest from the feme set...welcome.

The guys have good advice...

If you go with either HO or N scale be sure to attach the
track to a small plywood board. Neither HO or N scale track works
well on carpet and carpet lint invades little gear boxes.

Don


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## santafe158 (Jul 14, 2010)

big ed said:


> You could probably get it cheaper if you look around.



I meant to go back and edit my post to say that 

I just used that as an example of what's available. I'm pretty sure you can do a bit better on ebay or elsewhere.


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## Don Trinko (Oct 23, 2012)

A good started set would be my advice. Then you have everything you need to play and you can add as time goes by. 
N scale is small but doable, HO and O are the most popular so you have the widest choice available. No rule that you can't have multiple scales.
I have some N, HO, but mostly O. Don


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## eljefe (Jun 11, 2011)

If space is your primary concern due to the limitations of apartment living, N scale would be a good choice. You can fit a nice layout in the space of an average coffee table.


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## golfermd (Apr 19, 2013)

I live in a condo (glorified apartment) and will be building an 4X9 HO layout. Rather than settling on a specific scale determine your requirements, what you want to build. Many great starter sets are availble. If you are going to add to that layout in the future buy equipment that will interface with future equipment. In other words, build with future expansion in mind. After thinking it through go for it. If N scale meets those requirements get that scale. Lionel sells some legendary O gauge sets. There are really nice HO sets.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Doll was back, maybe she forgot this thread? :dunno:


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## Doll (Sep 6, 2013)

Hello,

Yes I did come back but was a bit disappointed to see that it's a bad idea to just use the tracks on their own (on carpet) without mounting them on a board. Unfortunately, my apartment is carpeted and we simply don't have room for a layout on a board of any kind - we're pretty packed to the max, here... (I have no idea where I would store the board when not in use - under beds are already being used for other storage, I can't think of anywhere else we'd be able to store it). A small box of tracks/trains we could set up and tear down is one thing, a board with stuff glued to it is another unless I can hang it from the ceiling!! lol!

I think we're going to just have to wait until we're in a bigger place. Hopefully sometime soon. It's in the works to at least move to a bigger apartment within the next year so I'll hold off until then.

Thank you for all of your replies, I do appreciate it!! In the meantime I suppose I will just soak up as much info as I can and do some window shopping!


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## Don Trinko (Oct 23, 2012)

You can use track on your carpet but I would go with O scale or G scale. You will have much less problems with fiber in the track than you would with N or HO.
You can also use a board to lay the track (any scale) and put the board away when you are done . The board will be relatively flat and can be slid in behind the sofa or a chair when you are done playing . Don


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

Doll

Don T has the best idea for you...just get a board of some sort
to put the track on, even heavy cardboard would be
helpful. Maybe something you could throw it away after the Holidays.

The reason we are suggesting some sort of hard surface is that
the sectional track that you most likely would use in either HO or
N does not stay together well on carpet. The train motion and
the weight of the train on track with soft support causes it to
work loose and derail the train.

That in addition to the lint that can get in the gears.

Don


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## Doll (Sep 6, 2013)

Thanks for the clarification Don. If we haven't moved by Christmas I may try that. Hopefully a bigger place will open up before then and I won't have to worry about it!! We are going crazy in this place for many more reasons than this and we've been waiting for over a year for another condo to open up!!

Well I think the time is likely to be well used in the meantime to do some research and make sure when the time comes that we're starting as we mean to continue. Plus I can plan out what kind of layout we want!! I'm thinking a little mishmash (non-realistic LOL) replication of our favorite route, the Coast Starlight that goes up and down the Pacific coast. Beach on one side, grassy hills and little towns between, redwoods on the other! It will be fun to plan and build when the time comes!

I hope that doesn't sound too much like a girl's layout :laugh:


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## Hutch (Dec 19, 2012)

Sound like a good plan to me Doll. This might be a good time to try a few different layout packages. SCARM and XtrakCAD are free. I'm guessing the professional ones like anyrail are probably easier to learn if you don't mind shelling out a few bucks. I have been planning/designing for a couple of months now using the free software. I never get tired of it and there always seem to be something I can do better.


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## santafe158 (Jul 14, 2010)

FYI, the kato unitrack in the set i posted earlier in the thread works fine for temporary layouts and doesn't come apart unless you take it apart. As long as it's low pile carpeting you should be fine. If not, as mentioned, some nice cardboard (even strips to slide underneath just the track) works great.

Of course the other scales also have similar sectional track with a built in roadbed that serves the same purpose.


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## Don Trinko (Oct 23, 2012)

Most track can be left partially assembled. I have a G scale loop for my living room, When I take it apart I have 4 sections with multiple track. This makes it a lot easier to re assemble the next time. Don


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