# New to Model Railroading



## leftwithnoexits (Jan 22, 2011)

Hi everyone. Just got into some model railroading. My dad decided to start putting an HO layout together so I decided I wanted to do my own. But having limited space decided N scale was the way to go. Take a look at my layout so far. Still have more to do as far as the layout it self goes as I just don't have the money right now for the turnouts for a yard just yet. Any comments or suggestions will be appreciated as this is my first layout and I decided to design it from scratch.


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## shaygetz (Sep 23, 2007)

Great start...a folded figure 8 much like mine makes me biased.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Left,

Nice start. Always fun getting into the game.

Just as a thought, I wonder if you might want to move the turnout spur(s) to stem off of the front straight section of the inner loop? You have a girder bridge on the straight track overpass, but not one on the curved track overpass directly over the dead end spur. Looks a bit odd to me like that.

Not trying to nitpick ... just saying what I see ...

Have fun!

TJ


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## leftwithnoexits (Jan 22, 2011)

yea, kinda just through that spur under the curved track just for fun for the time being, may keep it, don't know yet. we'll see as time goes and things start coming together more


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## BrooklynBound718 (Dec 23, 2010)

Welcome to the forum. I am new to train modeling and I am also working in N scale. Your layout looks cool to start out with. It is also great that you were able to begin on some hard surface first. The first tracks that I was laying down were on the carpet. Good luck and welcome again.


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## leftwithnoexits (Jan 22, 2011)

well it did start off on the carpet, but kept getting pieces of carpet tangled up in wheels, so took some sheet rock we had laying around to put underneath the track.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Why don't you get it off the floor and up on a table?


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## leftwithnoexits (Jan 22, 2011)

well i still am unsure what i'm doing somewhat for the layout. so i'm just working on sheetrock that was free and laying around the house. as soon as i figure my layout out 100% i'm building a bench for the layout. i just don't want to go building a bench right now and end up having to make it a little bigger if need be. plus only being 20 i have no problems with getting down on the floor for the time being.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

leftwithnoexits said:


> well i still am unsure what i'm doing somewhat for the layout. so i'm just working on sheetrock that was free and laying around the house. as soon as i figure my layout out 100% i'm building a bench for the layout. i just don't want to go building a bench right now and end up having to make it a little bigger if need be. plus only being 20 i have no problems with getting down on the floor for the time being.



OK I was just wondering.

I would figure out the maximum amount of space you have and build the table that size.
You can always fill it up.

As part of my signature says....Never enough room.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

You might be able to go to a construction site and ask if you can have some scrap lumber and foam board.

You don't need much for N and they just toss it anyway.


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## leftwithnoexits (Jan 22, 2011)

yea. what you see is basically my max space. however there is a hope chest that is sitting to the right of it. so i'm kinda tossing around an idea in my head to build some workbench over the hope chest, maybe just a 3x2 section to turn into a nice yard, whereas my other option would be to put the yard in the center of the layout.


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## jbmombasa (Jan 16, 2011)

It's a nice start. What will be the theme?



big ed said:


> OK I was just wondering.
> 
> I would figure out the maximum amount of space you have and build the table that size.
> You can always fill it up.
> ...


Dont forget to allow some access room 

Oh to be 20 again...


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## RHD03 (Dec 27, 2010)

Very cool man. I'm new to it also.


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## leftwithnoexits (Jan 22, 2011)

i haven't quite decided on a theme just yet. kinda thinking on like a little mountain town. maybe do like a coal mine of some sort as an industry. still tinkering with ideas.

been busy trying to devise a way to have leds light up on the control board pending on the orientation of the turnouts. have one idea but its totally theoretical right now. gotta make a run to radio shack soon to try and find a switch i'm thinking about using under neath the turnout that when its depressed the one led will be on and when its not the other lights up. i just gotta find one that is either small enough or that i could mod to work.


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## leftwithnoexits (Jan 22, 2011)

So i've been messing around with designing my yard. 
below is what i'm looking at for now. 

if your looking at the picture of my layout from my first post, the yard would attach to the curved dead end spur.


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## Xnats (Dec 5, 2010)

Looks good. That is a big chunk of change though, then again it can be built over time. You could throw a spur over on your inner loop, as a pick up/ drop off spot. Keep us posted on the progress, we love pictures. Pictures are easy to read


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## leftwithnoexits (Jan 22, 2011)

yea. i'm definately adding a spur or 2 off the inner loop for industry.
and yea, that is a big chunk of changes for the yard. lol. roughly 320 bucks for the turnouts alone. 
not to mention the switches i'm hoping to be able to rig into them to light leds on my control board to show if the turn out is going through of diverging. 
and the yard is definitely going to be a future addition down the road. 

my plan right now is to get the 2 turnouts for the inner loop spurs and the rest of the track for them. for some reason right hand turnouts seem to be hard to come by at my local hobby shop. past 2 times i've been in they haven't had any.

then from there i'm going to get the lumber needed to build up my bench, which will be covered some nice foam.

in the mist of all that i will be experimenting on my turnout orientations that i previously mentioned.


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## leftwithnoexits (Jan 22, 2011)

Ok, so i got a little anxious while waiting for the track I ordered, which I'm still waiting for. So I took a trip to my local home depot and got my lumber and built my bench. 





































And then I threw the layout back together on top until I get the money to go and get the foam for underneath.


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## leftwithnoexits (Jan 22, 2011)

After completing that I decided, hey, why don't I start working on my control panel. So that's just what I did. 









Right now I just drew out the track plan on it with a sharpie, however the board will be painted white, and the layout blocks will be color coded with colored 1/4" electrical tape (or something of that nature).


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

All right!

Feels good?

2" foam? 

What are you planning for the space where the transformer is sitting?

It looks like you can expand your RR a bit already.

I thought you were going to make it so it goes over the hope chest?
It looks like you could extend it by half if you did?:thumbsup:

It is easier to do it from the start, instead of expanding it at a later date.

Anyway.......it looks good off the floor.:thumbsup:


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## leftwithnoexits (Jan 22, 2011)

I believe the foam i plan on getting is about an inch and a half.

there will the the second girder bridge to the right of the one that is already elevate, expanding the down hill turn 5 inches to the right. so that will be pushing the transformer out of the way and to the future control board where it belongs. lol

as for the yard that i will be adding in the future, everything i'm doing to my layout from now on will be accounting for the addition of it. especially since the turnouts in the yard alone are gonna run me about $300+, which i really do not have at the time... maybe once i get my taxes done and the government cuts me a nice little check 

and finally, its defiantly more enjoyable off the floor...even at only 22"


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

leftwithnoexits said:


> i'm leaving it open for the expansion and everything i do will all for an easy expansion. and the foam i'm most likely getting i believe is about an inch and a half. as for the space where the transformer is, the downhill curve there will be 5 inches further towards the edge once i put the second girder bridge to the right of the one that is already elevated.


what about,
I thought you were going to make it so it goes over the hope chest?
It looks like you could extend it by half if you did?:thumbsup:

2" foam will allow you to dig deeper whatever you plan on digging say a river or lake? 
2" will give it more depth perception.

Just a thought to think about before you buy it.


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## leftwithnoexits (Jan 22, 2011)

I will be having the yard going over the hope chest


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## Xnats (Dec 5, 2010)

Nice job on the framing. 22" is high lol, mine is only at 17", I would die for that extra 5" .


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Xnats,

Looks like nice progress. A suggestion, if I may ...

You should add some cross bracing or gussets to the top of that central support leg. It's simply not a strong joint as it is now, with just two screws from the top. One accidental kick, and that leg is going to bend over, loosing mid-table support. Cut a triangle of ply or MDF (say 16" wide, 8" tall) and screw it to the side face of the top of the leg, along with the sides of that horizontal beam.

Give it some thought ...

TJ


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## leftwithnoexits (Jan 22, 2011)

thanks tj. thats a good suggestion, i've got lots of extra mdf that i can use for it.


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## leftwithnoexits (Jan 22, 2011)

Just an update. Still waiting on my track to come and my momentary toggles i will be using for turnouts. I've been working on my control panel, will update this post a little later with some pictures, have a main power toggle installed on it and drilled the holes for my turnout toggles.


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## leftwithnoexits (Jan 22, 2011)

Here are some photos of updated progress on control board.


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## leftwithnoexits (Jan 22, 2011)

tjcruiser said:


> Xnats,
> 
> Looks like nice progress. A suggestion, if I may ...
> 
> ...


As you suggested i did add those braces to the frond and back of the mid table support.


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## Xnats (Dec 5, 2010)

I'm glad you fixed it, I thought TJ was making me, do manual labor because of rumors going around :laugh:


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Dohhh!

You guys have cracked my secret!

For the past several months, I've been using my special mental telepathic powers to make Choo Choo Greg dig a big giant hole in his basement. Watch out, guys ... you could be next!

(Glad the leg reinforcement idea worked out ... I think it'll offer some extra peace of mind.)

Cheers,

TJ


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## leftwithnoexits (Jan 22, 2011)

Yea. I really didnt feel like getting under there for a couple days but i hit a dead end until some parts and track come in so i figured no better time to do it.


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## leftwithnoexits (Jan 22, 2011)

So my final pieces of track should finally be shipping tomorrow. So hopefully will have by end of week along with my momentary toggles that ill be using for my turnouts as i dont like the atlas switches much.


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