# Should I start down this path...



## REV (Sep 25, 2013)

for my first post, i have to pose a hard question:
ive been in love with scale stuff for as long as i can remember (blame mr rogers) and model trains, but aside from a crappy xmas set i got in the early 90's ive never had any. 

fast forward to now, i have a shed/mancave that i can do whatever in. i really want to get into this hobby, but space (and power, since currently all i have is an orange cord from the house to the shed and powerstrip) is limiting me. i figure n scale would be my better choice, but my LHS doesnt have much n, (mostly HO & up) 

also, my train selection is specific. i like the stream liners and "streamline" steamers the best. i dont have a scene in mind, more just love the look but if i went with one, it would be from the 1900's to about the 60s. below are some examples of the trains im referencing since i dont know the real names of them. most of the trains i know and love are passenger trains, "romantic" rides if you will. the orient express that copperfield dissapeared, the polar express and the tweetsie rail road trains (altho im not into the western style stack trains, altho if i had the chance i would make a back to the future train setup...) 

any suggestions? all help is appreciated


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## Southern (Nov 17, 2008)

Hi Rev and welcome to the forum. There are a lot of question that will are going to ask of you, I first one is how big is your shed? Next is which Charleston are you in. 

N will give you the most track space for long trains. HO has the most stuff at the best price. O is big and easy to hold.


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

Rev

The orange cord will do for now...BUT...

You're gonna want HEAT or COOLING to stay comfortable
out there. So better start thinking of a underground run of PVC with an
appropriate gauge cable in it.

N is the way to go to get the most layout in a small place. But,
it is small and big fingers can have a difficult time working on it
at times. If you've got a nice size space you'd probably find more of
what you like in HO.

If you like those big steamer locomotives you're going to want to plan
on nice wide radius curves. 

Just some things to keep you awake at night.


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## REV (Sep 25, 2013)

let me see:

*10x10 

*Charleston SC

*will home wire the shed soon, but for now i dont run much out there and its been easy to keep comfy (but insulation and such is in the works) 

* N is what i figure would be the biggest bang for the space, but HO is what id prefer and i do have big fingers (used to be a semi pro fighter) 

* this is already keeping me up. 

heres a quick video i made for some friends of mine about the shed. its been slightly rearranged but its basically this. also, it has a bit of loud music some people wouldnt like so you may want to mute it halfway thu... the shed is used for storing my camping gear and smoking my hookah/cigars


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## Don Trinko (Oct 23, 2012)

Trains do not require much power so the orange cord is fine for now.
HO and O scale are the most popular and easiest to work with so more choices are available. i would pick what you like but i would lean towards O or HO. All IMO; Don


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

Rev

10 X 10 is plenty big enough to afford a great HO layout. That's approximately
the size of the room mine is in. To get maximum trackage you build a layout
where your mainline basically follows the walls. Provide a 'lift or drop bridge'
for access at the door to an inner space for your workbench and controls. 

In addition to that long main, I have 2 big yards,
a peninsula with a wye and central passenger
station and several spurs with industries in that space. 

And you can do as I did, store what was in that room, under the
layout table. 

Don


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## 05Slowbalt (Dec 19, 2011)

10' by 10' is a good amount of space. N scale will give you more track space and larger trains that look more fitting but HO scale has a lot of offer at a fair price. From what you say about the semi pro I am assuming your a bigger guy. I weight in at 300lbs and 6' 2" and play semi pro football. Trust me N scale is small and HO give you that little bit more size to handle.
But remember this is your space and layout so do what you want to do, just keep us up to date with pictures!


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## REV (Sep 25, 2013)

well being that its 10x10 i still need to use it as a shed and man cave, so at BEST i can use the left half of the shed as a table top. 

DonR, you lost me with ALL that terminology, so have no idea. from what i *think* you said, it sounds less of a loop and more of a point to point. 

HO makes the most sense to me (great for size detail and cost).

I dont have a lot of money so Im going to have to do a LOT of studying on what to get and how to do it. I dont even have a clue where to begin, what the starting piece should be.

I think what Ill do is go get a piece of OSB 4x8 and build the bottom layer, then go from there. 

Really, I have 0 train stuff. I guess Ill get there eventually....:retard:


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## REV (Sep 25, 2013)

well, i got to thinking. i was debating making one side of the shed the train side, but i just have too much crap to dedicate to that. but i do remember out in my other shed (with the scooters) i have a table at my disposal, maybe its 3~4 x 5~6 that i can steal. 

also, i think for what i want to do is have a multi tier layout (one track, mountainous with multi levels of tracks) and have the theme be more or less "run down". the bad side of the tracks, if you will. beat up cars & buildings, with the whole thing having a halloween ish feeling to it. hows that sound?

now....do i get an engine first or do i go for track and layout stuff?


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## Southern (Nov 17, 2008)

Start watching prices on Craigslist. Take your time this is a life long hobby. With a shed, I thing that the best layout is a shelf layout, one that runs along the walls.


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

Rev

I get carried away sometimes. Sorry about bein confoosing.

What I was saying is like Southern suggests...sort of a shelf around all FOUR
walls, or a table set against the walls. If you did that, it would block the
entry. That's where I suggested a panel carrying the track that would be
on a hinge. When you go in or out you lift it. Or some let it go down instead.
With that your trains have a long trip all the way around your room.

You have the whole center of the room for You and your stuff.
(a lot of stuff will go under the layout).

I'm a big fan of buying used HO gear thru Craigslist. My DCC set and 2 DCC
locos came from there for half the retail price. All of my rolling stock I got
thru CL at 2 and 3 dollars a car. I saved my cash to buy flexible track and
Peco switches.

I'd buy a used DCC controller and loco as the first step. Get some track and
get familiar with it and go from there.

Don


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Welcome to the site Rev.
A few of my thoughts, but you can ignore them if you want. 

First thing you must do is decide what scale your going to do. 

Then the first thing I would do is get a bigger shed. Or maybe blow out the side to make it larger.:thumbsup:
O is out, the shed is too small. 
HO better but you will be surprised how much room even HO takes up. Especially if you find yourself wanting to add more things and you can't because of space. 
N? You can fit a lot of N in the shed, me I would still want more space, but that is me.
The bigger the better. :thumbsup: 

By the way nice shed. :thumbsup: Did you make that or is that one that you have delivered to your yard?
In the video is that the housing for the scooters next to it or is that your house? If it is for the scooters can they go in the new shed? It looks like the scooter house is bigger then the shed....= more room for the RR.:thumbsup: 
If you care to you can add your scooters here, if you want.
http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=3837

Second thing I would do is get rid of all the other stuff you have in there. Once you get biting by the train bug your going to need all the space for the trains. 

Run a dedicated line too, I can see the a some AC unit in the wall for the hot days and a small heater for the cooler days being used. Plus figure in the lights, radio maybe a small fridge etc.

Do you know of anyone in the construction business? You be surprised on the material they throw away. Even if you don't know anyone stop by a place where they are building some houses and ask if they have any scrap you can have. Around me they toss all kinds of useful material away. Look for pieces of insulation board too if you plan on carving a river or something on the layout.


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## Southern (Nov 17, 2008)

Are you a SNOB, S.O.B?

Sorry. Just kidding, 
( that is a Charleston SC joke ) retating to Broad street. 
Slightly north of broad
South of broad.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Southern said:


> Are you a SNOB, S.O.B?
> 
> Sorry. Just kidding,
> ( that is a Charleston SC joke ) retating to Broad street.
> ...


Is it a good looking broad?


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## REV (Sep 25, 2013)

well i found the local model RR club and their setup in the mall. cool place and a ton of cool ideas but it just seems more and more that i wont be able to do what i want with the limited space/funds i have, not to mention i have no idea the direction to go. i can SEE what i want in my head, but the one engine i wanted i found was around $1k new (o gauge, i think $600 for another 0. the Daylight is close to it) and local CL doesnt yield much help. im almost about to give up on this


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## REV (Sep 25, 2013)

looking at the lionel catalog, my favorites are;

N&W 4-8-4 J-class

SP GS-2 steam

Union Pac 4-12-2 steam 

and almost all the "pilot" series

i know most of those are 0 guage and not the size i want, but they have the LOOK i want


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

Rev

You might try a search of those locomotive models as HO on Google. Most of them
will probably be available. Look also at the Bachmann, Athearn, Atlas,
and BLI web sites and see if any they make matches what you want.

A search on Amazon or Ebay might turn up something interesting also.

Don


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