Hey all,
I was looking through some news articles about trains, and after going through several chains of links, I ended up at model train videos, and one of the articles with the model train video had a link to this forum. I thought I'd register and become a member here, because I think it'd be awesome to meet and chat with fellow modelers. I have yet to meet anyone in real life who understands or enjoys model railroading other than at train shows.
I have been a N-scale collector and modeler since the early 90's when I was starting out in middle school. I've gone through several train layouts, and I'm working on my current and newest layout. My very first couple of layouts were HO scale, then I saw N-scale and fell in love with it. HO was nice because it had more stuff available, but N scale allows for longer trains in a smaller space, plus it allows for better layout design in rooms that I would need two rooms for a similar HO layout. I went through 3 N scale layouts after the HO ones, and the 4th one I have is the biggest and grandest one so far.
My first HO layouts were about 12 feet by 5 feet, or roughly at these dimensions. They were simple oval layouts, and I didn't really have a big imagination back then. My first N-scale layout was along the walls of my bedroom, using a simple one track loop and ran along 4 inch wide wood planks, with the first loop a tight curve and the second went through the wall into the adjacent room and looped in that other room. My second layout was about the same size of my HO layouts, and it was in the basement. All these 4 layouts were in the 90's. I didn't build my 3rd N-scale layout until 2004, and it looped around my whole hobby room with double tracks. It was at that point when I started buying more N-scale rolling stock because up to that point, I only had about 20 N-scale cars and 4 locomotives. I started buying a lot of KATO stuff because it seemed really high quality and the Unitrack was nice.
I managed to buy two seperate Nozomi 500's (12 cars each), 4 UP locomotives, about 12 packs of Bethgon coalporters, plus some Amtrak stuff and 3 Amtrak P42's, and a few other assorted train cars I found at train shows. I'm still buying more and more train rolling stock, even now.
I moved to a new home a couple years ago, then finally got a room cleared out for my trains this past winter. Work on it has been slow because it's a massive layout compared to the ones I've done in the past. The room is about 14 feet by 12 feet, and my layout runs along the whole room on two and half sides, on boards between 3 to 4 feet wide, so I have a lot more room to model than in the past. I decided to get really creative and decided on something I had never done before. Three different levels and a double track looping not once, but twice.
It's kind of hard to explain, but the track starts at the ground level at my power feeder track. The mainline splits shortly afterwards into the mainline and an underground train yard with 4 sidings. The mainline runs to the end of the first wall and is rejoined by the underground train yard feeder track there, then goes under the second level. It stays "underground" as it does a 180 turn, and continues back past the starting position where my power feeder track is, then a 90 degree turn to the next wall, runs along the 12 foot stretch of the wall, turns 90 degrees and runs for a bit down the 1/2 section of the 3rd wall, turns 180 degrees, then turns another 90 degrees in the direction of the feeder track. The track starts to rise at that aforementioned 180 degree turn, and raises to an elevation of 3 feet. Near the feeder track, the track turns 90 degrees and emerges from the "underground" area onto the 2nd level, which I call the "City Level". The track has a switch leading out into a large 6 track train yard, and the mainline continues towards the first wall. The train yard feeder track rejoins the mainline just before the mainline does a 180 degree turn. It goes upwards after coming out of the turn. as an elevated "urban" track (KATO's urban viaduct system), goes through an elevated station, and reaches the 3rd level at the corner between the 1st and 2nd walls. I call the 3rd level the "Wilderness" level, where the forests and mountains will be. The track turns and goes along the 2nd wall, and then turns again and runs down the 1/2 wall. It starts a long and slow S curved descent to the ground level, a full 5 1/2 inches down, and then after a short stretch and another turn, it meets up with my power feeder track.
Whew, a lot of description for a first post by a new-comer, eh? I have a few questions and would love to discuss model railroading with you guys. Maybe I'll learn some neat tricks or great tips to use on my newest train project. I'm looking forward to it!
I was looking through some news articles about trains, and after going through several chains of links, I ended up at model train videos, and one of the articles with the model train video had a link to this forum. I thought I'd register and become a member here, because I think it'd be awesome to meet and chat with fellow modelers. I have yet to meet anyone in real life who understands or enjoys model railroading other than at train shows.
I have been a N-scale collector and modeler since the early 90's when I was starting out in middle school. I've gone through several train layouts, and I'm working on my current and newest layout. My very first couple of layouts were HO scale, then I saw N-scale and fell in love with it. HO was nice because it had more stuff available, but N scale allows for longer trains in a smaller space, plus it allows for better layout design in rooms that I would need two rooms for a similar HO layout. I went through 3 N scale layouts after the HO ones, and the 4th one I have is the biggest and grandest one so far.
My first HO layouts were about 12 feet by 5 feet, or roughly at these dimensions. They were simple oval layouts, and I didn't really have a big imagination back then. My first N-scale layout was along the walls of my bedroom, using a simple one track loop and ran along 4 inch wide wood planks, with the first loop a tight curve and the second went through the wall into the adjacent room and looped in that other room. My second layout was about the same size of my HO layouts, and it was in the basement. All these 4 layouts were in the 90's. I didn't build my 3rd N-scale layout until 2004, and it looped around my whole hobby room with double tracks. It was at that point when I started buying more N-scale rolling stock because up to that point, I only had about 20 N-scale cars and 4 locomotives. I started buying a lot of KATO stuff because it seemed really high quality and the Unitrack was nice.
I managed to buy two seperate Nozomi 500's (12 cars each), 4 UP locomotives, about 12 packs of Bethgon coalporters, plus some Amtrak stuff and 3 Amtrak P42's, and a few other assorted train cars I found at train shows. I'm still buying more and more train rolling stock, even now.
I moved to a new home a couple years ago, then finally got a room cleared out for my trains this past winter. Work on it has been slow because it's a massive layout compared to the ones I've done in the past. The room is about 14 feet by 12 feet, and my layout runs along the whole room on two and half sides, on boards between 3 to 4 feet wide, so I have a lot more room to model than in the past. I decided to get really creative and decided on something I had never done before. Three different levels and a double track looping not once, but twice.
It's kind of hard to explain, but the track starts at the ground level at my power feeder track. The mainline splits shortly afterwards into the mainline and an underground train yard with 4 sidings. The mainline runs to the end of the first wall and is rejoined by the underground train yard feeder track there, then goes under the second level. It stays "underground" as it does a 180 turn, and continues back past the starting position where my power feeder track is, then a 90 degree turn to the next wall, runs along the 12 foot stretch of the wall, turns 90 degrees and runs for a bit down the 1/2 section of the 3rd wall, turns 180 degrees, then turns another 90 degrees in the direction of the feeder track. The track starts to rise at that aforementioned 180 degree turn, and raises to an elevation of 3 feet. Near the feeder track, the track turns 90 degrees and emerges from the "underground" area onto the 2nd level, which I call the "City Level". The track has a switch leading out into a large 6 track train yard, and the mainline continues towards the first wall. The train yard feeder track rejoins the mainline just before the mainline does a 180 degree turn. It goes upwards after coming out of the turn. as an elevated "urban" track (KATO's urban viaduct system), goes through an elevated station, and reaches the 3rd level at the corner between the 1st and 2nd walls. I call the 3rd level the "Wilderness" level, where the forests and mountains will be. The track turns and goes along the 2nd wall, and then turns again and runs down the 1/2 wall. It starts a long and slow S curved descent to the ground level, a full 5 1/2 inches down, and then after a short stretch and another turn, it meets up with my power feeder track.
Whew, a lot of description for a first post by a new-comer, eh? I have a few questions and would love to discuss model railroading with you guys. Maybe I'll learn some neat tricks or great tips to use on my newest train project. I'm looking forward to it!
