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Ive never built a layout before and right now Im trying to figure out where and how to start. I will be using KATO sectional track in n scale and would like to make the layout as small and portable as possible.
Go to http://www.nmra.com/ and read the beignners guide there. It will answer a lot of basic question and give you an idea of where you are headed with your layout. Starting without some knowledge and a good plan is the sure path to disappointment and wasted money.
Go to http://www.nmra.com/ and read the beignners guide there. It will answer a lot of basic question and give you an idea of where you are headed with your layout. Starting without some knowledge and a good plan is the sure path to disappointment and wasted money.
You also need to answer some questions about what you want:
Model railroad or "toy" layout?
What era? Steam, steam-to-diesel, contemporary?
What part of the country? Mountains? Plains? Desert? Waterfront?
Prototype or freelanced? (Big railroad, shortline, something you dream up?)
What kind of trains? Locals? Long haul freights? Passenger?
What kind of operations? Switching? Just run 'em?
What customers will the RR serve? Grain? Plastics? Sawmills?
and so on.
That might seem like an overwhelming amount of planning, but it's been my observation that rushing in and throwing down a mish-mash of stuff is truly a waste of time and $$$. (But there's nothing that says you can't run a steam train tourist excursion for example on a modern layout...)
My model train is based on that track plan featured in the videos and pdf the web site has available. I'm freelancing the scenery for my tastes, but it is a nice beginner set. You can get the Worlds Greatest Hobby Track Plan with Bachman (called Your First Model Train Layout or something like that), Atlas and Kato track. Just look for the World's Greatest Hobby logo on the box. I know both Bachman and Atlas supply a video for this plan, so you can have something to refer to. And Michael Gross, of Family Ties fame, is the narrator and does an excellent job of explaining things to a beginner.
If I may be so bold as to suggest, I'd say build a micro layout as your first layout, these are 4 square foot or less and can be built in a reasonable amount of time at reasonable amount of cost. The experience and knowledge you gain will be immense and will help you when you take on a bigger layout.
If I may be so bold as to suggest, I'd say build a micro layout as your first layout, these are 4 square foot or less and can be built in a reasonable amount of time at reasonable amount of cost. The experience and knowledge you gain will be immense and will help you when you take on a bigger layout.
I agree with nephthyr, start small but leave yourself room to grow later! BTW I'm using the Kato Unitrak. It is really easy to work with and if you need any tips let me know. Also the #4 switchs have a small trick to get them dialed in!
If I may be so bold as to suggest, I'd say build a micro layout as your first layout, these are 4 square foot or less and can be built in a reasonable amount of time at reasonable amount of cost. The experience and knowledge you gain will be immense and will help you when you take on a bigger layout.
the site that you suggested is actually one that i like to go to for ideas and i have been trying to design a micro layout but every time i think i have my track plan i go back and try to add more operation.
also to answer some of the questions posted by Beachbum, it will be a model railroad set in the late steam era, freelanced waterfront/mountians layout that has an 0-8-0 switicher moving freight from a factory or warehouse to a car ferry or at least thats what i would like to make... so far i have a very simple track plan with four #6 turnouts
You can probably fit all that comfortably into a 2' or 2.5' x 4' layout. That'd be small enough for one person to carry and lean up against a wall or put on brackets like a high shelf when not in use.
The car ferry acts as your interchange, so there's your connection. A dockside warehouse or freight transfer facility would fit. You could also have something like a factory that not only sends box cars in and out, but also receives coal cars to power the factory's physical plant. Maybe a siding with a heavy crane for a Marine Contractor (shipbuilder). With 2-3 industries and an interchange you can keep yourself busy switching cars for probably the better part of an hour.
Those industries alone would give you reasons to have: Boxcars, Hoppers, and Flatcars or Gondolas with interesting loads.
Mostly, consider it a practice in layout building and design.
