cmbconcretefire
New Member
Hi guys. I am 42. I know exactly what I am looking for....only I have no idea how to go about doing it. This will be in N scale. Please see picture below.
Let me tell you a little about myself so you get a feel for what kind of hobbyist I am when it comes to trains. I love them. I don't know why.
I like to watch them run. That's it. I have zero to very little desire to build a "scene" or even a "theme" really. I definitely do not care anything about scenery or building an exact replica of XYZ train from XYZ year....... I just like to watch them run. No interest at all of joining a group of guys or gals at the hobby club to run trains. I just want to see a train running back and forth on my wall.
So here's what I'm thinking. I want to build a point to point / or / and an automatic reversing track layout around the middle of my living room wall. When I say middle, I mean about 4 ft from the floor. It will go around some corners of course but basically I want it to start at one end, run the length of the track, then when it reaches the end, I want it to auto reverse and go back to where it came from.
There are at least 3 problems with this:
1) The length of the whole track will be about 36 ft, give or take 3 or 5 feet. I don't know if one "controller" will be enough to provide enough power. So the electrical issue (??) is part of my problem. Will I need more than one controller? A power booster somewhere along the layout?
2) I don't know what "gizmos" I need to make the train slow down as it gets to the end before it smashes into the "end of the line." And, I don't know what "gizmos" I need to make it auto reverse direction once it reaches the end of the line. Obviously, I will need those gizmos on each end of the track.
3) I would really like it if I could have two Engines on each end of the SINGLE TRAIN. I want to be very clear about this because it could be confusing. I have no interest in running two separate TRAINS on a single track. What I mean is.....Imagine the train running from right to left. On the far right you would have the Engine that pulls the whole train, followed by the normal cars. Traditionally, at the end of the normal cars you would have a caboose. Ok..instead of having a caboose, I would like to have another engine, but it would still be hooked up to all the other cars and would be pulled by the Engine in the front.
Why?
Because once the traditional looking train going from right to left reaches the end of the line and reverses to go back, it's going to look pretty stupid to see a train run backwards. If I had an engine on each end, it would appear the train is being pulled in the correct direction (forward) no matter which way it is running. (IE right to left OR left to right) Either way, there would be an engine at the "front."
I can do a rough diagram here: (<<<) denotes cars and direction......such as : Engine<<<<<<<<Engine. Then when it reverses: Engine>>>>>>Engine.
I would love it if BOTH engines actually functioned. I imagine I could put a "dummy" engine on one end which mechanically would not actually function, but then that would mean the real engine is either going forward (pulling) or going backwards (pushing) I am not fond of this idea. I would like to have two engines that actually function mechanically. So engine (A) would pull the train around the track to the final destination, and then it would reverse course where Engine (B) on the other end would pull the train back around to the starting point. Rinse, repeat.
The picture will not be my exact layout, but the point is, there will be curves, and the track will never "loop" or connect.
Also, I would really like the engines to make noise. I'm thinking Diesel engines is probably what I am going to go with, so some diesel engine sounds would be a nice touch. HOWEVER, I would like to have the option of turning the sound/s off and just watching the train run back and forth along my wall.
Mouthful I know, but please help. Thank you so much. And YES, I have ruled out HO scale. It's too big for my liking on this particular project. And please remember, I am as newbie as it gets, but I know what I want in my head.
Let me tell you a little about myself so you get a feel for what kind of hobbyist I am when it comes to trains. I love them. I don't know why.
I like to watch them run. That's it. I have zero to very little desire to build a "scene" or even a "theme" really. I definitely do not care anything about scenery or building an exact replica of XYZ train from XYZ year....... I just like to watch them run. No interest at all of joining a group of guys or gals at the hobby club to run trains. I just want to see a train running back and forth on my wall.
So here's what I'm thinking. I want to build a point to point / or / and an automatic reversing track layout around the middle of my living room wall. When I say middle, I mean about 4 ft from the floor. It will go around some corners of course but basically I want it to start at one end, run the length of the track, then when it reaches the end, I want it to auto reverse and go back to where it came from.
There are at least 3 problems with this:
1) The length of the whole track will be about 36 ft, give or take 3 or 5 feet. I don't know if one "controller" will be enough to provide enough power. So the electrical issue (??) is part of my problem. Will I need more than one controller? A power booster somewhere along the layout?
2) I don't know what "gizmos" I need to make the train slow down as it gets to the end before it smashes into the "end of the line." And, I don't know what "gizmos" I need to make it auto reverse direction once it reaches the end of the line. Obviously, I will need those gizmos on each end of the track.
3) I would really like it if I could have two Engines on each end of the SINGLE TRAIN. I want to be very clear about this because it could be confusing. I have no interest in running two separate TRAINS on a single track. What I mean is.....Imagine the train running from right to left. On the far right you would have the Engine that pulls the whole train, followed by the normal cars. Traditionally, at the end of the normal cars you would have a caboose. Ok..instead of having a caboose, I would like to have another engine, but it would still be hooked up to all the other cars and would be pulled by the Engine in the front.
Why?
Because once the traditional looking train going from right to left reaches the end of the line and reverses to go back, it's going to look pretty stupid to see a train run backwards. If I had an engine on each end, it would appear the train is being pulled in the correct direction (forward) no matter which way it is running. (IE right to left OR left to right) Either way, there would be an engine at the "front."
I can do a rough diagram here: (<<<) denotes cars and direction......such as : Engine<<<<<<<<Engine. Then when it reverses: Engine>>>>>>Engine.
I would love it if BOTH engines actually functioned. I imagine I could put a "dummy" engine on one end which mechanically would not actually function, but then that would mean the real engine is either going forward (pulling) or going backwards (pushing) I am not fond of this idea. I would like to have two engines that actually function mechanically. So engine (A) would pull the train around the track to the final destination, and then it would reverse course where Engine (B) on the other end would pull the train back around to the starting point. Rinse, repeat.
The picture will not be my exact layout, but the point is, there will be curves, and the track will never "loop" or connect.
Also, I would really like the engines to make noise. I'm thinking Diesel engines is probably what I am going to go with, so some diesel engine sounds would be a nice touch. HOWEVER, I would like to have the option of turning the sound/s off and just watching the train run back and forth along my wall.
Mouthful I know, but please help. Thank you so much. And YES, I have ruled out HO scale. It's too big for my liking on this particular project. And please remember, I am as newbie as it gets, but I know what I want in my head.
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