really really new.....


B

bpalmer

New Member
hello gang, i am bob, 48 in sw ohio. cant say that i ever cared much about trains. at least not until my 1st train ride about 1 years ago when i took thr durango silverton railway . i am now in a position where i can start a new hobby. i would love that to be model railroads. i have a preference to start with n scale indoor,thrn maybe go up to g scale for outdoors. i would like to start with a replica of the durango silverton steam locomotive. i would love to hear reccomendations as to manufactures,places to go to learn more about this hobby.
i do have quite a bit of automotive electrical and mechanical experience.
thanks in advance
bob
 
Bob, welcome aboard. That ride on the Durango and Silverton is really something, isn't it? Did you do the Georgetown loop while you were there too? I'd recommend you start with www.nmra.com and go through the beginners guide. That will give you a lot of information about the state of the hobby today and help crystalize your thoughts on what scale wand what kind of layout you might want. Your electrical skills will come in very handy, since no electricity means no fun running trains. :)
 
Hi Bob If thats the RR your looking into I could suggest you look at models that run on HOn3 track. Its HO scale engines that run on N scale track. the D&S is a "narrow gauge" railway and HOn3 is what you would need to model it closely. I dont know the exact locos that the D&S operate but this place has alot of narrow gauge stuff. http://narrowgaugecolorado.com/?name=Catalog&mode=d&id=067
regardless what scale you go with you have plenty of options. N scale or HoN3 will allow for tighter radius and be better for a layout in a small space. N and Ho is more common and will have more options as far as cars and locos. Learn about DCC systems to operate your layout, I think you will consider this a pretty cool advancement in model trains with all the options it will give you. Ask us plenty of questions as we get new members every day and do the best we can to get you on the right track!
 
Bob, welcome aboard! There's some real nice people here that can guide you along. No one here is judgmental and no question is stupid. There is a lot of different things to learn and do it and that what makes it a great hobby! Some people like different aspects of it then others. You will have to learn what is you like. Having ridden the D & S, I would guess you like scenery. Here's my best picture from my trip there a few years back.
 
thanks for the warm welcome folks ! gary , you are right about liking the scenery,it is breathtaking! i lived in arvada/golden area for 22 years and i miss it terribly.
i love the scenery i have seen on this site and look forward to the challenges before me. i just had a major shoulder surgery 1 week ago,i still have 5 weeks before i can move it. then i will begin, in the meantime, read,read ,read. i have decided on n scale track with this loco http://narrowgaugecolorado.com/?name=Catalog&mode=i&item=000979 if i can get some direction to how to on mountain scenery i would be thankful !

bp
 
bpalmer said:
i have decided on n scale track with this loco http://narrowgaugecolorado.com/?name=Catalog&mode=i&item=000979
Click to expand...
You need to back up a step there. That is not an N-scale locomotive. That is HO scale narrow gauge or HOn3. It will NOT run on N-scale track. It will need special HOn3 track such as this http://narrowgaugecolorado.com/?name=Catalog&mode=i&item=000305 To run on N-scale track it would have to be HOn2.5 or HOn30" which is not prototypical for the Silverton line.

Then another thing. I presume you noticed that the Prec Scale K28 is a pre-order? It appears it might be going into production now but you will be waiting for about a year to get the model.

For mountain scenery I've started using a foam base just because it is so light weight and easy to work with. When I need specific hard rock formations I add those in as plaster casts. I never put plaster hard shell over wire mesh screens anymore. Too messy, too hard to work with, and not flexible at all.
 
Hi Bob and Welcome to the forum, you'll enjoy it here I'm sure!

As W.S. above says the locomotive is an HOn3 which runs on track that is narrower than standard HO but considerably bigger than N guage. The HOn3 equipment is smaller than HO standard gauge equipment in most all cases too but much bigger than N gauge.

HOn3 trackage is True Narrow Gauge and by getting involved you belong to a somewhat
elite group of modelers who go to considerable lengths to recreate scenes as encountered on the D & S, D&RG, D&RGW, C&S etc. Not that us standard gaugers don't try and be detailed too.

The best source for HOn3 track, either flex track or the rail, ties & spikes if your going to start hand laying your track like I do is Micro Engineering in Fenton, Mo. http://microengineering.com/ as they produce some of the best stuff available. I'm in the process of trying to get reistablished with them to be able to offer their line for resale in the near future. There is nothing that looks as real as hand laid code 7o or code 55 rail on wood ties for an HO/HOn3 railroad IMHO, not that flex isn't. I have various shots on the site here showing my HO layout, although a long way from being done, and I may dual gauge a portion of it as I have some HOn3 equipment myself, I just need to determine where I might fit it in and the mines I'm about to try and fit in might just be the places to utlize HOn3? Actually I have a shot of a little Brass HOn3 Saddle Tank Loco in amongst my shots too.

Just as with the prototype HOn3 will be able to handle tighter curves than std HO so you'll be able to fit any given HO track plan into a smaller area or if designing your own you'll be able to fit more in a smaller space. But due to the fact your dealing with HO gauge as far as the size of the people and buildings you still need to allow for much more room than N guage. So the space you have for a layout will somewhat determine what you can do and which way you want to go.

Now, if your dead set staying with N gauge there is Nn3 available too but the cost is probably as much as HOn3 and maybe more?

There's a very well done Magazine, 'Narrow Gauge and Short Line Gazette' which I've subscribed to for years and is full of information and plans on how to build various things.

Hope this has been a help to you.
 
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