...

Only the larger scales work well outdoors.

What are you missing?

One of those things that doesn't scale at all.

Wind.

I've run on N-Trak modules set up outside in an open tent in Florida. Trains got blown over all the time, to the point the general response was "Who's dumb idea was it to do this, anyway?". If you're running on the ground, you MIGHT be better off. The boundary layer (the unmoving bubble of air surrounding any object moving in air) is thickest on large objects. You could stand on top of a big airship like the Akron or Macon and not get your hat blown off. MAYBE running on the ground will help this issue, maybe not. Depends on your exact geography, I suspect.

Then there's track cleaning.

You're going to spend an inordinate amount of time cleaning the track... not for conductivity (if you use battery power, which is still an unproven technology in N scale... more on that later.) but for debris. It doesn't take much to derail an N scale train, especially one with the now ubiquitous low profile wheels. Cleaning 1000 feet of track in sufficient detail to remove all obstacles that will inhibit good running will be a tedious task.

Now, about those batteries...

Even lithium batteries small enough to fit in an N scale locomotive... ESPECIALLY something as small or smaller than let's say an F7... will typically be 700-1000 mAh or less. They'll take an hour or more to charge, and cost about $30 dollars apiece on average. Cell phone batteries are too big. You'll need packs capable of producing at least 7.2 volts (2 cell), preferably 10.8 volts (3 cell). In the physical size you'll need them, (less than .75" x .75" x 3"), if you can even get them in that size and rating, you're probably looking at a run time of somewhere between 20 minutes and an hour, depending on the individual locomotives and the load. (Remember, you're not just running the motor, but also effects, and a receiver/transceiver that will eat a lot of power itself.)  That's not enough for an operation session on the size layout you describe. To go from end to end should take 2 hours or more.

I've been fighting the Battery War myself in N scale, not for dead track running, but for a wireless traincam. The only practical solution right now is 9 volt rechargeables, and they still only last about an hour or so. There's a small 6 volt lead acid rechargeable that would be about right, but it's just a shade too wide, and almost half an inch too tall to clear overhead obstructions, even running in a container well car.

Wind, rain, debris

Barr_ceo: Well, it was a poor attempt at humor. If I'd given this any though I could have staged some trains put in a planter with leaves the size a tanker ships in N scale. We also get about 200" of rain a year! Seriously.

Batteries, btw, are in fact making their way into N scale locos and trailing cars or engines. People post on the Dead Rail Society web page occasionally. I am actually a big fan and use them in my On30 engines. It may seem expensive or difficult but may also be a choice in the future. The ultimate "keep-alive" system with charging through the rails. Frogs and misaligned switch points are no problem. 

Thanks guys for being good sports. No new scales for me!

Experiment first

I would experiment first before committing to the full project. Build a 2x4 or 4x8 sized layout in the garden and see how it stands up to the conditions there.

Also, Neil, how old are you? I just turned 45, and for the past 2 or 3 years I have been relying increasingly on reading glasses to see things. While I do still model in N-scale, I cannot imagine trying to lay track, fiddle with turnouts, or even rerail a model on a close-to-the-ground layout, as an elevated one is more than sufficient a challenge for me. 

Now, one thing you could do, topography permitting, is put in an operating pit next to a staging yard, and cover it all with a shed. This way you have a permanent storage space for the rolling stock, and you can get down to eye level with them without have to make like a snake and sprawl yourself on your belly.

~AJK

57 & Nearsighted lol

AJ: I am lucky or meant to build models. As I get older my vision up close seems to improve even if I can't make out much beyond arms length. Multi-focal contacts are amazing but I still need reading glasses when wearing these. 

I recently built some model kits in Nn3 and love the little guys but no one else around here can see them! 

Your timing was off...

Your timing was off... timestamp for your original post as shown above (and when I replied to it) was on April 2nd.

Still thinking about a garden line

Barr_ceo - yeah. A problem with being in not only a different time zone but apart by several. 

I actually do have quite a bit a space around the perimeter of the yard and wonder what a practical small size/scale could be used out there. The idea of bringing all the cars to a covered staging or storage area could work but we also get a lot of rain. 

How would one go about drawing a scale "floor plan" of the area without a transit? I've been thinking that a couple of baselines could be established and measure each way off of these. Elevation change could be measured roughly with a water level and a fixed "zero" point.  

It has been so nice out lately that tbis idea seems to have merit!

N gauge outside, you are a

N gauge outside, you are a brave man!

Only one I saw that survived for any length of time was built at ground level around an operating pit. Doesn't take much to derail it. I have never gone smaller then HO outdoors.

Well weighted HO or S can survive reasonably well I found, but even O gauge can get blown over sometimes. O survives tree litter on the track better than the smaller scales.

Bob Comerford

No-Rail

You can always do what I did.................rip up the rails and make life a lot easier.