Layout design
The First Dominoes
The First Dominoes are ready to be constructed. I have come up with a design for a 12' x 2' section of my layout. It will be constructed in two 6' sections. This is a rural town and the industries and track arrangement are fairly accurate to the prototye with the exception of cutting it down from a double track to a single track main. The layout will be 50" or 52" high.
SP Modeling in N-Scale - San Fernando to Lancaster
Hi folks,
I'm tinkering with several ideas for an N-Scale layout in a 2-car garage. My favorite area is that of Tehachapi, but I'm trying to scale-back my grandiose ideas for something more conventional - one that doesn't take up a huge footprint. I want the space to be equally comfortable to my guests as it would for me, so aisle space is at or will be greater than 42". Two decks, with the lower portion at 42", and the upper no higher than 65".
To expand or not....
My layout is a Proto Freelanced version of the Norfolk Franklin and Danville Railway. It is build in the basement of my home and measures out to 25x30 feet. It is an around the walls, point to point railroad and is focused on yard and local switching. I have been tossing around the idea of expanding the railroad to include a top deck. My thoughts are to increase my mainline run and model a few towns along the railroads western end. The problem is should I do i
To Change Scales or Not to Change?
I have been a fan of N scale since the 1970s. I have amassed a big collection of steam, some diesels and hundreds of billboard reefers. The last count I had over 350 reefers. I have all kinds of wood structure kits for N scale. I love the Southern Pacific style of steam engines and the Black Widow paint schemes on the SP diesels. So, I tried to narrow my collecting to SP and western styles. Over the most recent years I have tried to n
Its CHAINSAW time!
Well, its that time - time to start over!
My Monongahela/Midland Atlantic/PRR Trenton Cutoff layout has come to an end. Such is the inevitable end result of letting one's mind and modeling interests wander while building a model railroad layout. Add to that the fact that I was trying to cram two pounds of you know what into a one pound sack and it becomes obvious that this my efforts would not turn out well!
Is 2n + 1 overkill for staging?
2n+1 is a formula Tony Koester came up with, though not an actual formula, the ideas is in Layout Design, plan for the number of trains you think you will run and therefore need staging tracks for, double that number and add one, because one always seems to run out of staging.
New Position Light Signals
Hi Folks, I have been working on some new signals and thought I would show the group. The store bought ones seem to expensive and most of the time are not to scale. I have combined a TrainCat kit with Oregon Rail Supply heads. I cut the backs off the heads and use just face and hoods... not perfect but pretty good. The LEDs are surface mount without lenses (from Mouser) and I am using Zebra Wire to hook them up. I glue the LEDs to the head with gap filling ACC. How does it look... any suggestions?
Don Carman
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