I've not built it, but is seems someone on this forum has recently started, or was it re-started a thread on this layout. As I think more about it, it might have been in the electrical section dealing with how to wire reversing loops.Hello Happy Members !
Has anyone ever built the famous Granite Gorge and Northern layout in N scale ? Thanks for your replies.
OMG ! Am I hooked by the N scale ?
One of the cool things about this layout is that despite its apparent complexity, there ARE no reversing loops! I had (and still have) the Atlas book this was in as a kid and spent hours staring at this layout imagining the possibilities. I'm now in my 50s and looking to finally get back to it. I built the table, but never got much farther than laying some track. And I can see that a lot has changed since the early 90s!I've not built it, but is seems someone on this forum has recently started, or was it re-started a thread on this layout. As I think more about it, it might have been in the electrical section dealing with how to wire reversing loops.
That’s a sweet track plan, I’ve never seen it beforeHello Happy Members !
Has anyone ever built the famous Granite Gorge and Northern layout in N scale ? Thanks for your replies.
OMG ! Am I hooked by the N scale ?
I like the plan, compact but with a lot of interest potential.Hello Happy Members !
Has anyone ever built the famous Granite Gorge and Northern layout in N scale ? Thanks for your replies.
OMG ! Am I hooked by the N scale ?
Wow! There's a whole lot going on here. Love the disappearing loops and intricacy of the plan. Looks like a fun layout to run.Hello Yes. I (we) built the GGN in HO scale three times. I converted to n scale in 2021. Decided to build it again. John Armstrong did a fantastic job with the original design. I added a few things...
Here is my reworked design. It fits into 75 by 51 inches, with extra bump-out wings at both ends (to permit larger radius curves.) I just built the bump-outs with styrofoam slabs and caulk.
View attachment 184351
Here is a "in-progress" picture. I used styrofoam for the scenery- really fast to build up. I use the NCE PowerCab to run up to 6 trains at a time, and idle another 6 to 8 units and only use about 1/2 of the controller current.
View attachment 184352
How big is the minimum table size for Ho, and what’s the minimum radius for curves?Hello Yes. I (we) built the GGN in HO scale three times. I converted to n scale in 2021. Decided to build it again. John Armstrong did a fantastic job with the original design. I added a few things...
Here is my reworked design. It fits into 75 by 51 inches, with extra bump-out wings at both ends (to permit larger radius curves.) I just built the bump-outs with styrofoam slabs and caulk.
View attachment 184351
Here is a "in-progress" picture. I used styrofoam for the scenery- really fast to build up. I use the NCE PowerCab to run up to 6 trains at a time, and idle another 6 to 8 units and only use about 1/2 of the controller current.
View attachment 184352
If you go with HO, I strongly suggest 5x9 feet. Less than this and you get into trouble with track on the very edge of the table, and tight curves. Use flextracks wherever you can- it is a LOT easier. I cannot recall the interior radius of the inner-most loop, but I think it was a bit tight for 85 foot cars.How big is the minimum table size for Ho, and what’s the minimum radius for curves?
Thank you for correcting me. I tracked down the thread that I was thinking about. It is on another forum. In that case the builder had modified the plan. One of those modifications was to had added a crossover on the far left (as below) that caused the reversing loop problems. Sorry for any confusion I caused with my post.One of the cool things about this layout is that despite its apparent complexity, there ARE no reversing loops!