Reviving my N-scale


H

Hank4014

Member
My brother recently cleaned his basement and found my N-scale trains that he has torn up when he felt like being, well, a younger brother.

Now I have all this track (Atlas) and was planning to make a 'permanent' layout for my son to run (currently, he has a lot of HO stuff, but the house is too small for a permanent layout, so the EZTrack only comes out on long weekends)

I used SCARM to 'convert' his HO "when we have a bigger house" plan to N scale, and it will fit into a 2' x 4' space. It will need to be stored under his bed. I already have most of the track I'll need.

The problems? What should I use as a layout base? Foam core, or wood? If I use foam core, should I use cork to raise the track bed above the level of the board? (he'll probably add some scenery over time).

The track I have was once ballasted, and the remains of the glue and 20 plus years of disuse are on the rails. Is there a 'fast' way to clean them? I'm on a budget for this, so all-new track isn't an option.
 
Use quality 1"x2" boards to build a frame,cover the frame with a 1/4" plywood handy panel then frame that all the way around with 1"x3" (a little protection for derailments)

You could put a half or three quarter inch piece of Styrofoam on to to use for a scenery base.

Just some hints for you feel free to reject if you don't like them.:)
 
I would use soundboard for the base and like catt said 1x2's trim it out with pine,the reason I say soundboard is
1.holds track nails well
2.when you put the first coat of paint on it use that as the glue for your first layer of grass
3.It's really light

N
 
Soaking your old track in water should soften the glue and allow the ballast to be removed. A bright boy or fine emery cloth should clean up the tops of the rails.
 
I've decided to go with 3/8" plywood, with 1x3 pine under it. I'll be installing low-profile casters to make it easier to roll out. I ordered cork sheets for roadbed.

Before laying any roadbed or track, we're going to paint it either a medium brown or a dark sand color.

Measured the actual space we have to store the layout, and we're going with 3x4 instead of 2x4; made some modifications to the layout and it gives us a good 5-6 inches to mount the electrical controls since we're going with old-school DC (Atlas controllers and selectors).
 

Attachments

  • nscale 3x4.jpg
    nscale 3x4.jpg
    192.8 KB · Views: 143
Last edited by a moderator:
Why not mount the controls on a shelf under the layout? That would free up more space for your trains. I would recommend not filling up the extra space with a lot of track but it would give you a place for some more running. Don't overlook the value of more scenery and the ability to separate sections of the layout from others with the extra real estate.
 
The purpose of this layout is a summer project for my eight-year-old and I; our home doesn't have enough space for a permanent HO layout, so he rarely gets to use his trains (it requires permission from my significant other to occupy the entire living room with EZ-Track). Since the only place for the layout to be stored is under his bed, it's going to be floor level, on rollers. No space for a shelf for controls underneath.

Can't wait for him to discover what it's like trying to run multiple trains without DCC...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.



Back
Top