by "Kiltedpadre" (kiltedpadre)
Published 10/04/2017 at 17:40
by "Kiltedpadre" (kiltedpadre)
Published 10/04/2017 at 17:40
Tags: Choochoo
; model train
STARS: 4
Any model railroaders among us?
When my dad passed away several years ago I inherited quite a few S gauge trains and a selection of track pieces as well. Now that I have a basement that isn’t stuffed full of stuff I’d like to build a layout.
Anyone here know any good online sources for layout ideas? I’m hoping to find something small that can be built with a single sheet of plywood as a base. I am considering cutting the plywood into some form of shape where it’ll be more of an L shape tucked into a corner of the basement, but I need to check the minimum radius for turns in the track to be sure that’ll work.
In terms of scenery I’m going to keep things fairly simple to start. I will probably just layout roadways and the track on a “grass” base to start and slowly look into adding buildings down the road.
Anyone here have a layout they’d be interested in sharing?
"CaptDale - is secretly British" (captdale)
10/04/2017 at 17:49, STARS: 2
I used to have an HO set, but I haven’t bought stuff in years.
"TheHondaBro" (wwaveform)
10/04/2017 at 17:50, STARS: 1
Just the Lego stuff. I have several train-related projects in progress with no progress made in about a year.
"user314" (user314)
10/04/2017 at 17:54, STARS: 0
I used to do HO scale stuff, probably 30 years ago now. Had a subscription to Model Railroader Magazine that I learned a lot of stuff from. I still do dioramas though; Michaels and eBay are a godsend for scenery supplies.
"Kiltedpadre" (kiltedpadre)
10/04/2017 at 18:00, STARS: 1
I’ve flipped through Model Railroader issues at the local library, but they don’t seem to have a lot of information for getting started with a small footprint layout. The S gauge sizing seems to be somewhat of an odd man out which doesn’t help. I see tons of info for HO and some for O but that’s about it.
I have made notes of some of their scenery ideas that seem like a good idea for down the road though.
I had an N gauge layout that was stored under my bed as a kid, and I have a G gauge set that is part of my Christmas decorations.
"Mondial goes to 11" (mondialgoesto11)
10/04/2017 at 18:36, STARS: 0
I’ve never heard of S gauge until today so good luck in your search. Seems to be uncommon even though 1:64 is quite logical. You could probably use O scale layouts as a start. I now only do LEGO scale.
"Kiltedpadre" (kiltedpadre)
10/04/2017 at 18:47, STARS: 0
Yeah, the scale is nice since it lets me use the nicer Hot Wheels style cars as part of the layout.
I finally found out some info after posting this relating to available curve radius for the track which will be a big help in terms of determining the overall shape of the layout. The image search I did sent me down the rabbit hole that revealed that discovery.
"Mondial goes to 11" (mondialgoesto11)
10/04/2017 at 18:51, STARS: 0
The 1:64 scale really makes sense. I’m confused as to why it never caught on with model railroading. Just inertia I suppose?
"Kiltedpadre" (kiltedpadre)
10/04/2017 at 19:07, STARS: 0
Part of what I read while on my little trip down the rabbit hole helped explain that.
Apparently the larger O gauge trains can use tracks of very close to the same minimum diameter for curves. So there was no benefit in terms of footprint of an S gauge layout, and by having the trains be physically larger in O gauge they could be better detailed.
"daender" (daender)
10/04/2017 at 20:04, STARS: 0
The internet is your biggest source for layouts besides model railroading magazines. http://www.thortrains.net/sgauge/sglaydex.html
That said, I recommend researching for local model railroading groups. A common trend right now are guys joining together as a club to build a huge layout with their combined might rather than each of them having a small layout. You can actually roleplay scenarios on layouts involving moving specific freight from one yard to another and etc.
Grand Stand Model Railroad Club based out of Myrtle Beach, SC has a huge layout that’s the result of 15 or 20 members chipping in their time, money, and supplies to build an epic display.
"Kiltedpadre" (kiltedpadre)
10/04/2017 at 20:46, STARS: 0
Thanks for the first link. I hadn’t run across that site yet and so far I like how it’s set up.
I actually talked to the owner of a local model train shop about clubs in the area and the only one is dedicated to Lionel trains. Mine are all American Flyer.
"daender" (daender)
10/04/2017 at 21:14, STARS: 0
Yeah, O Scale and HO Scale are the most popular due to their detail (O) or affordability (HO). N-scale is great if you’re restricted on space but man is it hard to handle those things! Make sure to gently run your engines around for a few minutes if they’ve been sitting for a long time and check the condition of your tracks!
"Stephenson Valve Gear" (stephensonvalvegear)
10/04/2017 at 21:48, STARS: 1
I’ve been in N scale and HO scale in the past, but to be honest, I’m not good at scenery... plus, my focus tends to be on the trains themselves. I now concentrate on collecting & repairing antique O gauge windup trains, and I have a small layout dedicated to them in the house. But then... I also have a live steam railroad outside that runs through the woods around my house... :D
"Kiltedpadre" (kiltedpadre)
10/04/2017 at 23:04, STARS: 1
I would love to one day have a real steam railroad outside. When I was a teen my parents had a G scale set-up that ran through their garden outside. It was neat, but I think the bulk of my time was spent sanding the tracks between uses to get rid of corrosion.
"Stephenson Valve Gear" (stephensonvalvegear)
10/05/2017 at 21:28, STARS: 1
One of the great things about the live steam trains and the windup trains: No track cleaning, no stalling due to dirty rails - ever! OK, I do have to take the leaf blower and clear the leaves off the track this time of year, but that is mainly for traction issues. Wet leaves deposit a black slime on the railheads when the train runs over them, and that slime is almost as slick as ice. Most of the G scale guys around here have gone to onboard battery power and/or live steam to eliminate the dirty rail problems.
The live steam railroad is a lot of fun, but it is also a lot of work...
"Stephenson Valve Gear" (stephensonvalvegear)
10/05/2017 at 22:07, STARS: 0
Bonus live steam photo, the coal burner with a freight train. It’s a blast to run.
"Kiltedpadre" (kiltedpadre)
10/05/2017 at 23:00, STARS: 1
I promise I won’t let my wife know that you’re responsible for me to start reading up on getting started with a live steam set. It won’t happen for a long while, but this is something right up my alley.
"Stephenson Valve Gear" (stephensonvalvegear)
10/06/2017 at 18:09, STARS: 1
(Insert evil sounding laugh here)