N gauge size options - South West Scotland plan

[barney121e]

Hi all

 

Following a house move I have a dedicated train room. I think N gauge is the way to go but thought I would ask people's view on possible layout sizes. I could do a 8x4 or 10x4 as will have access to the two long sides and one of the short sides. But was also thinking I could do 8x6 with a 4x2 well in the middle. So my main question would be would the well be better for track with easier curves or would the 4ft be sufficient and provide lots of space for a village/townscape.

 

Any views much appreciated.

Edited February 22, 2018 by barney121e

[DCB]

8 X 6 with a well should provide a better railway experience with easier curves, but a 2ft well is a bit tight and how do you get in to the well, while 8 X 4 should provide lots of room for a model village and is darned near impossible to reach the back of. I would go for a 3ft wide well.  My old spare bedroom layout in 00 was only about 18" wide at its widest, but it was 60" off the floor.

[njee20]

If you can reach both long edges why have a well at all?

[Harlequin]

How about: 2ft deep scenic board, 2ft 6in well (same width as a normal doorway), 18in fiddle yard board.

 

2ft wide end boards and the whole thing either 8ft long, or better 10ft long if you can do it.

Edited January 29, 2018 by Harlequin

[barney121e]

8 X 6 with a well should provide a better railway experience with easier curves, but a 2ft well is a bit tight and how do you get in to the well, while 8 X 4 should provide lots of room for a model village and is darned near impossible to reach the back of. I would go for a 3ft wide well. My old spare bedroom layout in 00 was only about 18" wide at its widest, but it was 60" off the floor.

Hi I would have access to both 8ft sides and 1 of the 4ft sides hence my thought on no well.

[Zomboid]

So how big is the room? Where are the doors, windows, radiators, other fixed points that you'll have to work round? What else will you want to fit in there? (Eg work bench, rolling stock storage wardrobe...).

No need to be fixed on a rectangular layout if it's going to be a permanent home setup, as well.

[barney121e]

So how big is the room? Where are the doors, windows, radiators, other fixed points that you'll have to work round? What else will you want to fit in there? (Eg work bench, rolling stock storage wardrobe...).

No need to be fixed on a rectangular layout if it's going to be a permanent home setup, as well.

 

Well room is about 12 1/2 feet by 8ft (wall to chimney breast] window and radiator on right as you walk in on 8ft wall. Door opens to the left and when open door to wall is 9ft.

[Vanders]

Unless you really like scenary, or are planning to build Che Tor, bear in mind that more is not always better when it comes to N. You can all too easily end up with a lot of space to fill.

[DCB]

Well room is about 12 1/2 feet by 8ft (wall to chimney breast] window and radiator on right as you walk in on 8ft wall. Door opens to the left and when open door to wall is 9ft.

Pretty much the same size as my old spare room layout which was 00 gauge and was about 18" at its widest with the idea the room could still function as a bedroom.

Also the layout crossed over the doorway with a lifting section at an angle which allowed the door to open and 60" clearance under the board.  I would certainly suggest a layout around the outside of the room rather than a table in the centre if it is to be permanent.  Keeping it high is also good, my 60" is a bit extreme but 36" gives a lot of storage volume underneath and depending on your stature can give a good viewing height sitting down.   12 X 8 equates to 24 X 16 in 00 and that means scale length passenger trains are most definitely do able.    Just watch the operating well sizes if you scale down a 00 scheme, though using a CJ Freezer 00 scale plan and simply laying N gauge track and narrowing down the track centres could result in a cracking good N scale layout.

[DavidB-AU]

The room sounds big enough for that sort of layout. I would also recommend around the walls with an operating area in the middle.

 

A few things worth considering.

 

Is it possible to put in a sliding door to get a bit more room?

 

Have you considered a 2-level layout to get a longer run of main line? 48" and 60" from the floor might be practical. A grand terminus on the upper level, nice long run of main line (possibly through industrial/urban/suburban scenery) around whatever walls are available, into a tunnel, down 12" through the helix (a quick calculation suggests you'd only need 3.5 laps of 18-19" radius at about 1 in 45), out of a tunnel (possibly into country scenery) then to the fiddle yard at the far end.

 

48" for the lowest level also gives you the option of a slide out modelling bench underneath.

 

Cheers

David

Edited February 9, 2018 by DavidB-AU

[Joseph_Pestell]

Long and thin is always better than short and wide.

 

I'm not sure if I have fully understood the room plan but it sounds as though the best solution would be around three walls.

[Karhedron]

If you can build around the edge with a well in the middle, this may be better.

 

It may sound like stating the obvious but curves are less obvious when you are on the inside of them. When you are outside a circle, you can always see that the train is going round and round. When you are on the inside, your perspective is reversed and so the train always appears to be going past you. This makes a big difference to the sense of realism.

 

You will need to address access of course but if you have the entire room at your disposal, this is well worth considering.

[barney121e]

Hi All

 

This is plan of my room. All measurements are in inches. More inclined for N gauge and have picked up a book called 'The Port Road' about the Dumfries to Stranraer line and will hopefully base plan on one or two of the stations on the line. Some of the stations have a lot of track whilst others are just line and a siding. Not too interested in a terminus as prefer to see trains run. So if anyone can suggest best use of room that would be great.

[DavidB-AU]

A removable section across the doorway would give you a lot more options, or if possible replace it with a sliding door (50" off the floor isn't bad for a duck under).

 

Cheers

David

[Chris M]

Unless you really like scenary, or are planning to build Che Tor, bear in mind that more is not always better when it comes to N. You can all too easily end up with a lot of space to fill.

It all depends what you want but I would take the opposite view. For me the whole point of N gauge is that you can create the spectacle of trains running through the countryside; something that you need a lot of space for in larger scales.

[Chris M]

Before deciding on how to arrange the room and baseboards do you know what you want from the layout?

You could model quite a few stations on a branch line or preserved line, you might just want as many tracks as possible on a busy main line, maybe a model of a real place or not too much track going through great scenery. Deciding this first may help in deciding how best to configure the room. The type of layout wanted will to a degree decide how you use the space.

 

N gauge trains do look nice going through countryside.

 

 

 

[barney121e]

Well would like to do a real place of sorts on the Dumfries to Stranraer line. It was a single line with passing places at stations. Very scenic so was thinking of 2 stations but not sure where to put a fiddle yard as there were no tunnels on line.

[Joseph_Pestell]

Lack of tunnels is not a problem. Cuttings, road bridges and strategically placed buildings can all hide the entrance to a fiddleyard.

 

Love your choice of the Port Road.

 

Is the layout to be fixed in situ or made portable for exhibition If fixed, your fiddleyard (or staging if you prefer the US term), can be around the outer edge of room behind a low backscene with the scenic part in front.

[barney121e]

The layout will be a stay at home one. The fiddle yard idea is interesting, especially if I have a quiet station where the fiddle yard is.

[barney121e]

Just a small update on things. The layout size is not set in stone but two possible stations have emerged. One is called Dunragit (which also has a rail connected creamery) or Tarff on the Kirkcudbright branch line. Tarff is sort of my favourite but is only a single line with a couple of sidings which were used for anything from a creamery to unloading Churchill tanks.

 

If anyone knows anything about these two places, let me know.

 

Thanks 

[Ian Smeeton]

I am far too young to remember the Port Road, however I did take a trip to Stranraer in 1982 from Paisley.

 

Glenwhilly appeals

 

Glenwhilly was still shown in the working Time Tables then for certain trains to stop to collect Railwaymens wives for shopping in Stranraer.

 

 

Signalbox

 

 

Approach from the North

 

 

Token Exchange

 

 

The Scenery from the train. High summer, but bleak does not begin to describe it!

 

 

Delayed down train approaching. (well, it delayed us!)

 

 

The bare necessities of life being delivered. No Deliveroo or dial a pizza here!

 

Regards

 

Ian

 

 

 

Edited February 22, 2018 by Ian Smeeton

[Marly51]

Just a small update on things. The layout size is not set in stone but two possible stations have emerged. One is called Dunragit (which also has a rail connected creamery) or Tarff on the Kirkcudbright branch line. Tarff is sort of my favourite but is only a single line with a couple of sidings which were used for anything from a creamery to unloading Churchill tanks.

 

If anyone knows anything about these two places, let me know.

 

Thanks

 

Hi Barney, interesting project. Do you have a prototype in mind for your creamery? I am trying to find some typical building details and features of a Scottish creamery/milk depot. Hoping to produce a model based on Merchiston Station, Edinburgh with associated Edinburgh & Dumfriesshire Dairy Depot sidings, timber yard, stone works and finding very few reference images apart from some good mapping details and photos, mainly of English and Welsh creameries? I still need to check through Caledonian Railway books as well.

 

Marlyn

[barney121e]

Hi Barney, interesting project. Do you have a prototype in mind for your creamery? I am trying to find some typical building details and features of a Scottish creamery/milk depot. Hoping to produce a model based on Merchiston Station, Edinburgh with associated Edinburgh & Dumfriesshire Dairy Depot sidings, timber yard, stone works and finding very few reference images apart from some good mapping details and photos, mainly of English and Welsh creameries? I still need to check through Caledonian Railway books as well.

 

Marlyn

 

I haven't got a creamery in mind at the moment. Trying to get station sorted and then work form there, but if/when I find something will let you know.

[Ian Smeeton]

You mentioned Dunragit up-thread.

 

I only have couple of not very good shots.

 

 

 

Over 30  years ago but I think that the location is correct.

 

Regards

 

Ian

 

[Joseph_Pestell]

A removable section across the doorway would give you a lot more options, or if possible replace it with a sliding door (50" off the floor isn't bad for a duck under).

 

Cheers

David

 

Given that Barney is looking for a mainly single track railway and a permanently fixed layout, I don't think that we need a bridge across the doorway. In N, it should be just as good, or better, to have loops either end.