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New N Gauger Help !


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Hello I am new to this forum and I am in the planning stages of a 4ft x 2 ft N gauge layout in dc and i need some questions that need anwsering please:

 

1) Can you use OO gauge controllers (the one i have it the Hornby one with the red dial) with n gauge as my budget for this layout is never going to be an endless pot of money

 

2) How easy is flexi track to use compared to the sectional counterpart (all peco)

 

3) Will the Farish and Dapol DMU'S run on 1st radius curves - the ones im interested in are the class 170 in (scott-rail livery and the southern turbostar) + Good and Bad Points to do with this model , any past experiances

 

Is there any layouts in this forum and others with a simmilar size???

 

Many Thanks

 

Looney Loco

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Hello,

 

to your questions about the DMU's GraFar said, that their locos will run round a 9" radius curve.

 

Here is a link to a small WR layout build by a fellow in our german british railway modelling forum. The text is in german, but the pictures are quite good.

 

My link

 

Markus

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Flexi track is easy to use, however if you want sharp curves it is often better to use set track as the radius will then be consistent. Using flexi track, it is possible to create what looks like a smooth radius curve only to find that parts are much sharper than others causing derailments.

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00 gauge controllers will work for N gauge, however you may find that the lowest possible speed with the controller is a bit fast on an N gauge loco. N gauge controllers tend to have a bit more resistance so they are better suited to a motor that draws less current.

 

A lot of people use settrack for their very tight curves and flexitrack for the rest, because as Kris has said it is often difficult to keep a constant radius on flexitrack. On more gentle curves this doesn't matter.

 

Farish recommend 12" minimum radius for several of their locos, though I'm not sure about the 170. I'd suggest you stretch to 12" minimum if you can.

 

The Farish 170 is a smooth and quiet runner, however it doesn't have lights or close coupling and the chassis fills all of one of the coaches so it is not possible to model the interior. The Farish 150 and Dapol 156 just launched are much better models than the 170 or the 158 (but the 156 is also much more expensive and hard to find). There are threads on both these units in the "old" RMWeb forum.

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Thank you for the advice and I now need a plan for the same size but bigger radii I'm thinking of this one:

 

The size 48in x 26 in not for operational use , more as a hobby in year 11 and also to watch the trains go buy and something to indulge my love for the modern image rolling stock of the uk / london.:)

 

Idea7.jpg

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The Hornby controller will work with N gauge models, but I believe that those particular controllers aren't very good for any models. I use those controllers that Bachmann sell with their train sets and they are much better than their price would suggest. You can buy them for ??18 at Hattons or for even less on Ebay.

 

http://www.ehattons.com/StockDetail.aspx?SID=19904

 

Oh and I'd add some sidings to your layout plan if you can afford to or else you will run out of space to store rolling stock pretty quickly. :)

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Having that little bit extra storage will make a big difference as you could have two DMU's and perhaps an engineers train when money allows - just adds a little interest with the 'branch line' in to your fiddle yard. I know I built a 'tail-chaser' and regretted not allowing enough space for hidden storage once I was able to afford a few more loco's etc.

 

Good luck.

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I think it would make the layout a lot more interesting if you could extend the double track part into the hidden area so your station becomes a place where a double track becomes single and you can hide a train on the hidden part of the double track. As you have it now, if you put two trains on the loop then one must always be waiting in the station while the other goes round. With a hidden double track a train can wait out of sight instead, which is much more like the real situation with a station of this type - most of the time there will be no train there at all!

 

I would also not try to bend the platforms round into the curved section. You have enough platform for a 3-car train on the straight bit, which is as long as you can fit in the hidden sidings. With the radius you have to use there will be a huge gap between the train and the curved platform.

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Hi there

 

Just a thought, but have you considered "flipping" the scenics and having the station with a single platform, possible with the sidings running off it? This way your loop becomes your fiddle yard and you could keep one train "out of sight" while the other visits the station.

 

Of course, you may prefer to have a "bigger" looking station and on a single track line there is an excuse for trains always meeting at the station!

 

cheers

 

Ben A.

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Guest eddie reffin

If you have a look for "Rockfield Road"in the blog section, then you can see what I have achieved in a small space. The inside track uses standard Setrack curves whilst the outer uses flexible track (only because I didn't have any larger radius curves) Each track has a hidden loop at the rear which is under the town section. If I can get a chance later in the week, I'll scan in the track plan and let you see it but the pics on the blog will give you an idea.

 

As for the units, the 170 and 156 will go round the inside no problems at all. Only problem I have is when the voyager runs as there is an interference problem between the bogie towers and driveshafts. Not much of a prblem as I didn't buy it for this layout!

 

 

Cheers

Eddie

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Stupid me didnt take all things in to consideration when i measured out the size for the layout...

A access door to the eves in the loft means I may have to lop-off 6 inches from the length of the layout :icon_frustrated:

Negotiations are now underway with mother to try and resolve the disaster :icon_mutter:

 

Hope this does not cause any offence !!!

:icon_frustrated:

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So mainline diesels will run around standard peco N points?

 

All the RTR diesels will happily handle Peco set-track 9" toy train sort of pointwork. If you put a facing point just after a sharp curve they can sometimes be a little temperamental but other than that it works fine and is really useful for fiddle yards. Most of the RTR diesels will do 7" curves just fine, and the shorter BO-BO ones usually handle 6" as do bogie coaches although the result looks quite ridiculous. The Dapol stuff is fussier and most if isn't happy below 9"

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