As im a total noob i was wondering if they are any books that i could purchase that tells me everything i need to know about starting out?
Im needing help in purchasing a baseboard, deciding on track, layout, electrics, scenery, what locos buildings etc to buy, even down to what tools i need to purchase. Ive even seen people use carriages and trains to test the layout before fixing it down so do i need to buy those first?
Thanks for reading.
This is a difficult question to which you will get numerous replies.
I'd suggest your local model shop as a good starting point (as well as this forum). Generally shop proprietors are happy to pass on knowledge (after all , you may well become a customer).
I think you need to decide on the size (and shape) of your layout first then give consideration as to baseboard. Does the layout need to be portable or will it be static ? That will have a big bearing on the building of the baseboard. If it is to be portable then you may consider building the baseboard in individual sections (to make it easier to move about) but of course, you then have the problem of joining the track each time you assemble the layout.
The reason people try out carriages etc before finally fixing the track is to ensure that they run OK with adequate clearance (ie they don't foul the edges or any platforms) and that they don't derail on awkward points or on sharp bends.
There is so much to consider. Search each section on here for ideas first eg search baseboards or track etc.
Just a few ramblings fro me to get this topic running but as I've said you will get plenty of tips and suggestions from others.
Thanks for the reply.
I'm allowed the spare room as i mentioned in another post but she wants the spare bed still in there :censored: :veryangry:
So I'm thinking 6x3 ft to slide under the bed (bit shorter due to bed legs) and have it set up on top of 3 trestles over the spare bed. As i dont have any rolling stock and its expensive to go out and buy 5 locos etc i was thinking of a loop instead of a fiddle yard and a end to end layout (but then again i like the idea of a fiddle yard i just cant see the point when i will have 1-2 trains running).
My first layout (Port Perran-1) now dismantles was 6x3 and slid under the bed.
It does give you plenty of scope.
PP-1 was a roundy roundy with inner loop but also had two outer tracks (off the larger loop) which led to a small detachable fiddle yard which was 5.5 ft long and about 9 inches wide. This allowed me to have 4 running lines on the fiddle yard so allowing four separate trains to bee set up and ready to run.
The fiddle yard was hidden from the main layout by the scenic backboard and was accessed by supposed tunnels. Easy to do and will give you more operational interest.
I will take a look at that, thanks for the help and suggestions.
Quote from: thetigers123 on December 31, 2016, 01:12:57 PM
As im a total noob i was wondering if they are any books that i could purchase that tells me everything i need to know about starting out?
If it's not already been mentioned yet, the N Gauge Society handbook (which you get when you join) contains pretty much EVERYTHING you need to know when starting out. It's extremely thorough. Joining the NGS is a no-brainer, frankly, but for beginners, the handbook is an essential read. It's over 200 pages long, and solid N-gauge stuff, rather than 00 with bits of N added.
http://www.ngaugesociety.com/index.php?page=handbook (http://www.ngaugesociety.com/index.php?page=handbook)
Subscription is £21 for the first year, when you get the handbook, and £16 thereafter. So basically the handbook is costing you a fiver, which compares extremely favourably with the average railway modelling magazine, let alone book. On top of that you have access to the shop, which will save you a fair bit money if you want to buy kits and stuff. A lot of the NGS exclusive sell on eBay for silly money, well over the cost of the item from the shop even if you plonk the £16 annual subscription on top!
Cheers, NeMo
No never saw that but i will subscribe now, it cost me £20 the other day buying some peco books and layout designs which wasnt very good imo.
Also, with the N Gauge Society you get a bi-monthly magazine which is a good interesting read and also contains hints, tips and ideas.
Just about all you need to make a layout:- http://www.brian-lambert.co.uk/ (http://www.brian-lambert.co.uk/) I ended up buying the paperback version. It can seem a bit heavy with schematics when it comes to some of the electrical stuff, but then again the author is a retired S&T man from the railways.
Peco also do cheap handbooks which you can normal get from your local model shop. They are basic and to the point. Each booklet generally covers one subject. Some of these I also used in my very early days, although a lot cheaper than the Amazon examples.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=peco+book&tag=googhydr-21&index=aps&hvadid=81686045919&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=2977631879887454306&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9045288&hvtargid=kwd-29652670031&ref=pd_sl_98uzae599m_b
(https://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=peco+book&tag=googhydr-21&index=aps&hvadid=81686045919&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=2977631879887454306&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9045288&hvtargid=kwd-29652670031&ref=pd_sl_98uzae599m_b)
The Ngauge Soc, which as already been mentioned, is another recommendation.
Your local model rail club could be very helpful. - let us know roughly where you live and suggestions will follow! Or look here
http://www.ukmodelshops.co.uk (http://www.ukmodelshops.co.uk)
Local mr shows are good for ideas / bits' pieces.
Also have a look at the thread started by newportnobby "A beginers guide to model railways"
http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?topic=35556.0 (http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?topic=35556.0)
Some usefull advice in that already.
As @NeMo (http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?action=profile;u=945) said, joining the NGS for the Handbook is a fine idea. I joined very recently as a newcomer to rail modelling and I have to say it is an excellent read.
Besides the quarterly journal you can also purchase - at low cost - a DVD of years and years of back-copies of the journal.
And of course you can search this great Forum, which in the few months I have been here has supplied me with an amazing array of facts, how to's, things to avoid, tips and ideas.
And it gives you almost immediate answers to most questions you might have, other than the Meaning of Life, but I suspect that won't be long in coming. ;)
Whatever you build, good luck, and a Happy New Year! :thumbsup:
Another good book I would recommend is
'Making a start in N gauge model railways' by Richard Bardsley. Very informative and comprehensive but also very readable.
:beers:
Quote from: thetigers123 on December 31, 2016, 01:12:57 PM
Im needing help in purchasing a baseboard, deciding on track, layout, electrics, scenery, what locos buildings etc to buy, even down to what tools i need to purchase. Ive even seen people use carriages and trains to test the layout before fixing it down so do i need to buy those first?
Thanks for reading.
Baseboard
If you have some basic tools such as a saw and a drill it is easy to create a baseboard frame. Traditionally this would have been 2 x 1 timber but plywood does a good job and is lighter to move, especially if the layout is being moved from under a bed. What you surface the frame with is your choice. If you have no tools at all then by all means purchase a baseboard - otherwise it's spending money you could buy something else with e.g. food ;)
Track
Are you any good with electrickery? If no, I'd suggest Kato Unitrack as motors are built into their points and the track becomes 'plug 'n' play' i.e. you'll be up and running in a few minutes. If yes, Peco is probably more realistic and I'd recommend code 55 streamline.
Do you want analogue or digital control? Wiring for each is slightly different.
Scenery
Make your own from the likes of polystyrene tiles or papier mashé but decide on your track plan first so you know where to have hills, cuttings etc.
Locos and buildings
Depends a lot on how correct you want to be, what location you want to model and what era. Many people run 'Rule 1' which basically means they run whatever they want regardless of the prototype, others stick to locos seen at the location.
Keep asking the questions but expect a wide variety of answers.
As others have said, the NGS Handbook is very handy :p , I joined a few months ago and have had a bit of a look through, I will picked it up again later as I have many considerations to think about with track work coming up. (first time on a non-test layout with inclines and cants).
The Peco Railway Modelling and Layout Construction is ok but it was too biased towards their own products.
I picked up my baseboards I ordered from Model Railway Solutions on Friday and I have finished assembling the first one a few minutes ago and it is fantastically easy i would highly recommend if you are not confident in work wood for your baseboards.
About electronics, if you mean which DCC system or are you only DC?
If it is which DCC system, I would visit a shop with several systems setup unless you are happy to buy try and return or sell. I went through several systems before finding my preference on the Z21 but that is a bit pricey for a small layout with 2 trains and a "simplier" knob control might be better.
For general electronics the previously mentioned brian lambert site is fanatastic, I also found the DCC concepts a good source (https://www.dccconcepts.com/manuals-advice/ (https://www.dccconcepts.com/manuals-advice/))
You guys are great and i already have enough stuff to be reading up on now over the new year :thankyousign:
Quote from: thetigers123 on December 31, 2016, 01:12:57 PM
As im a total noob i was wondering if they are any books that i could purchase that tells me everything i need to know about starting out?
Im needing help in purchasing a baseboard, deciding on track, layout, electrics, scenery, what locos buildings etc to buy, even down to what tools i need to purchase. Ive even seen people use carriages and trains to test the layout before fixing it down so do i need to buy those first?
Thanks for reading.
I never found one particular "Bible". Lots of books attempt the task, but most of them are better in some areas than others. If you have a decent model shop or bookshop nearby, so much the better, otherwise visit a show that has booksellers where you can browse and choose a book (or, more likely, books) whose style and level suits you. All things being equal, I would tend toward a modern book that used modern materials and techniques than an old classic.
Magazines - several have quite decent practical sections. There were a couple of nice articles in the November and December issues of British Railway Modelling which followed the building of a box-sized N gauge layout by Phil Parker at TINGS, which necessarily takes you right through the process from baseboard to a simple working scenic layout. Back issues are available.
Which leads on to....SIZE. Yes, it does matter. :D If you are a complete noob, don't under-estimate the amount of time, effort, commitment and expense that is necessary to complete a model railway. And, very roughly, they go up as the square of the size of the layout, because you model an area, not a length.
When I first started on an N gauge layout, I picked up a plan that I liked from a book, tweaked it a bit, and launched off. It was 6' x 4' and it never came close to completion. Tried again, a bit smaller, and met the same fate. The first layout that got even close to being completed was a simple "shunting puzzle" layout with a small hill and a little tunnel to a fiddle yard, and a few Ratio buildings. From memory, it was about 4'x9"! Yes, 9 inches... But building that covered all the basic techniques for something better, while keeping the cost and the time more or less under control.
Yes, plenty of people build much bigger things, but if you've never done this before, are you sure you'll be one of them?
IMHO, unquestionably the best source of information and advice on N Gauge modelling is this forum. A friendlier and more helpful bunch of people would be hard to find. When you get stuck, ask away...
Excellent advice above. Remember this is a hobby to enjoy and have fun with and ....... well, have fun. :claphappy:
Thanks for the feedback guys much appreciated and happy new year :beers:
Hi and welcome, and enjoy!
I have a really old book (1977) - Scenic Railway Modelling by Michael Andrss which I find really useful. Some of it is rather outdated now but it covers all of the basics really well. You may be able to get a copy from the local library, I suspect that it is out of print.
I would agree with the previous post that for anything electrical start with brian-lambert.co.uk - I had no idea what I was doing with DCC, just followed the web site and up and running first time - amazing.
My layout is of similar size to your planned one, have a look if you are interested.
I will do thanks for the info too
C J Freezer is another name to look for. A lot of libraries and charity shops seem to have model railway books often ancient, but not a lot has changed 8)
Alan
There was a book by Michael Andress called "The Complete Guide to Model Railways", which was a compilation of several smaller books of which "Scenic Modelling" was one.
I have a number of Cyril Freezer books and they cover the ground well, but they should come with a printed warning on the cover: "The track plans in this book can damage your sanity!"
For some reason, the blessed Cyril's plans frequently didn't fit in the space he said they would. From memory, he played fast and loose with curve radii and didn't use standard geometry points. If you like one of his plans, fire up some software such as AnyRail, and see if you can actually use off the shelf track to fit it into your space. I've spent many a happy hour with Peco paper templates and a voodoo doll of CF... Thank heavens for track design software nowadays.
It was a very odd thing to happen, because he churned out plans by the ton for books and for Railway Modeller. But I've seen other people comment over the issue, so it's not just me. You'd think somebody with have told the Great Man.
I have that Michael Andress book :D
Quote from: Nick on January 07, 2017, 11:37:09 AM
I have a number of Cyril Freezer books and they cover the ground well, but they should come with a printed warning on the cover: "The track plans in this book can damage your sanity!"
I completely agree and have mentioned this in my piece in the Knowledge Bank. I believe he scaled down plans from 00 incorrectly. I have the 'Railway Modeller book of N gauge track plans' by dear old CJ and don't think a single one would fit the baseboard size he suggests :no: