New to N gauge

[Suedehead]

  I am thinking of entering the world of N Gauge and would like some advice on what to buy what type of layout to go for etc, just looking for some people with first hand experience to help me avoid the pit falls, as so often happens when embarking on a new venture.
I have dabbled with 00 gauge (built my sons layout) but have limited space to build another layout, I have approx. 2ft by 4 ft to get something interesting going. Budget is going to be around £100 to start with.

I have been building plastic model kits for a number of years, so very comfortable with building scenery etc and putting small scale stuff together.

Any help will be much appreciated.

Suedehead

[Agrippa]

Are you thinking of DC or DCC (Digital control) ? With your budget you could probably
buy a  basic DC  train set with loco , rolling stock, oval of track and a mains controller
and add to the track with separate sections to use the space available.

Have a look at other sections of the forum for ideas.

Good luck and hope you make good progress, plenty
of people on the forum to give advice on all topics.

[n85cs]

its your layout

I looked at what space I had in my room
my capabilities
track plan
electrics / wiring - not my strong point
realistically could not model warrington my home town, so went for simplicity and a basic plan, basic scenic, wiring,
had two locos, 3 coaches, a few wagons, starter kit and its always being re thought we I could do better

also funds were a consideration

[Suedehead]

Thanks guys, can you explain the difference between DC and DCC? What's best for a newbie?

[port perran]

Welcome aboard.
I guess £100 isn't going to go too far but 2x4 does give you scope to get started.
You could , as Agrippa said, go for a basic DC set to get you started and you can then add to it as funds permit. Have a look at one of the on-line retailers (eg Hattons) to see what appeals to you or pop into a local model shop.
Ask away though - plenty of advice available here.

[Agrippa]

DC is the basic system like old style trainsets, though the controllers are more
modern . With DCC a number of locos can be controlled from the command centre
each with its own PIN type number, thus several trains can run on the same track at the
same time. Also DCC locos can be fitted with sounds etc. DCC is quite a bit dearer
than DC and the track wiring is a bit different. However plenty of DCC experts on the
forum.

If you just want to get started and have a limited budget I think DC  would
be the simplest option.

[Caz]

Welcome to the friendly forum Suedehead, nice to have you join us.  There are quite a few people on here just starting out and you will get all the help you need on here as they are a helpful and friendly bunch.  As has been said, have a look at some of the on-line retailers like www.ehattons.com , www.railsofsheffield.com and have a look at starter sets.

Although I use all Peco code 55 track a lot of people say the Kato track which is more or less plug and play is real easy to use and I believe there is a starter set available complete with loco etc.  No doubt those Kato aficionados on here will be along shortly to guide you down the right path.

Have a look at the "Layout Planning" and "Layout Construction" threads, it may give you some ideas.

[Newportnobby]

Hi Suedehead, and welcome to the forum
I hope you enjoy your stay with us and please don't be afraid to ask questions (we all started as beginners) and some haven't progressed much either

[Zakalwe]

welcome to the best scale for model railways

one question to ask yourself:

is your eye sight up to the scale?    Since starting n gauge I've needed to get glasses and a good quality combined magnifier / light is utterly invaluable.

DC is best for a newbie, but DCC was what got me interested in model railways again, primarily the options you get that DCC can do over DCC

as recommended below, start with DC if your interest grows then consider DCC, changing a simple DC layout to DCC is pretty straight forwards

[willintas]

4FT X 2FT is a great size to begin with-easy to carry around,easy to work on,more sociable-you can do it in lounge room with family,Fits in cars easy and not an eternity to build.

[Bealman]

Welcome to the NGF, Suedehead! Looking at meself in the mirror this morning, it's a name I could have chosen! 

You're at the right place here, mate... plenty of folk to help you on your way - just ask, and don't forget we have a search function.

As Caz says, this is the friendly forum. Looking forward to progress reports! 

[d-a-n]

Welcome to the forum, I know you'll find it useful! 4x2 is more than enough space for an interesting layout, you might not want to nail/glue anything down too permanently at this stage as you discover how you like to operate your layout and you'll soon think of track sections you'll want to add.
As mentioned before, a train set with track, DC controller, a loco and some rolling stock is enough to get you started. DCC is worth reading about but you may find it's overkill on a 4x2 layout - many do just fine without and you'll not have lost much by starting out with DC - in fact, you'll be better off as you'll be playing trains straight away on your budget.
Train sets come with 'normal' code 80 Peco-type track which is fine and this can be added to, code 55 track is more realistic but does the same job. People have mentioned Kato which is track on a plastic ballast bed, it's kind of like Scalextric in that it snaps together and can be reconfigured, put away and set up again quickly. It is well built and has motorised points which require no drilling of baseboards - it's the system I chose because of this versatility but it can get pricey (£200 for a turntable anyone?!)
There are and have been some excellent starter sets but this comes down to what era/location you want to model - you'll be the only one who can decide this. Maybe if you have already decided you can let us know what your interest is and we can point you in the direction of some started packs if you haven't already found one.
If you don't mind kit building, Peco do cheap wagon kits at about £3-£4 each which can get you a decent rake running, that's if you want to model British trains from the 50s/60s/70s...
Lastly, you may be able to find a secondhand bargain to kickstart your layout - N gauge stuff is always coming up on here and you may find you can cobble together a layout for not a lot of money.
Cheers, Dan.

[Bealman]

All excellent advice. Thanks for posting that, d-a-n!

[Jerry Howlett]

Welcome in to the crazy house. I see you like scenery/ model making. Try the Scalescenes site for downloads of card kits, he does a freebie to try out. There is also Smart models who do a variety including a free signal box. Naturally it all depends on era country etc. The nosey burgers on this site need to know everything....

Jerry