My First 12 Months

[Tdm]

It is just 12 months since I started out in N gauge, building my first N scale model railway in a small store room that I rent here in Tenerife, so I thought I would make a post about my experiences to-date.

Is it completely finished yet?    - No - but I am getting there.
Did I get things right 1st time? - No – but I have learn't from my (many) mistakes.
What remains to be done?       - Some minor modifications to the track layout, and
                                                 re-wiring some of the electric points, plus I need an 
                                                 extra controller for my 3rd track.

Decisions made  - Go for Union Mills in future for my Steam locomotive stock.
                         - Stick with (modern) Farish for my Diesel locomotive stock.
                         - Be more careful with laying ballast so it doesn't get in my engines.
                         - Keep the number of points to a minimum on the main lines.
         
Am I glad I changed from "00" to "N" gauge? - Definately Yes (even if I had more
                                                                       space to work with).

What are the drawbacks - Takes a while for my orders to get to me in Tenerife.
                                      - Some Suppliers don't recognise the Canary Isles, or the fact
                                         that VAT doesn't apply here.
                                      - Probably the only person who models N gauge here, and no
                                         model railway shops on the Island.

Looking forward in the next 12 Months to enjoying running trains on the layout much more than at present, and hopefully spending less time fixing problems. Then I can post a new video of the finished product.

[port perran]

Thanks for the update.
Enjoy running trains !

[Newportnobby]

Thanks for that, Terry. It's good to hear you're enjoying N gauge and learning all the time.
It would be interesting to hear from others what has happened to them and their layouts over the last 12 months.

[Cutter]

I still don't have a layout--or anywhere to build one--but my planning and research have come on significantly in the last year. My stable of essential locos is almost complete and I am beginning to think about "nice to have"!additions in the form of conversions or kits. My stock of wagons and carriages has grown and I have been busy accumulating kits and projects to work on in my almost non existant discretionary time. I have built a test track on an Ikea table top to run locos in on and to test them. And almost every day I learn something new. Currently I am playing with making my own decals. As a Massachusetts resident I too have to wait weeks for deliveries and pay dearly for shipping. But I thin it's worth it!

[Bealman]

Even though I've had two UK visits in the last 12 months, I can sum those months up in two words:

BLUE PULLMAN!!

[railsquid]

What's a BLUE PULLMAN? Some kind of Crompton? 

Anyway it's been less than two months since I started this hobby and there's me blaming myself for being too slow. From nothing to a fairly full set of stock and a baseboard fixed in place. I even drilled a hole to put a wire underneath yesterday 

I'm not planning an exhibition-grade layout, rather something small I can have fun with and can improve incrementally. No major mistakes (so far), all part of the learning process. Some observations:

- I have a sneaking feeling I may have been better off using Tomix rather than Kato track
- I need better woodworking tools
- buying individual cars second hand can end being not such a bargain if you have to acquire additional spare parts to e.g. standardize the couplings
- there is never enough space
- why have I run out of track again?