Hi all, my name is Steve and I have been a fan of model railroading for most of my life(32 yrs old). I had some pretty shabby layouts as a kid and currently have a 3x8 n scale layout that is un-sceniced and hasn't been touched for one reason or another in the last 4 years or so. I have recently started getting back interested in building a larger layout, around operations, and a New England prototype. I'll be watching for tips and ideas. If anyone has any suggestions on how to start planning and researching railroads, please send them my way. Steve
Welcome to Trainboard, Steve. You have come to the right place to find great ideas from modelers and photos to help.
Hi Steve, Welcome. Don't worry about "unscenicked". I'm 81 and have been modeling for more than 70 years, and now have my first fully scenicked layout. Well, not "fully" because a layout is never done. So hang in there, because scenicking a layout is a continuous experiment and failure is always an option, take it from someone who has given "failure" a bad name.
Good to have you with us, Steve. In many ways a good source of inspiration could be as simple as the historical society of a railroad in the area you're interested in. When looking at model railroads, don't confine yourself to just one scale as you may find inspiration from a layout in a scale you're not doing. Poke around and see what catches your eye!
Hi Steve. I'll add my "welcome to TrainBoard" with the others. The late Lynn Wescott offered a very valid advice to those of us who dream of a large, model railroad empire: Take small segments and build them up in various stages of being finished. That way you can work at what 'floats yer boat' at that particular moment without the danger of getting burned out.
Welcome it's good to have you on board right here. Not to worry about your plywood central. I've only had two layouts finished in the sense of scenicked. Scenery is optional and you fill in the gaps with your imagination. Have fun.
