Getting to build my first trainset since I was little!

Hello everyone, wonderful place you all have here. I am preparing to build a HO scale train set. I built an N scale trainset as a senior in high school, and I have been itching to have my first HO scale train set since I got a cheap "toys r' us" starter kit for christmas when I was little!

I hope that my rambling and over excitement will be entertaining to you all. the hardest thing for me so far (and I don't even have a board yet.......) has been the constant revisions to my track plan. I have been using the "anyrail" program, and I think I have settled on the track plan I have attached. I was born and raised in the bay area, and the central valley of California, so I am wanting to model what the north bay area would have looked like in the early 50s, smaller steam engines, small switchers, light consists with lots of switching.

I am hoping some of you can chime in an offer advice, I have been reading up on a bunch of info (praise god for the internet, and for its how to youtube videos!) and I have just a couple of worries that maybe you pros can help me with

I hate to use the word crammed when it comes to railroading because crammed is how you feel when it comes to school, or sports, or work, railroading is mellow and fun right? Well anyway, I am having to stay within a 4x6 space, and I am using 18 inch radius curves, now I'm not interested in running long SP cab forwards or daylights, but will smaller steam engines like 2-8-2s, 2-8-0s, 4-6-2 type stuff be able to handle the 18 inch rad-e-i? (spelling?) And is using the 18 inch curves a good idea for the branchline style railroading I am going for?

Thanks for the input, if model railroading is anything like playing guitar, then I will be taking A LOT of pictures and spending WAYYYYYYY to much money in the upcoming months!
:tb-biggrin:

 

Welcome to TrainBoard!

That's my kind of line up, but I'm not so sure about the reliability you'll get on 18inches to the curve. That's pretty tight for HO Scale. I'm an N scaler, so figuring 18" approximates to only 9" in N scale, that puts a pretty heavy restriction on many X-8-X and 6 axle locomotives. But also figuring that you're within 4x6, you wont have very long of trains to work with anyways, so you may be fine, I'll let someone with more experience with HO steam weigh in on that one.

If you dont mind me asking; you had N Scale in High School, but now with limited space, you're going back up to HO Scale? I understand the desire to follow after those childhood memories of the Toys R Us set, but any chance you would consider sticking with N Scale? Keeping the same layout design, 18" radius in N Scale would look gorgeous!

I'm not trying to persuade you to stick with N scale...(or.. well, maybe I am ) ...I'm just curious.

 

Welcome to TrainBoard! :thumbs_up:

Ha, I'm in the same boat. I was given an HO train set for Christmas back in 1973 - I still have the loco - and that ignited the spark. Over the next five years, my dad supplied me with a small layout (4x6 - you'd be surprised what you can fit in that) and the locos and rolling stock to keep me amused for hours on end. That was magical.

Oh, do I know about that... laugh:

Tee hee... it's an addiction, especially if you enjoy doing stuff with your hands. I've taken quite a liking to painting and detailing my locos and rolling stock - it's a very satisfying and gratifying activity. And I'm glad I'm sticking to DC or I'd be really in the hole. I manage to keep the budget in line by getting used items at train shows and swap meets. Half the fun is stalking around looking for the right items, and you can get things that are just not available anymore. I've picked up several freight cars that I used to have 30+ years ago, just for the nostalgic value.

I hope you have lots of fun!

 

I built a 2x4 train set, but that stuff is so small, I couldn't do N scale again. And it may sound funny, but I don't really want a big grand layout with hundreds of scale miles of track, but I don't just want a switching layout on top of a 2x4 either, its like the Stones say, "you cant always get what you want"

Our family moved to the central valley when I was 12 years old, and out here we have a railroad called the Central CA Traction, and I think deep down inside, that is what I am really modeling. 4 axle diesel engines, little 6 car trains, running in the country and the outskirts of town, running spurs down the middle of the street, man, just talking about this is making me excited!

But if the 18 inch curves are going to cause derailments, Im going to have to rethink everything all over again :tb-hissyfit:

 

Well that makes sense. Nobody wants to model something they cant see.


The god news on those 18" curves is that you already have the desire to run small wheel base equipment and short trains. Again, I'm in N scale, so I cant say exactly what will and will not run on an HO scale 18" curve, but I do recommend you do some testing prior to committing to that radius.

 

Well, I think I have settled on this one final revision, layout area stretched out to a 4x7, 22 inch radius, what do you guys think of this one?

Ill be going to my local store friday to buy all the track....yippie!

 

I forgot to add the latest revised track plan

 

That is very simple and is sure to give you thousands of hours of fun.

I would suggest doing without that double crossover though. That's a LOT of track work that is mostly unnecessary. I made some more suggestions directly on your plan...then I went a little overboard adding a center backdrop, a town, some industries and on the left side some scenic area with a big logging industry (figuring that would best compliment your small steamer desires. )

Take a look, use what you like, and leave the rest where it lay.