New to the board

Pleased to meet you all.

I'm pretty much new to N-Scale, but have enough knowledge on the subject to get by in a conversation.

I figured the hobby could use a youngblood (I'm 20), and it's also a great way to bond with my father (he has a lionel collection).

right now I'm in the process of building my first layout (5ft x 3ft, so it's way too small ).

I just acquired an Atlas Penn. RR Alco RS-3, and some rolling stock for now, but was planning a small industry route for the track. Possibly a brewry or something. I don't want to do hopper/coal operations. I figure boxcars/tankers/reefers. Any suggestions?

thanks ahead of time

 

Hi Big Willy. Welcome to Train Board. We are always glad to get youngblood. I am at the other end of the century, 69. There are a few others a little older but not much. Being as I don't have a layout at present, so really can.t give much advise.
There are lots of people here that can give very good advise and you will have plenty of choices to choose from. Just give them time to scan the forum and they will find you.

 

Welcome! Always glad to see more N scalers on here. We've got quite a few "youngins" on here, so you're not alone. I'm 22.

5x3 is not a bad size for an N layout. Especially if you're doing an industrial switching district. Sounds like you've got a nice loco, I have an older Atlas RSD-5 which has a similar mechanism, it does fairly well. A brewery would be awesome to model.

One idea I have for your layout would be to have a small yard and interchange on one side of the layout, and some industries on the other side. Then, a hidden return loop can go from the industries back to the yard to form a complete circle.

 

hummmm, I think I should have gone into a little more depth (I wish I had a digi-cam ) -

it's basiclly divided in half on the 3ft side (so kinda 1.5x5 on both sides), and there's a backdrop board going down all but 6-8" of the middle.

it started as a tripple loop running a bullet train, with one side being a cityscape, and the other being a hilly country side. But my curves were running too sharp of a radius, and I couldn't find any good compatable passenger cars locally (I hate buying online).

But I got 75% of the hilly side done, and totally revamped the city side (which is maybe 5% complete), making it 2 independent loops, and installing 1 switch. Right now, I'm planning a small yard in that area, and incorperating the two loops togeather so that can run two trains indepent, but switch between each other (but thats way in the future )

But one thing I was wondering is what time era those RS-3 alco's are from? I'm under the impression that they're from the 50's-60's, around the stream transition. is that right?

 

Origonally they are early 50s BUT there are still quite a few running the rail even today.

 

Big Willy: My idea actually was to have a backdrop in the middle.

 

Hi Big Willy, Welcome, glad to have you aboard.

[ 13 May 2002, 12:52: Message edited by: Hank Coolidge ]

 

WELCOME TO THE BOARDS!