Rob, I found some one who built the Appalacian Central track plan you and I liked so much by Lional Strang in Jan 2000. The layout builder is French and the site has been translated. There are 5 layouts when you hit the layout button. The first four are N scale, and the last one is S scale. Devil's Creek is the layout that was built from Strang's plans. Check out the other layouts, hard to believe they are N. http://perso.club-internet.fr/simonet/Home_us.htm
I am looking at using the same plan for my new layout. My layout area is 9'x14. I will add about 6 feet to one end so I can have more running room. I will also be able to make the yard a little longer. Now, if I could only finish the layout room so I could start building the layout!
Mike - you can't go wrong with the AC. Rick and I both think this is one of the best (if not the best) small layout track plans in any scale...
I am a newby with this hobby so be gentle with me here. After attending a train show in Oklahoma with my Dad, his brother, and my two booys who are 7 & 9, I am hooked. I had a train when I was about their age but we never did anything with scenery and I quickly was bored and moved on to HO cars. Well I am now wanting to build a N scale layout to fully scene but I want a good layout for operations so that my boys and I can have fun operating the railroad. I have purchased a few books and I seem to keep coming back to this A&C layout by Lional Strange. I want to use this first layout as a learning and playing tool for me and my boys. I am hoping that after about 3-4 years we will transistion to an around the room layout. Is the A&C a good learning layout for building and operating? Where can I learn about operating railroads? Other than running a train or two around the track and pulling onto sidings, I am not sure how to go about using these elaborate plans correctly. I saw a tutorial on building and operating a N scale layout. Tutorial Do you know of anyone who is running a tutorial on the A&C layout? Thanks for any help you can provide. Dan
Look for the April 2001 issue of Model Railroader. Lionel wrote an article on operating the AC. It's a great introduction to operating that does not require lots of paperwork.
In the Yahoo! Groups, I believe there is an operational group, but I don't know its exact name that I can reference you so you can pull it up. The AC is an excellent (not beginner layout) and will give you years of pleasure I am willing to predict. Check out the French guys layout based on the AC, in the reference in the very first post of this thread. He made some modifications that you may or may not prefer. For its size, the AC packs a lot of punch and is better operationally than many layouts I have seen more than twice its size. Size counts in layout design, but it isn't the only important variable to a layout with good "play" value.
