Hi, I’m currently working on my first N gauge layout and I have a few questions. We recently decided to change from O scale to N because my son really likes the trains but he gets board quickly of the limited display we’re able to do in the 4’x 8’ space we have available. We considered HO but my wife wants to have at least 4 trains going at once so we decided N is our best option. It’s a hard transition for me since I grew up with my dad’s Lionels but I think it’s going to be the best in the long run. Since my son is only two and half I plan to keep my O gauge stuff for him to play with on the floor and the N gauge will be only for him to watch and play with controlling the trains. This will be the first Time I’ve worked with N and the first time I’ve done a layout that requires different levels and landscaping. We’re already committed to the N gauge because we ordered a set from Japan of all 4 of the available engines from Thomas the tank engine for my son for Christmas.
My first question is about the Track. After reviewing all of my options it looks like the best cost and quality combination would be the Atlas flex track. I like what I read about the Kato unitrack but the price is to high for the size layout I’m doing. I was wondering if I can use the flex track to make my own curves or will it loose the correct spacing between rails when you make that much of a bend? The curves in the layout I have planed range from a 10” radius up to a 16” radius. If I can use it is there a tool I should be using to check the rail spacing? Can I use this track for all of the layout? The 30” flex track pieces seem like a very cost effective solution but none of the sectional tracks are price competitively with it so I was wondering if it could only be used in limited circumstances.
Another question I have is about the switches available for the Atlas Flex track. Are any of them available that isolate the power to only the section that the switch is currently set to. For example all the sidings where I’m parking my cars and engines are not powered until I switch the turnout to a specific siding and then only that siding is powered. I know this was an option with the Unitrack switches but I didn’t know if any of Flex track ones where available like this. If not I can use isolators but it would be ten times easier to set up the other way.
My next question is on the building of land features. As I mentioned before this is my first layout with multiple levels so I’ll need to build some raised track beds and a mountain. I’ve seen in posts here that a lot of people seam to like to use layers of the pink or blue home insulation but I was wondering what should be used to glue those layers together? After I have laid the foam should I apply the plaster directly to the foam or do I need to put something in between them to get the plaster to adhere to the foam?
My last question is the laying of the track it’s self. I understand that it can be nailed down or glued down. Do I have to use a track bed or are they purely for appearance? If I do need to use one I don’t really want to make it to complicated so can I just paint the foam track bed the color of gravel before I lay it? My first inclination was to just nail the track down but I wanted to know if people have found that this does not work on the plaster coated foam landscaping. If not what glue should I use to glue the track directly to the plaster and if I use a track bed what should I use to glue the track bed to the plaster and then what glue should I use to glue the track to the track bed?
Sorry for the long post and thank you for all the information you have all provided in these forums!
Matt
My first question is about the Track. After reviewing all of my options it looks like the best cost and quality combination would be the Atlas flex track. I like what I read about the Kato unitrack but the price is to high for the size layout I’m doing. I was wondering if I can use the flex track to make my own curves or will it loose the correct spacing between rails when you make that much of a bend? The curves in the layout I have planed range from a 10” radius up to a 16” radius. If I can use it is there a tool I should be using to check the rail spacing? Can I use this track for all of the layout? The 30” flex track pieces seem like a very cost effective solution but none of the sectional tracks are price competitively with it so I was wondering if it could only be used in limited circumstances.
Another question I have is about the switches available for the Atlas Flex track. Are any of them available that isolate the power to only the section that the switch is currently set to. For example all the sidings where I’m parking my cars and engines are not powered until I switch the turnout to a specific siding and then only that siding is powered. I know this was an option with the Unitrack switches but I didn’t know if any of Flex track ones where available like this. If not I can use isolators but it would be ten times easier to set up the other way.
My next question is on the building of land features. As I mentioned before this is my first layout with multiple levels so I’ll need to build some raised track beds and a mountain. I’ve seen in posts here that a lot of people seam to like to use layers of the pink or blue home insulation but I was wondering what should be used to glue those layers together? After I have laid the foam should I apply the plaster directly to the foam or do I need to put something in between them to get the plaster to adhere to the foam?
My last question is the laying of the track it’s self. I understand that it can be nailed down or glued down. Do I have to use a track bed or are they purely for appearance? If I do need to use one I don’t really want to make it to complicated so can I just paint the foam track bed the color of gravel before I lay it? My first inclination was to just nail the track down but I wanted to know if people have found that this does not work on the plaster coated foam landscaping. If not what glue should I use to glue the track directly to the plaster and if I use a track bed what should I use to glue the track bed to the plaster and then what glue should I use to glue the track to the track bed?
Sorry for the long post and thank you for all the information you have all provided in these forums!
Matt