suggestions on a layout-within-a-layout

[Santa Fe Jack]

All -

So, my son had this cool idea: One corner of the layout will be devoted to a control panel, with a small map of the layout as a basemap, and electrical switches where all the turnouts are on the real layout. Simple enough.

The cool idea is to make this little map a train layout ITSELF, like a zoo train at HO scale. I would not expect it to operate, of course, but it could look very cool built in a park, with figures and a small train. So this would be something like zoo train scale at HO scale.

So, what is zoo train scale, anyway?

And could this be approximated by something like some Z-scale track and trains?

- John

 

[TruckLover]

Hi John ,

First, welcome to the-gauge.

Second, I think that this is a cool idea and would bring added realism to your layout. That zoo train would look pretty cool going around a lil park with people on board and animals in there cadges.

As for the zoo train, I think that N-scale or Z-Scale would work. Personally, I would go with N-scale because Z-scale is just so hard to deal with. Good luck finding zoo train cars though. Maybe someone on this forum no's where to get em'?

Good luck John and keep us posted with this neat idea.

 

[MasonJar]

I don't think any of the "commercial" scales will be small enough. The layout schematic will only be several inches square... Nscale is 1:160 - roughly 50% of HO, and even Z is 1:220 or very roughly 1/3 the size. So that means that an Nscale schematic of a 4x8 HO layout would require about 2x4 feet...!

Sorry to rain on the parade...

Your best bet might be to see if there are any figures available at craft stores that might approximate what you need.

Andrew

 

[KCS]

I thought about doing something simular to this idea except different. Sense I stuck a finger or two including my nose into 1/8 scale (live steam) and realized how much it would cost to get started. All I can say for 1/8 scale is you better be bringing in $300,000 or more a year. Therefore, sense the cost is so high, I thought why not stay with HO and build a 1/8 scale live steam club park using Z scale. It would be perfect. I still plan to do so one day once I get around to building a layout. But sense I am still in search of running prototype and prototype modeling in a larger scale I might stick my nose back into G scale. Now if I only had about 3 acres of land to spare.

 

[ZeldaTheSwordsman]

Well, I intend to build a Skarloey Railway(narrow-gauge) to put in my miniature Sodor. N-scale track and chassis, HOe-size engines.