Our N Gauge Trains journey needs a stepping off point.
Just like anything else, this adventure must start at the beginning.
Obvious, I know, but so true.
There are some initial things to consider when we plan our model railroad layouts.
We have already made one of the biggest decisions.
We are going to go with N Gauge Trains.
Good choice! The next thing we need to know is, how much room do we have to work with.
Although the N Gauge lends itself to getting quite complex in a small area, I do recommend what I did early on years ago.
I started with a simple 4ft by 8ft piece of plywood.
You would be surprised how well that area works and how creative you can be within those limits.
However, because plywood can be rather flexible, you'll want to build a frame on the bottom of the wood along the edges and then add some legs.
I used 1x4 wood for the frame and 4x4 for legs.
Like building a house you have to take into account all the things that go into putting it together.
Once, you have a good foundation you can then begin to think about the N Gauge track.
Most folks, including myself, use sectional track.
This type of track generally comes with the model train sets you buy in the store.
This allows you to set your layout pretty much any way you see fit within the limitations of the track design, of course.
I know a lot of people who also use flexible track.
There are some advantages to that also.
You can bend the track to attain some of the bends that you might need.
I, however, found it harder to work with.
Maybe it was just me.
But, you can go that route if you so desire and I won't try to talk you out of it.
Whatever type you use, you will want to set your track down without securing it and outline the way you want it all to go together.
The reason for this is that you will need to set roadbed down first.
Roadbed will be of the cork or vinyl variety.
It doesn't really matter which one you choose.
But to get the more authentic look going, you will want to lay it down.
After we get the roadbed and tracked secured we can delve into the wiring.
Wiring is a subject in it self just like scenery or even the cars of the train.
I can say that AC power is for the accessories.
DC power is for the tracks.
You used to be able to just wire up the tracks and the train would go.
That is still partly true if you want a circle around the tree kind of thing.
If you want to use turnouts and other types of more realistic looks, then you need to know about track isolation.
There you have it.
This article was intended as a brief overview to starting your N Gauge Trains adventure.
I hope that it has given you a quick idea as to the advanced planning your going to want to do before you lay down your first piece of track.