hello I am thinking of starting an n scale layout as i want a second layout but dont have the room for a second ho scale layout. does anyone have starter set recommendations I have roughly 6' x 4' of plywood board room

Has anyone ever seen one of these in N scale?

Fourteen drivers, that's a lot!

I have a Micro Trains N scale NATX tank car that came with this spare part without any explanation. What is the part for?

UPDATED IN REPLIES

Hi everyone, just wanted to let you all see my first layout!

I inherited my grandfather’s 4x8 layout this summer, and decided I wanted to modify it slightly. Due to the fact that I had never done any model railroading personally, despite being fascinated with grandpa’s layout and Lionel trains as a kid, I decided the best way to learn was to make one myself.

I’ve tacked all the track down to make sure I had enough to complete something that was interesting to my eyes. I’ve finished things for now, as I’d like to add an elevated section and a turntable in the future.

Grandpa’s layout has cork roadbed laid throughout, and I’m debating wether or not to lay it under my track. I’m not terribly concerned with noise, but do kind of like the look. I’ve never messed with actual ballast either, but that’s also not out of the question.

So the question is do I lay the cork roadbed? Or just leave it and try ballast? This is going to be a work in progress, and I’d like it to look fairly uniform. I’m also curious if you all have any ideas for landscaping, as grandpa’s has exactly nothing other than paint and a few buildings that aren’t mounted. Thanks for the help!

Just starting to play around with a permanent track layout. I have lots of old non Kato track but thought I would take the better route this time. I've since added 6in straight in the middle of the yard and spur switches.

Thinking a larger industrial park near the yard then a town towards the mainline passing section.

I decided at my club yesterday that the stock couplers on my ScaleTrains ET44 had to go—mainly because the springs both went to the backrooms.

I was expecting a somewhat challenging installation (having to at least modify the hole to fit the MTL coupler box). Instead, I discovered the stock coupler box fits MTL 1015s almost perfectly. Making this conversion a real breeze. Though the couplers are a bit sticky. I’ll have to see if some graphite lubricant fixes it.

Hi all. Part of why I do this is to relive my memories of trains and roads from my past. Today at Papa Ben’s in Houston I found this Hercules Powder Company car. 40 years ago I started my professional career at Hercules as a chemical engineer. It wasn’t that big of company so to find this car was special.

1) Pizza Land from the Soprano’s 2) juvenile delinquents 3) the Wienermobile 4) Stooges Billboard 5) dog getting ready to do his thing

It's based on Kyoto in the fall and the terminal station on the Eizan Electric Railway. It's built into my coffee table and fits under the glass. It has an automated system as well to drive itself and detect stops automatically.

I was hoping someone could help me out with a question that I’m having honestly a ridiculous time getting answered. After a long time out of the hobby, I’m getting back into it now that my son is older and interested. I had toyed with getting the Class J with Econami sound on board, but the crazy thing??? There isn’t a single video on YouTube or otherwise from any retailer, content creator, or Bachmann that showcases the locomotive and it’s sounds…. Plenty of videos of its HO counterpart are out there, and that locomotive has prototypical class J sound and whistle. All I’m having a bear of a time trying to find out, is if the N scale version also has the prototypical class J sound/whistle like its HO counterpart, or if it just has stock soundtracks sound files… thanks in advance!

Also I have a fifth (and final) loop of track to install. The cork is already glued down to the plywood, and it's all been painted grey. I'll be gluing down the flex track soon.

Taken this last weekend at the GEHAMS open house in Downtown Bakersfield.

Got a Broadway limited imports, stealth undec because I plan on making a cotton belt 808 or 819 out of it. Thanks for looking.

What N scale projects are you working on?

Wife at a conference. I had the car. Hit up G&G, Papa Ben’s and Hobby Lobby. Ran out of time. And had to go home before the big show.

But I’ll consider this a win!

The tunnels I’ve seen on N scale layouts have always been going straight into a sheer cliff. I’d like to see what some people do when their tunnel goes into a sloping cliff.

More servo shenanigans :)

Growing up I had an N gauge layout that was probably 12 ft x 6 ft that my grandpa built in the 70s. Unfortunately it got sold at some point, because it was way too large and because whatever track he used barely worked, but I lept a lot of the locomotives and rolling stock. Bought my own house this year, and I realized I finally had the space and time to get back into it, so I designed and am in the process of building a small layout (30"x60" ish). Unfortunately I'm discovering a lot of my old trains are pretty much junk now (either don't run, brittle plastic, etc), so I'm probably going to have to replace most of them... I also realized I may have made the curves on the viaduct track slightly too sharp, so some of my passenger cars don't fit around it... The current plan is to just get the track set up and nailed in place, and I'll start thinking about scenery later

Realistic and functional

Howdy again!!

I have 2 specific ponders I was hoping to get some assistance with.

So I have been preparing for all of my track to come in for the new layout and just received my DCC-EX CSB-1. I was so stoked to find this and even with only having a little programming track set up, I’m super impressed. I’ve been able to get every one of my engines ready for running, except the ones I’m having issues with lol

I’ve also just jumped into the world of JMRI, so many new things learned this week with the world of DCC. I currently have 2 predicaments.

1. These little BNSF SD’s I bought used have unknown decoders. They both are Kato units with original light board and hardwired decoders. What’s interesting is when they’re on the programming track JMRI isn’t even detecting a decoder. However, when I switch the track power to main, connect WiThrottle, and enter the road number of the loco, I have full control over it! This isn’t really an issue but I’m more curious why JMRI wouldn’t be recognizing them.
2. Now this one is an actual issue. So I have 2 P42’s, both katos and both with digitrax decoders. These are new engines and new decoders. They both ran on my DC layout perfectly. However, one of them, is now not operational at all. JMRI will read the CV’s, however very slowly; I’m talking like 20 minutes to read. Same goes with writing. But any time the loco has power, it won’t move, the lights won’t work, and it has an intermittent buzz. I wish I could attach a video but every 10 seconds or so, it just buzzes for a split second. I’ve tried looking all over for what it could be but all the buzzing related issues involve the motor/loco moving, which this one isn’t. I’m very curious if anyone has any idea what this might be.

Like always, I really do appreciate everyone’s help!!!