Designing a layout

Corsair7,

This sounds like your first layout. If true, then I do have some advice for ya. TAKE YOUR TIME. There is nothing worse then getting half way into something and ripping it all out beaue of a planning mistake.

If this is your first attempt at a layout, I would suggest you try something REALLY small first. Maybe a simple switching layout that is only a could of feet long and a foot wide. You can hone yous skills in track laying, switch installation, wiring, soldering, scenery all at the same time as you plan your dream layout.

You are using a computer, so I am going to assume you have some comuter chops. Check out XtrakCad. It is a free cad program for track layout design. It is difficult to use at first.... but again take your time. The advantage is if it works in Xtrak it will likely work when you start laying track and since you don't yet have experience under your belt, it is a good way to check your work.

This is a discussion that could go on for hours and hours, so I will let other chime in... but my advice is TAKE YOUR TIME and START SMALL. You won't be sorry.

By the way...(Smile).. My name is Sean. The quote is from Clarence the angel without wings in It's a Wonderful Life.

It's not my first layout, but I haven't had one since 1987. So in effect I am starting with a blanck sheet of paper. And I am starting slow., but I am taking some shortcuts from what I had previously done.

The first shortcut is using Woodland Scenics Mod-U-Rail modules. This way I don't need to bother so much with plywood sheets and cutting them to fit the may needs. The modules are mostly made of foam and so are lightweight. They are also not that difficult to put together. They probably cost more than other alternatives but I figure I will only need to buy them once. The light weight is necessary since I will most likely need to do everything myself since I don't know of other N-Scalers in my neighborhood and the club I belong to is in Brooklyn and meets at Floyd Bennett Field.

I still have virtually every piece of N-Scale equipment and track I have ever bought and a few new items as well. For example I'll be incorporating DCC from day one so the wiring will be simpler but I am sure that may change as I may need reversing sections.

Your advice is helpful so I say many thanks.

Irv

Irv,
 
I am not sure exactly what you mean by "do both continuous running and operations."  Do you mean that you want to have a train(s) running on a continuous loop of some sort, while you do yard, switching and point to point operations?
 
If you really go whole hog on DCC you I suspect you could incorporate automatic block control that keeps the continuous operating train from running into your point to point operations.  Which might be an interesting thing to do just the same.  A yard could be kept isolated from the mains like the prototype seems to do.
 
Have fun!
Charles

I didn't mean at the same time. I meant I wanted to have a train or two run around the layout when I had company or follow some operating scheme with pickups, setouts, and making up and breaking down and sorting cars in a yard.

The easy part is letting a train run around the layout because the way the track plan is set up, it can be done.

The hard part is setting up different industries and track leads to service them without interupting anything else.

Irv

So far Jacko, I have only used one type in my last layout. I had two MRC units. They worked like a charm. One took care of my helix which was one big reversing loop depending on how you exited it... The other was in my turntable pit track. Both worked like a charm with no problems. I had NO sound decoders. In my new layout (had to move and take the old layout down) I will be trying out a PM42 from Digitrax. We shall see!!

  I will be most interested in hearing your comments about the PM-42. DCC makes life sooooooo much easier than analog does. In my HO days I remember having to stop throw a toggle switch I have wired as a reversing switch, then start rolling again.......What a Pain in the aspirin! I have been fairly pleased with the Digitrax decoders I have used (DN163A0) for my Atlas SD-7's. They have a cut-out through the decoder boards to accomendate the motor tabs. Good stuff!

Jacko