SIMPLE E-Z IDEAS

[kretch53]

 Me and my son are just starting out. We need simple non costly Ideas .

[CNE Runner]

Start here:

http://carendt.us/

All the best,
Ray

[Doneldon]

kretch-

We need a little more information to help you. What size area do you have for your model railroad? Is this permanent space or will you have to be able to fold, move or hide the pike between modeling sessions? Are you thinking of the train on a 4'x8' plywood table, something attached to the walls or another size table layout? What scale are you planning? Is there a particular time period which interests you? How about a specific area, like urban railroading or mountain railroading? Do you prefer steam, diesel or electric locomotives? Do certain industries appeal to you, like mining, timber, manufacturing or ranching? Do you plan to include passenger trains? If so, big time, short line or interurban? Do you want to model a real (prototype) railroad or one from your own imagination? How much time and money can you commit to your railroad? Do you need to clear business matters, particularly the invasion of communal space for right-of-way, with a higher authority? Will this be an all family activity or one which will involve jut you and your son?

I'm certainly not trying to run you out of the hobby with all of these questions, but the more information like this you can provide the better we'll be able to help you.

CNE sent you to an outstanding web site for people who want a truly miniaturized railroad but such small layouts can severely limit the size of equipment you can run, reduce operational opportunities and grow tiring in a short while. It's great that the railroads are small and thus easily stored but I'm not convinced they are the best way into model railroading. If you do go with a mini layout, and it's certainly not up to me to tell you whether you can do that or not, be sure to select one which you can easily integrate into a larger world. If you can't do that, you may find yourself tearing up a lot of work and perhaps damaging expensive track and scenery.
                        -- D

[richg]

With your very short question, it will be nearly impossible to give you anything near a satisfactory answer.
I run HO scale so difficult to visualize N scale.
An example, do you want to run say a 2-6-6-2 steam loco? Maybe long passenger cars? A 4 x 8 layout will be difficult to run this stuff on if HO layout.
A HO 4-4-0, 2-8-0 loco not to bad but you get the idea. Diesels somewhat better because the way the trucks swivel.
Do you want DC or DCC control?

Rich

[Jim Banner]

A few more questions - how old is your son?  Do you see building the layout to your own high standards?  Or are you willing to accept a standard that is perhaps not quite so high if that allows your son to participate in building the layout?
 
If I may give an example:  When my son first started in trains, we set up a 4' x 8' sheet of plywood and painted it green, adding sawdust as we worked from one end to the other.  When the paint dried, we gave it another coat.  We both had a fun time slapping/slopping on the paint.  This gave a flat, grassy surface on which we laid track.  That was my job.  We added a "mountain" complete with tunnel which we made out of plaster of Paris.  That was the first time my son and I got plastered together.  We painted and sawdusted the mountain and touched up all the little spots of plaster scattered around the layout.  Then we started adding trees, a process that was continued throughout the life of the layout.  His layout ended up with lots of trees.  At first we made them and planted them together.  Later, he took over these jobs completely.  We built buildings out of cardboard (the soap box kind, not corrugated cardboard.)  I would cut, he would glue.  Then he would paint them and often add hand lettered signs.  Animals, cars and people fleshed out the layout, even if they weren't exactly to scale.

To build a layout this way, the major costs are the train set, a sheet of plywood and probably some additional track.  Some of the other items, including possible sources, are as follows:

Paint - maybe free.  If your city does not have a free paint exchange, then ask around to see who has some they would like to get rid of.

Sawdust - free.  A friendly woodworker will be glad to give it away.  Alternately, visit your local lumber yard, taking a large garbage bag with you.

Plaster of Paris - A drywall supplier is my first choice but sometimes home improvement stores have it also.  It comes in bags of 50 pounds or so but that is a lot cheaper than buying 5 pound bags at the hobby store, even if you throw half away.  However, for one small mountain, a couple of 5 pound bags might be cheaper.

Newspaper - free.  Use it crumpled up for forming mountains.  Or you could use corrugated cardboard taped, stapled or glued together.

Paper towel (the single ply kind) for dipping into plaster of Paris/water mix for the shell of your mountains - free or nearly so.  Alternatives include used "Bounce" or other anti-static drier sheets or even thin pieces of cloth.  

Bamboo skewers - very cheap source of small doweling for tree trunks.  For N-scale, use double ended, round toothpicks.

Furnace filter for tree foliage - low cost or free.  The "hammock" filters are cheapest and if you are lucky, maybe free.  My furnace uses hammock filters and I can buy the next larger size for the same price as the ones that fit my furnace.  I cut off the excess and save it for trees.

Sawdust for trees - free  Sift your sawdust through a fly screen sieve made by tacking fly screen across the bottom on an open bottomed box.

Hair spray (for gluing sawdust to furnace filter trees) - free is your wife doesn't catch you.  But you may prefer scent free.  Buy from the bottom self of the hair spray display.  That is where the cheapest ones are.

Green spray paint (for trees) - this you may have to buy new, but ask around.  A little goes a long way.  Gloss, semi gloss or flat doesn't matter as you cannot tell the difference with thin, misty coats.

Cardboard - free from soap boxes, cereal boxes, shoe boxes, etc.

Glue - white glue works for just about everything on a model railroad.  Do not use water resistant yellow glue.  Used wisely, a bottle goes a long way.

Paints - low cost.  Craft stores sell bottles of fast drying acrylic paints in a huge assortment of colours.  Start off with a bottle each of red, yellow, blue, black and white and learn to mix your own colours.  Add other colours as you need them.  Dollar stores often have these paints for $1 per bottle.

Clear plastic (for windows) - free.  Save flat panels from bubble packs.

Animals and cars - very low cost if bought at garage sales, somewhat higher if bought new.  Exact scale vehicles from the hobby shop are great but usually quite pricey.

Scale people - very low cost to pricey.  At a dollar a figure, a crowd scene would be prohibitive for many of us.  On the other hand, "background" figures at 6¢ each would allow several such scenes, even if we added some highly detailed figures in the foreground.

I hope these are the kinds of simple non costly ideas you are looking for.  I am not trying to tell you how to build your layout.  I am just trying to point out that with the proper choices of materials and techniques, building a model railroad does not have to break the bank and that it can be fun for both yourself and your son.  You'll know you have achieved success when you hear him tell friends and relatives "look at what me and my Dad built!"


   

[Terry Toenges]

Extruded styrofoam (pink or blue) (for home insulation) works great for adding mountains, mesas, valleys etc. Try to stay away from the white foam with the little beads. It gets real messy. You might be able to find scraps around home construction sites.