My Canadian National Layout - Temporary Trial Run

[Whiterook]

I call this a temporary trial run because I’d switched to N-scale (from HO) and wanted to get something running asap! …that started with this purchase…



This set, ES44AC “GEVO”, comes with a lovely CN locomotive, 6 specially decorated mixed freight cars (2 tank cars, 2 hoppers 2 gondolas), 3 x 4' Unitrack M1 basic track oval with re-railing track, Kato power pack and starter guide... everything I needed to try out N-scale. I knew a guy at a previous job back in the early 2000s, that ran N-scale and loved what he had to say on the space savings of the scale; but with a frost visit to a major Railroad & Hobby Show here in Massachusetts, and seeing the scale run in action, I was on the hook and just needing the money to make it happen! …that took a long time until this purchase a year or two ago, obviously, but running it in person verified my falling in love with the scale!

The layout started slowly, with a 2-1/2 x 5 foot camp table in my furnace room. I’ll get some pics on here!

[Whiterook]

Humble beginnings…



In case I didn’t stress it well enough, the intent here was to get a layout of track on a table and get this train moving! An interesting side story here is a good friend, ex-work colleague who moved to Maine many years ago, is an HO guy… he had a super impressive collection of locos and rolling stock that was growing over the course of decades, made up of Maine specific trains. The interesting takeaway I got from knowing him in the hobby was, he always talked about needing to build modular layout foundations, so that he could start on dioramas; in the decade+ I knew him, he never ran one train! I considered this a huge waste… all that wonderful rolling stock and beautiful locomotives, and they just sat in boxes. He snickered at my use of Bachmann EZ-track, vowing that he’d never degrade himself… “…serious model railroaders only run on lines they build!” Well, I guess I wasn’t what he classified as “serious”, because I ran my stock! …HO (that setup on camp tables, too!), and recently, N. 





Follow the leader!



…it was enough to get the locomotive running and cleared for operations (in other words, it works and I didn’t need to send the set back).

[Whiterook]

So now that I knew the set was operable and in good working order, and having some fun goin’ round and round and round…. It was time for adding to the initial set purchase… that would be siding kits, an inner oval, switches, and more power connectors…followed by a train yard. First up was increasing the table, done through purchase of a sheet of home siding foam, whatever that stuff is called. I needed an idea of where I was going, and found a nice layout that would be a foundation inspiration (though not followed verbatim), that being the Manning Oaks line…



So the purchase of more track started, including these examples…













I was on my way! A very costly way!!!

[Whiterook]

The first hurdle was getting power to the opposite end of the layout…



Initially, I knew I wanted a double oval — inner/outer — and a yard; at first, imagining the yard outside the outer oval at the top of the layout. Ahhhh, no room at the Inn…wasn’t enough room. Drat. So Ok, a yard inside the inner oval! …aaaaah, where? No room at the Inn, since the Inn wouldn’t fit… what I mean is, if I put the yard inside the original dimension oval of thr starter set, it would take up almost the whole space. Answer… bigger ovals! Buy more track.

But then, I tried expanding the outer oval thinking I could get the yard in there…



…ahhhhhhh, nope! It would need to go in the inner oval. This stuff will mess with your brain! Anyways, so I expended the length of the inner oval, decreasing the space between its right side and the adjacent outer oval… OK, that started to c9me together better!



And of course, I wanted to switch between the inner and outer oval, right!?!



So I was getting somewhere now. At this point, I needed to figure out how to get the yard in… the original intent was at the top of the layout, and configured to the left, so I could back the trains in; mind you that I had no idea if trains back or drive into the yards! You’d think that’s be easily found out online. Ah… no.

[Whiterook]

Now, I did, for shits and giggles, try the yard outside the inner oval, at right…





…I just had to see if it could be done. Ahhhhh, no. What to do? INCREASE THE INNER OVAL!!! (…that was dramatic, wasn’t it? I tried to get some reverb in that text but it didn’t work, so just imagine that screamed within a railroad tunnel!)







…there we go! This was startin’ to get complicated in switching… FANTASTIC!

[Whiterook]

So I started to amass wires, which typically get routed under the table through drilled holes in the layout surface. Camp tables, remember? So I opted to cut channels in the foam and bury the wires subsurface…



Next up was the train maintenance shed…





…built that from kit.

So this was my layout! I was running my initial starter set and having fun! I’d bought some more rolling stock, another couple of locomotives and began running those. Then, the furnace issue and having to take down the layout. Whaan whaan whaaaaaan.

I’d plan on starting scenery work and starting prepping for that, and my intense was a home layout to learn on (scenery building-wise) and expand to a bigger layout outside of the house, but everything just stopped here. I later retired and rekindled other hobbies and endeavors currently. The backyard shed needs cleaning (I cleared it out last Summer) and remodeling…I’ll hopefully start rebuilding a layout out there, probably much bigger. But that’s for the future.

Thanks for following along!

[fifer]

Looking good so far and all is working well!!!

[brandonk]

Wow, that is coming together very nicely. I used to play with these as a kid but the room they take up kinda prevents it now. And I don't need anymore things taking up space either. This is very cool. I will live vicariously through you. Keep it coming.

[406 Silverado]

This layout is coming together nicely so far Emery. I can see where a guy could wrap up alot of time and money into this hobby but what one gets out of it is priceless. Looking forward to seeing this one come to fruition.

[stikpusher]

Nice! Model trains are fun!

[Leon]

Emery, you're bringing memories of my n scale days. I had a huge steel mill layout.

[Leon]

by the way, i still have a lot of rolling stock and a few engines i'm looking to part with