Are there any 'jump-start' packages for sale in the model rail business
for a newbie?

By that I mean something to get started with track
layouts/benchwork/etc. It's easy to get trains/scenery etc. All the
books I read say I need this magical stuff called 'homosote'. Tried
three nearby lumber yards - nobody has heard of it. Online search says
the nearest supplier is 33 miles from me. Not really interested in
renting a truck just for this. I've seen Woodland Scenic benchwork but
it looks to small and I'm not sure how sturdy it can be for that low
price. However the scenery to go on top seems expensive for a bunch of
foam and I'm not sure if it has the appropriate plywood/homasote substrate.

I'm interested in building a modular layout where I can swap out say a
forest section for a desert section, etc. Each module would have common entry/exit points for the track.

Anything like this out there?

-John

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On 2016-03-16 08:04, John Garza wrote:

Are there any 'jump-start' packages for sale in the model rail business
for a newbie?

By that I mean something to get started with track
layouts/benchwork/etc. It's easy to get trains/scenery etc.

No. You can get sets, which consist of locomotive, cars, track, and
power pack, sometimes with additional bits such as buildings. The
benchwork is up to you.

There are layout builders out there, too. I haven' priced them, but I
would think layouts would cost 3 to 5 times as much as the bits and
pieces, plus transportation and installation.

All the
books I read say I need this magical stuff called 'homosote'. Tried
three nearby lumber yards - nobody has heard of it. Online search says
the nearest supplier is 33 miles from me. Not really interested in
renting a truck just for this.

Current recommend practice is an open-frame substructure, with 1/2"
plywood for base under cork ballast strip and track on that. People use Homasote when they don't want to use cork ballast strip.

I've seen Woodland Scenic benchwork but
it looks to small and I'm not sure how sturdy it can be for that low
price. However the scenery to go on top seems expensive for a bunch of
foam and I'm not sure if it has the appropriate plywood/homasote substrate.

The sturdiness of the benchwork depends on its supports.

I'm interested in building a modular layout where I can swap out say a
forest section for a desert section, etc. Each module would have common entry/exit points for the track.

Anything like this out there?

-John

First, get current and past issue of Model Railroader and railroad Model Craftsman.

Commercial modules available from Sievers:
http://sieversbenchwork.com/

Two main modular standards, Free-mo (preferred) and HO-Trak (older,
still used by established clubs)

Also, many clubs have their own modular standards.

For module standards, see:
http://www.free-mo.org/
http://www.hotrak.ca/
http://www.modular-model-railroads.com/

Warning: One of the HOTrak sites I checked out tried to inflict malware.
Make sure your browser's bad- or insecure-site warning is turned on and
your shields are up.

--
Best,
Wolf K
kirkwood40.blogspot.ca

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On Wed, 16 Mar 2016 07:04:29 -0500, John Garza wrote:

I'm interested in building a modular layout where I can swap out say a
forest section for a desert section, etc. Each module would have common entry/exit points for the track.

I'm building one like that right now. I'm not using Homasote, I'm using
2" foam on a 1/4" plywood base and laying cork on that. Each module is
2' by 5' and the scenic part of the layout is 2'x10'.

I've carried your common entry/exit a bit further. I have continuous
staging that creates a loop. From the staging to the scenic area there
are three entry/exit points. Any scenic layout can use 1, 2, or 3 of
those points.


--
When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and
carrying a cross.

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"John Garza" <john@127.0.0.1> wrote in message news:hZbGy.53898$X_.7328@fx04.iad...

Are there any 'jump-start' packages for sale in the model rail business
for a newbie? ---

I'm interested in building a modular layout where I can swap out say a
forest section for a desert section, etc. Each module would have common entry/exit points for the track.
Anything like this out there?

What area of the world do you live in?

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On Fri, 18 Mar 2016 09:35:18 -0700, "a425couple"
<a425couple@hotmail.com> wrote:

"John Garza" <john@127.0.0.1> wrote in message >news:hZbGy.53898$X_.7328@fx04.iad...

Are there any 'jump-start' packages for sale in the model rail business
for a newbie? ---

I'm interested in building a modular layout where I can swap out say a
forest section for a desert section, etc. Each module would have common
entry/exit points for the track.
Anything like this out there?

What area of the world do you live in?

My reaction too - one of the reasons I don't like N-Trak is that it
does just that, with each different scenic part being less than a
train's length.

What I have seen, is a modular layout with swappable sections that
matched scenically but represented different times - eg a dirt road
from the steam era vs a wider modern road, or steam era facilities vs
diesel, etc. With semaphore signals on the earlier and colour lights
on the later.

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On 03/18/2016 02:34 PM, Christopher A. Lee wrote:

On Fri, 18 Mar 2016 09:35:18 -0700, "a425couple"
<a425couple@hotmail.com> wrote:

"John Garza" <john@127.0.0.1> wrote in message
news:hZbGy.53898$X_.7328@fx04.iad...

Are there any 'jump-start' packages for sale in the model rail business
for a newbie? ---

I'm interested in building a modular layout where I can swap out say a
forest section for a desert section, etc. Each module would have common
entry/exit points for the track.
Anything like this out there?

What area of the world do you live in?

My reaction too - one of the reasons I don't like N-Trak is that it
does just that, with each different scenic part being less than a
train's length.

What I have seen, is a modular layout with swappable sections that
matched scenically but represented different times - eg a dirt road
from the steam era vs a wider modern road, or steam era facilities vs
diesel, etc. With semaphore signals on the earlier and colour lights
on the later.

that's funny - I want to do different times with minor scenic changes
(less trees, more pavement, etc.) But used the forest/desert example to
get my point across because I didn't think anyone would get the idea of different 'eras' along a line. I guess I wasn't thinking about how
silly is sounded. Well maybe if you have REALLY BIG modules... :)

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On Fri, 18 Mar 2016 16:45:17 -0500, John Garza <john@127.0.0.1> wrote:

On 03/18/2016 02:34 PM, Christopher A. Lee wrote:

On Fri, 18 Mar 2016 09:35:18 -0700, "a425couple"
<a425couple@hotmail.com> wrote:

"John Garza" <john@127.0.0.1> wrote in message
news:hZbGy.53898$X_.7328@fx04.iad...

Are there any 'jump-start' packages for sale in the model rail business >>>> for a newbie? ---

I'm interested in building a modular layout where I can swap out say a >>>> forest section for a desert section, etc. Each module would have common >>>> entry/exit points for the track.
Anything like this out there?

What area of the world do you live in?

My reaction too - one of the reasons I don't like N-Trak is that it
does just that, with each different scenic part being less than a
train's length.

What I have seen, is a modular layout with swappable sections that
matched scenically but represented different times - eg a dirt road
from the steam era vs a wider modern road, or steam era facilities vs
diesel, etc. With semaphore signals on the earlier and colour lights
on the later.

that's funny - I want to do different times with minor scenic changes
(less trees, more pavement, etc.) But used the forest/desert example to
get my point across because I didn't think anyone would get the idea of >different 'eras' along a line. I guess I wasn't thinking about how
silly is sounded. Well maybe if you have REALLY BIG modules... :)

I'm sure a lot of people have thought of it, but not at the level of
modules, just removeable details, eg house styles and even TV
antennae, the style of filling stations, etc.

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On 2016-03-18 17:45, John Garza wrote:

On 03/18/2016 02:34 PM, Christopher A. Lee wrote:

On Fri, 18 Mar 2016 09:35:18 -0700, "a425couple"
<a425couple@hotmail.com> wrote:

"John Garza" <john@127.0.0.1> wrote in message
news:hZbGy.53898$X_.7328@fx04.iad...

Are there any 'jump-start' packages for sale in the model rail business >>>> for a newbie? ---

I'm interested in building a modular layout where I can swap out say a >>>> forest section for a desert section, etc. Each module would have common >>>> entry/exit points for the track.
Anything like this out there?

What area of the world do you live in?

My reaction too - one of the reasons I don't like N-Trak is that it
does just that, with each different scenic part being less than a
train's length.

What I have seen, is a modular layout with swappable sections that
matched scenically but represented different times - eg a dirt road
from the steam era vs a wider modern road, or steam era facilities vs
diesel, etc. With semaphore signals on the earlier and colour lights
on the later.

that's funny - I want to do different times with minor scenic changes
(less trees, more pavement, etc.) But used the forest/desert example to
get my point across because I didn't think anyone would get the idea of different 'eras' along a line. I guess I wasn't thinking about how
silly is sounded. Well maybe if you have REALLY BIG modules... :)

Or smaller modules strung together....



--
Best,
Wolf K
kirkwood40.blogspot.ca

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"Christopher A. Lee" <c.lee@fairpoint.net> wrote in...

"a425couple" <a425couple@hotmail.com> wrote:

"John Garza" <john@127.0.0.1> wrote in message

I'm interested in building a modular layout where I can swap out say a
forest section for a desert section, etc. Each module would have common
entry/exit points for the track.
Anything like this out there?

What area of the world do you live in?

My reaction too - one of the reasons I don't like ----

No, no, no, I'm sorry for being unclear.
I was not being critical.
I was sincerely interested in where (geographic location)

In Seattle at the big train show (after Thanksgiving)
there is every year a huge display put on by various
members of a club putting a various number of their
individual sections together. They have a standard
of distances, so they can all fit together in various
combinations.

Meanwhile, a different local club:
I found a big big HO layout
near me.

If anyone cares to view, I just found that there is a video of it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OA8bozyuMhI
Day 285 of 365 Things To Do In Edmonds, WA
- Swamp Creek & Railroad Association

From earlier:
Take a look:
http://www.scwrra.org/layout/intro.html http://www.scwrra.org/layout/intro.html#index
Swamp Creek & Western Railroad Association
210 Railroad Ave. Edmonds, WA 98020

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