Work on the new N Scale

We are making some progress on the N Scale layout donated by the family in Coleman. The layout will end up being U-shaped, with a four foot long, 16 inch wide connector across the back. I took a couple of pictures so you can see what it currently looks like.

This is what will be the right side of the layout. The upper level will be removed, and some track will be rearranged for better operation.

This is what will be the left side of the layout. Again, the top level will be removed, and some track will be rearranged. We plan to keep all the town names from the original plan, and there will be track on other levels. We just want to use current techniques to do it.

This is a view looking into the room, so that you can see how the two sides will be arranged (generally). The tables will need to be moved around a bit for final placement. The section in the back, on the right, will be made into the connector between the two main parts of the layout.

Here is another view of the left side of the layout. I got busy this morning, and removed the upper levels of track.

All of the track used on this layout is sectional, so there is a rail joint every 4 or 5 inches. We hope to be able to replace all of the sectional track with 3-foot flex track, which will both be newer and have less connections to worry about.

We plan to be able to use this layout both as a display piece, and for club operations. To that end, we will have a dual power setup with regular DC power, on a timer, for museum operation, and DCC power for club use. The power source will be selectable by a simple toggle switch.

For museum operations, we should be able to run at least three trains at any one time, so there will be plenty of action to see. For club operations, there will be 2 yards, and several industries to switch, so 2, 3, or maybe even 4 operators will be kept busy.