Hello from across the pond! Love your layout! I currently run o scale tin trains, (love them!) but have as of late, thought of getting into n scale. One of my biggest reasons is noise levels and space needed. You just showed that in a really small space, n scale shines! Well done and, thanks for an informative and entertaining vid! Best of luck to you!
Just Fantastic, many thanks for showing me what you can do in such a small space. I am the Classic person you talk about, bought a '00' train set then found out it was so much bigger than I imagined it would be. Now enjoying 'N' gauge with Kato track. Thanks again. 👍🙏
Great argument for N gauge. That's a really attractive layout you've made... as you say, it has everything... I really like the idea that you can move it around... plant it on the kitchen table or whatever.
Another winner 🏆 Hopefully you're turning some heads and getting people to change their mindset about N Scale. A trick I've seen done here in the US is installing a kitchen turntable (here they're called a Lazy Susan) under the layout so you can rotate the layout to view the other side. They cost around $8 USD, but I'm sure they can be found cheaper at a second-hand store or a yard sale.
Hi, very nice to see a completed layout and a little running. I got into N almost 40 years ago and have no regrets at all. A few years ago I started buying Kato Unitrack and I'm happy about that too, with the reliability and easy construction, it is great for an oldtimer starting a new project.
Totally agree Mike, after 5 years or so, I have arrived at the same conclusion as you. I bought some new peco track, but the Kato system is so user friendly. Of course I am not a purist. But a combination of Kato and Metcalfe models works perfectly fine for me. Thanks for sharing your journey with us.
Mike, what a smashing layout, and as you say everything you really need. You talk the talk, you walk the walk, as it were. Brilliant, and good looking too. I really don't see the need for a back scene on this one, looks good all round.
Great video. I used to collect H0 but started TT a year ago. Here in Central Europe, TT is a popular scale and provides details that are equal or at least very close to H0, but at the same time you need less space than in H0.
Absolutely phenomenal job on this layout! As a fellow n scaler from the central US, I certainly appreciate and agree with your analysis of the benefits here. It should be mentioned that for roughly the same size as a stated minimum OO loop (4ft x 6ft), I have been able to build an n scale layout with an outer and inner loop that can also be run as a single, long run loop. Likewise, the layout includes a passenger station, 2 industries for switching, a reversing loop, river scene, multiple tunnels, an area where one track is elevated and passes over a double track, and enough scenic breaks to avoid the layout from feeling cluttered. Additionally, my minimum radius is 11 inch and all tunnels and the elevated track are high enough to let any n scale locomotives and rolling stock run without issue; the grade never exceeding 2.1%. I do not even want to think what space it would take to do all of that in OO or even HO. Lastly, I feel it important that you know that the level of quality and finish I see on this layout, as compared to other similar layouts from your past videos, truly stands out to me as a leap forward, not to say that the others were anything to be made light of. Keep up the growth and incredible work! Sincerely, Matt A.
Good summary. You could put fixed back scenes on each end and make a back scene that suits the front and back or make it double sided and affix it with clips or magnets to which ever side suits your needs. Cheers Peter from downunder.
I agree, if I didnt have a 00 collection before building my layout, I would have gone with N, for the space and the cost and performance of kato locomotives. Japan has really made N gauge trains enjoyable, detailed and reliable for not so much money. Fortunately I have a room to fit a 4x8 00 layout but before that, I didnt have the space. And that is where N shines. As for 00 prices, I was a huge fan of hornby back in 2010 when they had a solid range and locomotives that were affordable and reliable. But 50£ for an 0-4-0 has become way to much as an entry level locomotive, there were whole train sets that cost less than 60£ 10 years ago..
Thank you. I have been following the build and agree with your comments on N gauge. As you say there’s plenty to do on this little layout and it looks great. Well done!!
That has come put really nicely. I like it with no backdrop personally - that would be especially good without a backdrop for anyone who had a controller not integral like yours is ( but what you have done is super neat and keeps a minimum footprint ). Please get the operating video done as I am really looking forward to that and especially seeing it shunt and uncouple.
Great to see you championing Kato and N Scale, it has a lot to offer. Would it be possible to show how you wired up the DPDT switches to operate the Kato points. Apologies if I have missed this in a previous video.
I wish I'd known about this before I started in the hobby . I've invested in a lot of OO gauge that I hardly touch . I've bought two cv3 tracks from traintrax for figure of eight layout and two loops with sidings on a 4 × 2 table using Kato Unitrack . I've fell in love with the Kato trams as well !
I've got an N gauge layout in my shed, 2 foot by about 7 and a half foot. Loads of room for track, an industrial area, and a small village scene on a hill.
I think it’s a wonderful little railway Mike I really do. I am still considering building a Kato layout above a section of my OO layout,I have looked a number of times and Kato make a lot of nice looking starter sets.
You make a lot of very valid points. I'm in the planning/early building stages of my first proper model railway (I have an unfinished inglenook plank as well) and am very fortunate to have been permitted the use of a nearly 12' x 10' bedroom by my wife. What seems like a good size room becomes small very quickly when you actually start planning the track plan for a OO layout though, with compromises having to be made on curve radii and train length. I think I'm just about going to get away with minimum 24" radius in the scenic sections and 4-coach trains, but that doesn't leave a lot of space.
Never tried N gauge, but I really like the idea of the Kato track coming with ballast pre-modelled. Whenever I have ballasted track (OO gauge), I found that it took me some time to get the running decent afterwards.
Well done Mike, that's a lovely layout and the track has a certain flow to it, no doubt the larger radius points help there. I like the new(?) twin railcars, Fleischmann perhaps? Do tell. Best wishes to you 😊
An enthusiastically and convincingly argued vid! Love what you've done. I'm a sort of collector/runner in many scales and I always use Kato or its off-shoots (like Tillig TT track, which, I think, is produced under licence from Kato - I stand to be corrected). OO is pretty massive - just out of interest I put an OO class 87 from Hornby next to an HO Roco DB class 111 to compare and the class 87 dwarfed the class 111. So, depending on your interests, even HO could be a better starting point than OO (not to mention TT, as you did, of which I've got quite a bit and really enjoy it). Anyway, back to N - yes, I think it has a lot going for it to start railway modelling and many people overlook it so thanks for doing this video!
I really like your layout and how it has come together. It is great that you can start out quickly and run straight away as a transit then build up. The Kato trains look like a lot of fun and reliable for a limited outlay as well. As someone who may want to have a go keeping the size and cost of the layout down is important.
Loving what you are doing with N gauge/kato. If I wasn’t significantly into collecting 00 I would definitely be looking at doing something with kato. Currently have an 8’x2’ end to end layout that is designed to be added to if ever I have more space. It would have been an ideal space for an N gauge layout with hindsight. I just haven’t the heart to sell up my 00 stuff and starting again with N. As for as TT goes it’s a dead stick in my opinion and will never catch up with 00 or N. Anyway, thanks for the usual great content. 👍
I like your layout, but if you were to use the Tomix track, you could make it slightly smaller using the C-103 curves, but they are a bit tight, I've used Tomix points which are again a tight radius and kato loco and wagons, I originally bought the Tomix track for 009 layout using kato chassis under a 3d printed locomotive body
@BudgetModelRailways I've had no trouble getting it. I used hobbysearch 1999 in Japan they are reasonably quick, but the last lot came from Plaza Japan as I was buying a little steeple cab loco and 5 wagons all for less than a ready to run dcc 009 loco
Layouts looking brilliant, i haven't touched my n gauge layout for a while really need to get working on the scenery on it, i started of with 00 when i was little and moved onto n gauge for space reasons and had n mainly till my early 20s when i bought my house i started a small n gauge but then thought i got a big loft to play with and my old 00 gauge came out of storage and the rest is history so i was pretty lucky to have the space, if i didn't have the loft i think i would definitely have stuck with n gauge, i wouldnt part with my n gauge from when i was a kid hence the reason for building a small layout in my office, am gutted your not carrying on with the 00 in the shed and thought it was a really good looking project you were doing am sure your next project will be even better so what ever scale your doing i always enjoy your layouts, keep up the good work. Tom
Liking the progress. Yes, so much can be compacted in a small space with N. Not to mention the ease in transporting from one space to another. Question though; are the crossing arms in the SW corner of the layout set up for right side driving instead of left side as in UK roads?
looks great Mike... As you say, it's got everything. I particularly like the 360 view and that from the other side, it looks like a completely different layout... neat. Like the "Stonehenge" and pillbox features as well.
Absolutely fantastic, and really shows what can be done in N. I started with N and have gone to 009 to do a simp,e shunting layout. It works but I much prefer proper N scale both for space concerns and price.
I like 009 because the models are not too small and will run on the Kato N gauge track. My first rollingstock is the Budget Model Railways 009 Gauge Short Brake Coach running behind the Narrow Minded Railways 'Douglas' locomotive. I have the Kato V5 Inner Oval Unitrack Set. All painting of 3d models is done with acrylic which dries thin - not obscuring rivets and other fine details - it also dries quickly. Love the Budget Model Railways RUclips channel.
Great argument for N gauge. I scrapped the OO9 line on my layout due to reliability (all track related) and access issues. But it's all sitting in a box and will live again, when I have the time, in a very similar plan to your excellent layout. Cheers
Great video, I am modelling in n gauge and agree you can more bang for your buck, next project is something like what you have produced and I will try kato kit, keep making great videos
Lovely layout, you have hit the nail on the had. Unfortunately I am Australian and Kato her is expensive, I was converted to small OO layouts by Model Tains international Magazine, i DO OO layouts 4' by 15 in using 2nd hand OO equipment I have wanted to use Kato for N but as I said here its expensive. Please keep up the good work, I love your layouts
I love the little layouts like this, but I felt the need to use larger scales because I enjoy having people placed to tell stories. And that is harder to do with N.
In terms of quality N scale certainly has come a long way as far as engines and reliability go. I still have tons of locos from the 80s and even 70s but they're nothing compared to the Kato engines. Scenery is also available everywhere so that also isn't a problem anymore. Trackage might be a tad expensive but it pays to buy quality and on a layout this you won't go broke, also not in the amount of rolling stock you need.. Only problem that people might encounter is that it's tiny but you get plenty of action in a small space. Building it is also part of the fun of a layout 😄
Beautifull layout , i love the plan track . My favourte scale is N . well done , i enjoy to see the train runs , so relaxing and the every components nature and houses looks awsome. 😊👋greetings . MP Portugal
Nice layout! Here in the US Kato makes it easy to get into N. Even if you go with the minimum for US locomotives and rolling stock, you're still talking just 2 feet by 3-4 feet. For now I've gone down to Z, but between American Z Line and my own 3d printing it's no problem. I am planning on a N tuning fork layout, and I intend to use Kato track as it's so easy to put together and run.
Wow looks great mate.... never a true word said, i agree with everything, i orderd some kato set up from train trax today thanks tonwatching ur videos... to make a small layout like this for my n gaige thomas and percy. 😊 they should of done smokry joe in tt120
Very succinct and well thought out. We are downsizing to a smaller home so I won't have a model railway room any more, I have a lot of 00 some of which has never even been run as even in our present house I haven't got the room to have a reasonable layout. I wonder as I get older if N will cause problems with eyesight, however, you have provided great food for thought.
@@simonjames3845 thanks. I think the eyesight thing is a bit over played to be honest, I wear glasses for close up and have no issues. Using a re railer is no harder in N than OO, yes you can't see the detail but there is less detail to see. Worth a try and Kato pocket line makes it cheap to give it a try.
@@BudgetModelRailways Thanks, I will take some of my 00 to my model shop and and see if I can PX it for some N, I don't know aged 70 and starting again!! What fun!!
@@simonjames3845 be careful of older farish locos, they are OK for running at a pace but I found them poor slow speed shunters. Kato and tomix are excellent.
I have fallen in love with Kato unitrack, so simple to use. I also have very limited room, so I have decided to do T-Trak modules as it will allow me to do different scenes and swap them in and out depending on my mood and what I want to do, it will also mean if I move or get more room I can expand as required and once I find a local model railway club. It will allow other to join modules together as a group. Have you ever considered doing T-Trak as it might be good for your bike trips as you won’t need to take a complete layout to group meetings?
Looks great for it's size! For me OO is too big for what space I have so I've decided on a shunting layout, it's actually a modified version of your ideal shunting layout that you showed several years ago, with the fiddle yard it comes in at 9ft3in x 19in so it can sit on the longest wall in the room I use with no issues. I also have n gauge stuff as well which I'm planning on doing a double loop with an inglenook on a 4ft x 2ft6in board that I can have on my computer desk.
as someone thats in the 00/HO rabbit hole in very inclined to agree the attic gets too warm in summer and there isn't enough space in my room for it. luckily i was able to get some space in the garage after several years
A vert nice job indeed. Thank you for the inspiration to put another potential layout in my queue! I especially like the way you raised the ground height to compensate for the unitrack roadbed. I will try doing this with foam core, which I will then paint an appropriate surface colour before laying down my ground cover. Does anyone have any experience with regards to how the PVA/water mixture affects the foam core. Warping? Swelling? Shrinkage?
Cleaning up my room in preparation for school, I found an old layout plan I drew up maybe 3-4 years ago (perhaps longer, who knows). I should probably try it in N gauge, I could make it a bit bigger than it already is.
Plenty of boxfile layouts using Kato that have decent detail in them (see Jason Pierce’s layouts). Worth looking at Bachmann USA’s ‘Thomas’ n scale range for cheap convertible locos: I’m looking to do something on the Wisbech & Upwell with their Toby model which by all accounts has a removable face.
Even so called “space saving” hornby’s tt would fill that entire table. I’ve been saying the same thing about tt. Only large locos and coaches on 3rd radius, doesnt save space. Like you say N gauge is truly space saving especially the Kato stuff. Excellent video love the railbus.
100% agree about OO, when I decided to explore the idea of a layout, I got a 2nd hand hornby set and took it down to my Dad's house where he has a workshop. The benches are sizable, but we just couldn't fit the Oval onto it, so we added some timber clamped to a workmate but it was very quickly obvious I would never fit a layout in my house. A few years later on a milestone birthday my wife bought me a small N layout, which sat on the kitchen table, perfect. Now I am buying the bits to start my own (peco, Metcalf etc) and don't have to worry about having to find enough space to use it. My only issue was putting the bogied rolling stock on the track, so got a re-railer from gaugemaster for a few quid. Problem solved.
N-scale is indeed a nice scale, I would definitely consider it if I would start all over again. For the moment I have two OO mini layouts, one is 33x37 inch and has an oval with a double station track and one siding. The other is 39x55 inch and has a double oval and three sidings. Indeed, of I would have used the same space for N-gauge, I could have built massive layouts... It would help if there would be shortened rolling stock available in OO/H0, as there was available in the early days of model railways. They can take shorter radius and although their length is not to scale, I think they look fantastic. I am experimenting with shortening existing rolling stock, but it's not easy. By the way, do you have Z-scale (1:220)? It looks great (apart from the huge couplers), but rather expensive, I think.
@@BudgetModelRailways Yes, these are nice. The shortened 4-wheel coaches by Jouef Playcraft and by Lima are a good fit to smaller layouts. They are 4-wheel coaches at a length of around 20 cm.
@BudgetModelRailways I looked into building a simple N gauge layout with a Class 122 bubble car. But at £150 for a new one, I decided against it! Kato pocket line is the game changer!
This would be perfect for me, never had a train set or the space. Think I’ve found the solution. What controller is that? Like how it mounts, do you have a video of how it was made
@@Lion19722 hi thanks. The controller is our own design using cheap electrics from ebay and a 3d printed box. Details on our website and we have a video on them as well.
Thanks to your channel I have a running Kato loop today with Kato pocket line for my first layout. Thanks for your simple, great easy to follow info and content. Inspiring and cost effective for the beginner. No doubt N is perfect for me as a small desk layout that does not need to be permanent. Two extra points- is that scenery packs go a long way in N (don't need piles of expensive ballast shakers and grass to cover bare timber bases). 2. Kato is a 'plug and play' setup - no soldering wires and hard to follow diagrams. Plug it in and run trains.
The other nice thing, without a back scene, is at exhibitions, you can show it in two viewing angles, morning, as your video, the afternoon, the other side, which makes the layout look totally different, will fool the public...
Sorry, Dug, and I respect your views but not for me. I have grown up with British Railway's, and this layout and its trains are far too continental. I want BR steamer and desils with good old trucks and vans
@@keithwreyford999 I would have loved to do early BR in N but with everything at least twice the price and with the poor running of many locomotives it just wasn't an option
Hello from across the pond! Love your layout! I currently run o scale tin trains, (love them!) but have as of late, thought of getting into n scale. One of my biggest reasons is noise levels and space needed. You just showed that in a really small space, n scale shines! Well done and, thanks for an informative and entertaining vid! Best of luck to you!
@@curtismarean6963 thanks. Would love to do N one day
Just Fantastic, many thanks for showing me what you can do in such a small space. I am the Classic person you talk about, bought a '00' train set then found out it was so much bigger than I imagined it would be. Now enjoying 'N' gauge with Kato track. Thanks again. 👍🙏
Thanks, have fun
I like the fact that it’s “reversible” one side for shunting, the other side for the station. Very nice
Great summary of the pros of n-gauge with lots of details.
Great argument for N gauge. That's a really attractive layout you've made... as you say, it has everything... I really like the idea that you can move it around... plant it on the kitchen table or whatever.
Many thanks!
Another winner 🏆 Hopefully you're turning some heads and getting people to change their mindset about N Scale. A trick I've seen done here in the US is installing a kitchen turntable (here they're called a Lazy Susan) under the layout so you can rotate the layout to view the other side. They cost around $8 USD, but I'm sure they can be found cheaper at a second-hand store or a yard sale.
@@TheJpec361 that's a great idea
Hi, very nice to see a completed layout and a little running.
I got into N almost 40 years ago and have no regrets at all. A few years ago I started buying Kato Unitrack and I'm happy about that too, with the reliability and easy construction, it is great for an oldtimer starting a new project.
Totally agree Mike, after 5 years or so, I have arrived at the same conclusion as you. I bought some new peco track, but the Kato system is so user friendly. Of course I am not a purist. But a combination of Kato and Metcalfe models works perfectly fine for me. Thanks for sharing your journey with us.
Mike, what a smashing layout, and as you say everything you really need. You talk the talk, you walk the walk, as it were. Brilliant, and good looking too. I really don't see the need for a back scene on this one, looks good all round.
@@chazzyb8660 thanks for your kind comments
Great video. I used to collect H0 but started TT a year ago. Here in Central Europe, TT is a popular scale and provides details that are equal or at least very close to H0, but at the same time you need less space than in H0.
Absolutely phenomenal job on this layout! As a fellow n scaler from the central US, I certainly appreciate and agree with your analysis of the benefits here. It should be mentioned that for roughly the same size as a stated minimum OO loop (4ft x 6ft), I have been able to build an n scale layout with an outer and inner loop that can also be run as a single, long run loop. Likewise, the layout includes a passenger station, 2 industries for switching, a reversing loop, river scene, multiple tunnels, an area where one track is elevated and passes over a double track, and enough scenic breaks to avoid the layout from feeling cluttered. Additionally, my minimum radius is 11 inch and all tunnels and the elevated track are high enough to let any n scale locomotives and rolling stock run without issue; the grade never exceeding 2.1%. I do not even want to think what space it would take to do all of that in OO or even HO. Lastly, I feel it important that you know that the level of quality and finish I see on this layout, as compared to other similar layouts from your past videos, truly stands out to me as a leap forward, not to say that the others were anything to be made light of. Keep up the growth and incredible work!
Sincerely,
Matt A.
That's very kind of you thanks
Good summary.
You could put fixed back scenes on each end and make a back scene that suits the front and back or make it double sided and affix it with clips or magnets to which ever side suits your needs.
Cheers Peter from downunder.
I agree, if I didnt have a 00 collection before building my layout, I would have gone with N, for the space and the cost and performance of kato locomotives. Japan has really made N gauge trains enjoyable, detailed and reliable for not so much money. Fortunately I have a room to fit a 4x8 00 layout but before that, I didnt have the space. And that is where N shines.
As for 00 prices, I was a huge fan of hornby back in 2010 when they had a solid range and locomotives that were affordable and reliable. But 50£ for an 0-4-0 has become way to much as an entry level locomotive, there were whole train sets that cost less than 60£ 10 years ago..
Thank you. I have been following the build and agree with your comments on N gauge. As you say there’s plenty to do on this little layout and it looks great. Well done!!
Thanks, that's kind of you
That has come put really nicely. I like it with no backdrop personally - that would be especially good without a backdrop for anyone who had a controller not integral like yours is ( but what you have done is super neat and keeps a minimum footprint ). Please get the operating video done as I am really looking forward to that and especially seeing it shunt and uncouple.
Thanks. I do have a earlier video on shunting in N gauge if that helps
nice result as usual
You have raised some very valid points there, Mike. Great video.
Great to see you championing Kato and N Scale, it has a lot to offer.
Would it be possible to show how you wired up the DPDT switches to operate the Kato points. Apologies if I have missed this in a previous video.
We have the video planned
I wish I'd known about this before I started in the hobby .
I've invested in a lot of OO gauge that I hardly touch .
I've bought two cv3 tracks from traintrax for figure of eight layout and two loops with sidings on a 4 × 2 table using Kato Unitrack .
I've fell in love with the Kato trams as well !
The trams are excellent. We spent nine years building and buying OO Gauge, now busy selling OO to find N!
I've got an N gauge layout in my shed, 2 foot by about 7 and a half foot. Loads of room for track, an industrial area, and a small village scene on a hill.
@@middleageddad sounds great
I think it’s a wonderful little railway Mike I really do.
I am still considering building a Kato layout above a section of my OO layout,I have looked a number of times and Kato make a lot of nice looking starter sets.
You make a lot of very valid points. I'm in the planning/early building stages of my first proper model railway (I have an unfinished inglenook plank as well) and am very fortunate to have been permitted the use of a nearly 12' x 10' bedroom by my wife. What seems like a good size room becomes small very quickly when you actually start planning the track plan for a OO layout though, with compromises having to be made on curve radii and train length. I think I'm just about going to get away with minimum 24" radius in the scenic sections and 4-coach trains, but that doesn't leave a lot of space.
Never tried N gauge, but I really like the idea of the Kato track coming with ballast pre-modelled. Whenever I have ballasted track (OO gauge), I found that it took me some time to get the running decent afterwards.
They make OO track as well, it's HO but same thing. Traintrax sell it.
Another great video and more sterling work on the layout. Nice job!
Thank you very much!
As always, you speak to Truth. Love your channel.
Well done Mike, that's a lovely layout and the track has a certain flow to it, no doubt the larger radius points help there. I like the new(?) twin railcars, Fleischmann perhaps? Do tell. Best wishes to you 😊
Correct, we'll spotted
Amazing amount of interest and detail you have fitted in that space.
An enthusiastically and convincingly argued vid! Love what you've done. I'm a sort of collector/runner in many scales and I always use Kato or its off-shoots (like Tillig TT track, which, I think, is produced under licence from Kato - I stand to be corrected).
OO is pretty massive - just out of interest I put an OO class 87 from Hornby next to an HO Roco DB class 111 to compare and the class 87 dwarfed the class 111. So, depending on your interests, even HO could be a better starting point than OO (not to mention TT, as you did, of which I've got quite a bit and really enjoy it).
Anyway, back to N - yes, I think it has a lot going for it to start railway modelling and many people overlook it so thanks for doing this video!
@@Michaelgoestofrance thanks for the comments. As you say even HO is a better option OO is just too big
I really like your layout and how it has come together. It is great that you can start out quickly and run straight away as a transit then build up. The Kato trains look like a lot of fun and reliable for a limited outlay as well. As someone who may want to have a go keeping the size and cost of the layout down is important.
Loving what you are doing with N gauge/kato. If I wasn’t significantly into collecting 00 I would definitely be looking at doing something with kato. Currently have an 8’x2’ end to end layout that is designed to be added to if ever I have more space. It would have been an ideal space for an N gauge layout with hindsight. I just haven’t the heart to sell up my 00 stuff and starting again with N. As for as TT goes it’s a dead stick in my opinion and will never catch up with 00 or N. Anyway, thanks for the usual great content. 👍
I like your layout, but if you were to use the Tomix track, you could make it slightly smaller using the C-103 curves, but they are a bit tight, I've used Tomix points which are again a tight radius and kato loco and wagons,
I originally bought the Tomix track for 009 layout using kato chassis under a 3d printed locomotive body
I've been tempted by tomix track, but kato is much easier to get
@BudgetModelRailways I've had no trouble getting it. I used hobbysearch 1999 in Japan they are reasonably quick, but the last lot came from Plaza Japan as I was buying a little steeple cab loco and 5 wagons all for less than a ready to run dcc 009 loco
Layouts looking brilliant, i haven't touched my n gauge layout for a while really need to get working on the scenery on it, i started of with 00 when i was little and moved onto n gauge for space reasons and had n mainly till my early 20s when i bought my house i started a small n gauge but then thought i got a big loft to play with and my old 00 gauge came out of storage and the rest is history so i was pretty lucky to have the space, if i didn't have the loft i think i would definitely have stuck with n gauge, i wouldnt part with my n gauge from when i was a kid hence the reason for building a small layout in my office, am gutted your not carrying on with the 00 in the shed and thought it was a really good looking project you were doing am sure your next project will be even better so what ever scale your doing i always enjoy your layouts, keep up the good work. Tom
Thanks Tom
Liking the progress. Yes, so much can be compacted in a small space with N. Not to mention the ease in transporting from one space to another.
Question though; are the crossing arms in the SW corner of the layout set up for right side driving instead of left side as in UK roads?
@@MarkPurnell-er1lx yes, I figured driving on the wrong side of the road would make it more general in appearance
Mike and Doug, thank you for this series on the N Scale railroad.
@@user-sv4pj5jl8n thanks for watching and commenting
looks great Mike... As you say, it's got everything. I particularly like the 360 view and that from the other side, it looks like a completely different layout... neat. Like the "Stonehenge" and pillbox features as well.
Thanks
Absolutely fantastic, and really shows what can be done in N. I started with N and have gone to 009 to do a simp,e shunting layout. It works but I much prefer proper N scale both for space concerns and price.
Great layout Mike
@@allenemery4665 thanks
I like 009 because the models are not too small and will run on the Kato N gauge track. My first rollingstock is the Budget Model Railways 009 Gauge Short Brake Coach running behind the Narrow Minded Railways 'Douglas' locomotive. I have the Kato V5 Inner Oval Unitrack Set. All painting of 3d models is done with acrylic which dries thin - not obscuring rivets and other fine details - it also dries quickly. Love the Budget Model Railways RUclips channel.
Thanks
Great argument for N gauge. I scrapped the OO9 line on my layout due to reliability (all track related) and access issues. But it's all sitting in a box and will live again, when I have the time, in a very similar plan to your excellent layout. Cheers
I really do love this layout, so much in such a small space, it's brilliant 😊👍
Thanks
Well said a few years ago i took a step towards n-gauge i still love 00 but the space issue made it hard to get something running.
Great video, I am modelling in n gauge and agree you can more bang for your buck, next project is something like what you have produced and I will try kato kit, keep making great videos
Lovely layout, you have hit the nail on the had. Unfortunately I am Australian and Kato her is expensive, I was converted to small OO layouts by Model Tains international Magazine, i DO OO layouts 4' by 15 in using 2nd hand OO equipment I have wanted to use Kato for N but as I said here its expensive. Please keep up the good work, I love your layouts
I got some of those Kato 11-105 power units recently. Really good runners!
Thank-you for answering my equivalent OO Gauge sized layout: 4x
Quite nice!
I agree with every thing you said. I now have an n gauge layout following your example and Kato Unitrack has made laying the track so much easier.
Hello,I've been into 'N' gauge trains for a while ,the size is much better for beginners.this is a awesome OO gauge layout.
I love the little layouts like this, but I felt the need to use larger scales because I enjoy having people placed to tell stories. And that is harder to do with N.
N gauge is my first love as a scale :)
most excellent. you are persuading me that layout-1 should be kato unitrack (in N of course) for speed.
Inspired, like some of the other comments I too have too much 00 , I’d probably have gone this route apart from dodgy eyes 😊
So well said
Thanks
Fantastic may try to build it.
In terms of quality N scale certainly has come a long way as far as engines and reliability go.
I still have tons of locos from the 80s and even 70s but they're nothing compared to the Kato engines.
Scenery is also available everywhere so that also isn't a problem anymore.
Trackage might be a tad expensive but it pays to buy quality and on a layout this you won't go broke, also not in the amount of rolling stock you need..
Only problem that people might encounter is that it's tiny but you get plenty of action in a small space.
Building it is also part of the fun of a layout 😄
Lovely little layout that 👏🙂 No need for a back scene imo, looks too good from all angles to cancel any out…another perk of small layouts 👍
Beautifull layout , i love the plan track . My favourte scale is N . well done , i enjoy to see the train runs , so relaxing and the every components nature and houses looks awsome. 😊👋greetings . MP Portugal
Thanks
Nice layout! Here in the US Kato makes it easy to get into N. Even if you go with the minimum for US locomotives and rolling stock, you're still talking just 2 feet by 3-4 feet. For now I've gone down to Z, but between American Z Line and my own 3d printing it's no problem. I am planning on a N tuning fork layout, and I intend to use Kato track as it's so easy to put together and run.
Wow looks great mate.... never a true word said, i agree with everything, i orderd some kato set up from train trax today thanks tonwatching ur videos... to make a small layout like this for my n gaige thomas and percy. 😊 they should of done smokry joe in tt120
Very succinct and well thought out. We are downsizing to a smaller home so I won't have a model railway room any more, I have a lot of 00 some of which has never even been run as even in our present house I haven't got the room to have a reasonable layout. I wonder as I get older if N will cause problems with eyesight, however, you have provided great food for thought.
@@simonjames3845 thanks. I think the eyesight thing is a bit over played to be honest, I wear glasses for close up and have no issues. Using a re railer is no harder in N than OO, yes you can't see the detail but there is less detail to see. Worth a try and Kato pocket line makes it cheap to give it a try.
@@BudgetModelRailways Thanks, I will take some of my 00 to my model shop and and see if I can PX it for some N, I don't know aged 70 and starting again!! What fun!!
@@simonjames3845 be careful of older farish locos, they are OK for running at a pace but I found them poor slow speed shunters. Kato and tomix are excellent.
Great video very informative just starting a n gauge layout I like the hill very clever 👍
Thanks glad it was helpful
I have fallen in love with Kato unitrack, so simple to use. I also have very limited room, so I have decided to do T-Trak modules as it will allow me to do different scenes and swap them in and out depending on my mood and what I want to do, it will also mean if I move or get more room I can expand as required and once I find a local model railway club. It will allow other to join modules together as a group. Have you ever considered doing T-Trak as it might be good for your bike trips as you won’t need to take a complete layout to group meetings?
I've looked at T Trak modules but they are very expensive
Looks great for it's size! For me OO is too big for what space I have so I've decided on a shunting layout, it's actually a modified version of your ideal shunting layout that you showed several years ago, with the fiddle yard it comes in at 9ft3in x 19in so it can sit on the longest wall in the room I use with no issues. I also have n gauge stuff as well which I'm planning on doing a double loop with an inglenook on a 4ft x 2ft6in board that I can have on my computer desk.
All sounds very nice, have fun
as someone thats in the 00/HO rabbit hole in very inclined to agree the attic gets too warm in summer and there isn't enough space in my room for it. luckily i was able to get some space in the garage after several years
Perfect example of utilizing a small space.....
Thanks
A vert nice job indeed. Thank you for the inspiration to put another potential layout in my queue! I especially like the way you raised the ground height to compensate for the unitrack roadbed. I will try doing this with foam core, which I will then paint an appropriate surface colour before laying down my ground cover. Does anyone have any experience with regards to how the PVA/water mixture affects the foam core. Warping? Swelling? Shrinkage?
@@caniscuriosum3386 I've had no issues at all with foam board and scenery if that helps?
Piko Makes 4 $26.00-$40.00 "junior" HO locos they can do first radius, they can do points or at least the 2 steamers can.
I'm familiar with that range, it's excellent, especially the bo bo diesels
Cleaning up my room in preparation for school, I found an old layout plan I drew up maybe 3-4 years ago (perhaps longer, who knows). I should probably try it in N gauge, I could make it a bit bigger than it already is.
Plenty of boxfile layouts using Kato that have decent detail in them (see Jason Pierce’s layouts). Worth looking at Bachmann USA’s ‘Thomas’ n scale range for cheap convertible locos: I’m looking to do something on the Wisbech & Upwell with their Toby model which by all accounts has a removable face.
Even so called “space saving” hornby’s tt would fill that entire table. I’ve been saying the same thing about tt. Only large locos and coaches on 3rd radius, doesnt save space. Like you say N gauge is truly space saving especially the Kato stuff. Excellent video love the railbus.
I agree, they should have made smaller radius track with smaller locos in TT to really show what it could do
Great looking layout. Thinking of making a small Christmas layout for my small oo9 collection which Kato/Peco do
Absolutely correct
100% agree about OO, when I decided to explore the idea of a layout, I got a 2nd hand hornby set and took it down to my Dad's house where he has a workshop. The benches are sizable, but we just couldn't fit the Oval onto it, so we added some timber clamped to a workmate but it was very quickly obvious I would never fit a layout in my house. A few years later on a milestone birthday my wife bought me a small N layout, which sat on the kitchen table, perfect. Now I am buying the bits to start my own (peco, Metcalf etc) and don't have to worry about having to find enough space to use it. My only issue was putting the bogied rolling stock on the track, so got a re-railer from gaugemaster for a few quid. Problem solved.
Sounds great, have fun with it
N-scale is indeed a nice scale, I would definitely consider it if I would start all over again. For the moment I have two OO mini layouts, one is 33x37 inch and has an oval with a double station track and one siding. The other is 39x55 inch and has a double oval and three sidings. Indeed, of I would have used the same space for N-gauge, I could have built massive layouts... It would help if there would be shortened rolling stock available in OO/H0, as there was available in the early days of model railways. They can take shorter radius and although their length is not to scale, I think they look fantastic. I am experimenting with shortening existing rolling stock, but it's not easy. By the way, do you have Z-scale (1:220)? It looks great (apart from the huge couplers), but rather expensive, I think.
The older shorter Hornby Wagons are still available 2nd hand. We designed 3 types of short coaches to fit them and they are some of our best sellers
@@BudgetModelRailways Yes, these are nice. The shortened 4-wheel coaches by Jouef Playcraft and by Lima are a good fit to smaller layouts. They are 4-wheel coaches at a length of around 20 cm.
hi there great video, you have me thinking, i just might go for N gauge due to lack of space. thanks for the advice,
@@petersmith4455 it's worth considering
Great thought provoking video Mike but if Kato didn't exist would you be doing N?
No, it would be too expensive, but as they do it solves the problem.
@BudgetModelRailways I looked into building a simple N gauge layout with a Class 122 bubble car. But at £150 for a new one, I decided against it! Kato pocket line is the game changer!
@@michaela21212 yes it certainly opened the possibility of N for me.
Lovely layout. Does what it says on the tin, delivers in spades. Have you seen the N gauge society kits ?
@@StevenJones-vd6mh I've heard of them and seen a few on Ebay. They seem good if pricey
@@BudgetModelRailways the. N gauge society kits range from about a fiver upwards.
I agree n gauge is good for space you can use uni track I do
For the size, it's roughly the one of an A2 paper sheet to give you an equivalent.
Cool combo. A Kato Steeplecab running on Kato Unitrack, you really can't go wrong. Perfect little layout too.
Thanks, as you say it doesn't get much better
Thanks for the update on the n gauge layout,as we both know kato,and N gauge are the best because of what you can do and price!!😎🚂🚃🚃🚃🚃🇬🇧
Totally agree
This would be perfect for me, never had a train set or the space. Think I’ve found the solution. What controller is that? Like how it mounts, do you have a video of how it was made
@@Lion19722 hi thanks. The controller is our own design using cheap electrics from ebay and a 3d printed box. Details on our website and we have a video on them as well.
Do find the Kato point to be long, perhaps a 3d printed spacer to raise the small peco points up to the kato level.
@@Games20210 yes they are a trifle long but they are workable
@budgetmodelrailways what's the kato parts number for those curves? Thanks.
They are R150
This is a very nearly perfect layout! For extra fun, try doing this in Autumn and Winter colors! 🌦🌸🌻🌞🧨🍂🍁🌬❄️
I really want to do an autumn layout one day. Thanks
Backscene, could you make a removable one & get the best of both worlds? Attached with magnets or card fitting into a slot.
Thanks, I had considered it
Thanks to your channel I have a running Kato loop today with Kato pocket line for my first layout. Thanks for your simple, great easy to follow info and content. Inspiring and cost effective for the beginner. No doubt N is perfect for me as a small desk layout that does not need to be permanent. Two extra points- is that scenery packs go a long way in N (don't need piles of expensive ballast shakers and grass to cover bare timber bases). 2. Kato is a 'plug and play' setup - no soldering wires and hard to follow diagrams. Plug it in and run trains.
Thanks, yes as you say much quicker scenery in N
The other nice thing, without a back scene, is at exhibitions, you can show it in two viewing angles, morning, as your video, the afternoon, the other side, which makes the layout look totally different, will fool the public...
Can I ask where you get your kato locos thanks
Traintrax
@@BudgetModelRailways thanks
you only get kinks in flexi track if its laid poorly, if done well and you take your time it looks good, other than that good video 👍
That's tricky to get right in 6in rad curves even with a template
@@BudgetModelRailways ah right, makes sense then, i thought you meant flexi track in general
What about z gauge? Almost the same?
@@asumazilla hard to get and very expensive in the UK
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐👍
Sorry, Dug, and I respect your views but not for me. I have grown up with British Railway's, and this layout and its trains are far too continental. I want BR steamer and desils with good old trucks and vans
@@keithwreyford999 I would have loved to do early BR in N but with everything at least twice the price and with the poor running of many locomotives it just wasn't an option