N Scale Model Railroading -
"Uses Less Space With More Scenery"
N Scale Model Train Sets Prove
Popular
N scale model railroad layouts are growing in popularity with model railroaders.
N scale (known in the UK as N gauge) model railroads have the advantage of taking
up less space than the popular HO scale model railroad layouts.
N scale model trains are in fact 54.5 percent the size of equivalent HO
scale
model trains. This means that you can build an N scale model railroad layout in an
area about 30% of that area needed to build a similar model railroad layout in HO
scale.
With N scale model railroads a three-foot wide layout could accommodate up to a
213 scale foot radius. Being smaller, N Scale railroads allow for greater amounts
of scenery to be created than would be possible on a similar HO layout.
The smaller N scale railroad layouts are also more accommodating to larger
quantities of cars in a train. So, if you like the idea of long trains going
through towering landscape, then an N scale model railroad layout might be what you
are looking for.
Although we can't mention every N scale model railroading club, we
will from time to time feature news and activities happening at various N scale
model railroad clubs from around the world. Here is some information about a couple
of clubs:
N Scale Model Railroad Club Uses Module
Concept
As the name implies, the Win N Trak Model Railway Group focus on the hobby of
model railroading in N scale (1 /160). This Winnipeg (Canada) based model railroad
club uses the international modular layout concept developed by "NTRAK". The NTRAK
concept employs standard track locations in order to allow modules built by members
to be joined together to create model railroad layouts of various sizes and
shapes.
Win N Trak owns several of the key components, such as the
"yard", power sources, and throttles. The yard is an important part
of each setup as it allows members to put together and store their
trains between runs on the layout.
The model railroad layout takes from 2 to three hours to assemble, including the
matching and connecting of the modules, the electrical components, and the cleaning
and testing of the completed setup. Teardown, at the end of each show, takes up to
one hour.
Hot Bed Of Railroad Activity For 150 Years
Fort Bend County, Texas, has been a hot bed of railroad activity for more than
150 years. These days a suburb of Houston, Fort Bend County is crossed by some of
the most active rail lines in the US, including the former-SP "Sunset Route".
Living in various communities in this area, the members of the Fort Bend Model
Railroad Club are blessed both with the opportunity to see a lot of full-size
trains in action, and to model railroads in N scale indoors as a way to seek relief
from those long hot coastal Texas summer days.
The N scale model railroad club has a large NTRAK layout composed on many
modules, tied together by the theme of railroading in Fort Bend County in 1951.
When all the modules are used, the layout is about 40 ft. x 24 ft. in size, with a
center island with 9 12 ft. track used for staging.
