Plan your layout. Plan, plan, plan, plan, plan, plan. Draw out your table using a layout design software. There’s a few programs out there that you can use to design your track layout, and I think that the last one that I used was free!
Figure out what “theme” you are going with and stick with it. Is your layout a coal mining area? An industrial part of town? A big city? The country? It’s fine if you want different “landscapes”, but don’t try to fade from a metropolis into the backwoods in 2 feet. That stuff only happens in crappy movies. (Despite popular belief from Hollywood, the edge of the French Quarter is NOT the swamps. You have to drive a few miles down the road to get to swamps.)
Start off small and build out from there, but again: plan ahead for expansion. For example, Put in a switch and have one of the splits end at a bumper or just go off to the edge of your board. That way you have something to work off of when you expand.
Build out the track and test it before you worry about scenery. Make sure it runs smooth with several trains (Engines only & Engines pulling cars). Let the train run for a little while at various speeds. Fix any issues where the train derails.
Go wide with your turns. No less than 22″ radius turns, in my opinion, to ensure longer passenger cars can turn through it.
Paint your board green or a soil color BEFORE you put track and roadbed down. Last time I painted a board, I went to Home Depot and got one of those test-size cans of paint in the color of my choosing, which I think was about $4.00 and it’s about a pint of paint.
Plan for your streets and scenery ahead, as well. To put down roads, I use painters tape to tape off streets and I use truck bed liner in a spray can (the black non scratch stuff you see in the bed of trucks) as asphalt. You can get the bed liner in a can at most auto parts stores or Wal-Mart in the automotive section. A can was under $10, and I still have a bunch left over.
Keep inclines to no more than 3 degrees. I think that 3 degrees equals to about an inch of elevation for a yard of track. Remember: You have an Athearn, not The Little Engine That Could.
Use cork roadbed. It cuts down train running noise by a ton.
Get a track gauge tool and test your track’s gauge in turns and straightaways (especially if you use Flex Track). A gauge tool is only a few bucks at a hobby or train shop and it will save you a crap load of headaches.
If you are using flex track, use a Dremel tool to cut and file the ends where they need to be.
Solder your joints in the track. This will keep a good connection all along the track. Make sure your track joins are a smooth transition. if you can feel it with a finger, I’ll bet ya 10 bucks your engines will definitely feel it.
A bright boy is your best friend. A bright boy is an eraser tool for model railroading that has some kind of grit to it. Keep one handy at all times. Once your track and scenery is down. you’ll probably want a track cleaning car. I, personally, don’t use the liquid track cleaner.
Keep your track shiny and clear of dust, and oxidation. Keep your engine wheels clean with something like a Kadee engine contact cleaner. Clean tracks and wheels = good electrical current = smooth running train.
Watch various YouTube videos of various model railroaders instructions for doing a task before just taking a shot in the dark. It will save you time and money. Ask fellow railroaders in person, including the local train shop guy. I’ve learned more about model railroading from just asking the guys at the local train shops than anything else.
Also, check out the Woodland Scenics Scenery Guide or some of the other various publications that show you the steps to building a quality railroad. Even if you don’t follow their stuff step by step, it will give you a good start of how to do it, and then you can add your own unique spin to it.
When doing scenery, compare your ideas to real life scenes. Realism is next to godliness.
Lastly, but most importantly, HAVE FUN. It’s a hobby, not a job. If it stresses you out, you’re not doing it right!!
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