O scale Layout on 48x32 table? Layout help? Any help?

*** Anyway - I have been poking around online and found some Micro-Layouts that got me interested in trying this. I figured I'd pop in here and ask the experts :o) Any ideas? Anyone ever do this? Can I make a continuous layout in that scale on that size board? Is there a free program or site ewhere I can use tracks to try creating a layout? ***

---------------------------------------------------- Thor's All Gauge page has a wealth of info and layout plans:

Atlas Right Track Freeware:

Good luck with your railroad!

Bill Bill's Railroad Empire N Scale Model Railroad:

History of N Scale: Railroad Bookstore: to 1,100 sites:

Talk with Bill Worhle.

HO would need double each dimension, O four times. In O it would be impossible to have a loop of track in 48x32.

Age four is much too young to do anything other than watch the train go around. Eight would be a realistic minimum age.

I would bet that a large part of your son's play with his wooden Thomas trains is putting the track together into different layouts in addition to just running the trains on the layout. Be careful not to deny him that kind of creative play as you step up to electric trains. Lionel trains standup well to changing the track layouts, and the three rail track avoids all the potential reverse loop short circuit problems. If he finds an arrangement he particularly likes, it can be temporarily screwed down while its novelty lasts and to give more reliable operation and connection for accessories. But in time, when his interest inevitably shifts to other toys, you can restart the train interest by un-screwing the track and adding a new track element or accessory.

Most of the pleasure from micro layouts is that obtained from the building and doing the super-detailing to create the jewel-like scenes. This patient work is beyond a four year old's ability and attention span. Even adults quickly get bored running a short train in circles on a micro layout, unless they are doing it a show where they can bask in the oooh's and aaah's over their craftsmanship.

32" by 48" is a little too small to get much layout play even with Lionel O-27. About the most you can squeeze in is an oval with a single straight section on its long sides. Putting turnouts in place of the straights gives a passing track just 2 curved track sections long - barely enough to store a locomotive. I'd recommend you consider a minimum of 32" by 68" to accommodate a simple oval with 4 straight tracks on each long side, as this space will also accommodate a figure-8 layout. Even better would be to try for about 40" by 68" to allow adding a straight section in the short ends of the oval. This may get to be too heavy for a child to fold down and lift up. You might consider a plywood board with boards around the edges on casters that could roll away under his bed. Geezer

Hogwash. It depends on the child.

My son was running his own 2x4 foot N scale layout at age 4, with two trains and 2 controllers. It was one of the low-numbered Atlas layouts - a twin oval with crossovers and a couple of spurs on the inside, 4 blocks, and snap switches. He didn't operate it unsupervised (it IS electric, after all...) but he could run the thing better than I could.

The most significant thing is making sure they understand the difference between toy trains and model trains. He would still crash his die-cast Thomas toys together with great glee, but never tried to do that with the N scale stuff... and he had NO problems putting the N scale trains on the tracks.