terrain for trains?

[baldwinmikado]

Its been a few months since ive been active on here. Its a new season and its time for me to get back and make a new layout. I remember how much my old ho layout cost and ive realized that now is the time to make a proper n scale layout (as my little loop with a siding isnt cutting it). I love being able to build your own layout but right now school takes up most of my time and money (college). I know a few people that have ventured into terrain for trains which is a company that makes durable 4x2 1/2 ' n scale layouts of various track plans. I really like these but cant seem to find them any where for a good price. Most places have then for at least over 350 dollars and some up to 700. I want to get 2 sections and have a 8x2 1/2 layout and upgrade my dcc roster so I dont want to spend thousands (maybe a thousand). Does anyone know of a place/website where I can get terrain for trains for a good price? And since im here what do yall think about terrain for trains?

[skipgear]

Considering the only two that are stand alone modules retail at $400 (Sierra) and $350 (Smokey Hollow) and they are out of stock at distributors, I think you should be happy to just find one. Everything else they make are add on modules for the Sierra layout and will not work without the Sierra module. Walthers shows only the Smoky Hollow Junct. available and it is on sale for $320. All others are out of stock with no expected arrival or being new models with TBD listed.

I think the high price ones you are seeing are HO versions that they are starting to sell or the High Sierra with additional modules included.

That said, you can build a better hollow core door layout for a lot less. Scratch and dent door $10-15, sheet of high density insulation foam $35, time and effort, FREE, and you are not stuck with a layout that relies on out-dated 9 3/4" radius or tighter curves, 4-6% grades and will be more substantial than a vacuformed sheet of plastic.

Hollow core doors are 7' x 24-36" wide. If the length is an issue, have the store rip it down to the length you need and just glue an end cap made from the cut off scraps on to maintain the integrity of the piece.

[Piyer]

I'll second what Tony said, the better way to go is with wood and foam, not preformed plastic. It'll be kinder to your wallet, and offer you infinite possibilities for design and expansion that the terrain system doesn't allow for.

[ScrewySqrl]

you can design your own easily without dealing with the expensive Terrain for Trains stuff.  Its not very good.

Since you are in college, are you limited by dorm space or something similar?

[baldwinmikado]

Thanks guys. And yes I am limited by apartment space (complex is across the street from my school). This is why I liked the idea of terrain for trains. You can add on little layout sections. I have tried to build a layout in my junior year of hs and it was never completed because of time and money (it was L shaped 8x8.) I want to do an n scale layout since I moved into college and I bought one with a little loop to run on a desk in my room. But I got lucky and can support myself w/o a room mate. So I have a small spare room about 8x7 that I want to build a a small L shaped layout in a corner as it is my little study room where I do my work. I want to put it on the 8 ft wall so the terrain for trains idea sounded good. I know I can do more with n scale and I can afford it more but I dont want this to  be a run on project. I would like it to be completed by the time I graduate which im a junior in college so i have till around june of 2016. I like detail but not museum quality and I already have some dcc equipment. I have built a few layouts and now that i think about it I think im better off building my own. Ill jus have to find a track plan I like. Well thanks guys andnwhen I start ill try to post pictures

[ScrewySqrl]

I have a small layout design that IMHO is the ideal small N-scale layout.

Its got a small yard, 5 industries, an interchange, and non-oval continuous loop in 30" x 54", and building it from scratch including everything from baseboard, a loco and rolling stock, DC powerpack, down to paintbrushes and glue is about $550 if you use Atlas track.  Using Bachman EZ-trak will push the price up some, but still inexpensive.




The 2.5x4.5 version here uses Atlas code 80 9.75" curves (plus a few 19" curves).  if you swap all the 9.75" with 11", it becomes a 3x5 with no change in cost.  The 9.75" should be fine, though, since its basically designed to run under 55-foot cars and a single switcher or road-switcher engine

The entire layout is a repeatable game. It needs one engine and 13 freight cars.  My suggested industries: A Chemical Works, a Paper Mill, A Food Processor, ACME products (mangling Coyotes since 1947!), and a Distribution Warehouse, plus interchange.  All can take nearly any kind of car.  Important when you might sent a Reefer one session to Industry #1 on one day, and Industry #3 the next. (Its Liquid Nitrogen to the chemical works, but to load ice cream at the food processor, and refrigerant at the paper mill)

Here's how it works:  Each industry has a car spotted (random for the first time you set up, but after that, it will be the previous session's spots), with the interchange empty, plus the yard has the longer 5-car track full and one of the spurs (total 8 cars).  Using dice or chips,  5 cars of the 8 are randomly chosen - the standard Inglenook sidings.  At the same time that the cars are picked, a second dice roll determines with of the 5 industries it must go to.    You build your 5-car train and deliver to the industries.  You also pick up the 5 cars at the industries  and put them on the interchange before you place the new train.   After spotting the incoming cars, you pick this up off the interchange and return it to the 5-car yard track, park the loco and its reset for the next run.

[Riptrack]

Hi baldwinmikado,
    I had the original Terrain For Trains layout before the High Sierra module. It was based on John Allen's original HO Gorre & Daphetid layout. I bought that years ago at a Longs Drugs that had a model railroad department in it that did mail orders. It was a pretty fun layout to use until I started the main one I have now. I ended up giving it to a friend of mine so he could share it with his grandson. It was all scenic with all buildings attached, tracks blocked into segments and all they needed was to add a power pack & their own trains. The company that made this first layout had a building fire that destroyed the original mold that made it. They had a new mold designed and change the track configuration some including the stream on it. The first layout and first runs of the High Sierra layouts were painted pretty well. Though the last run of the High Sierra ones look awful. Should of stayed with the paler shades of colors than the darker ones they ended up using. I would suggest if you decide to get a High Sierra layout to go for the unpainted version. You'll save yourself about one hundred dollars for a lousy paint job. You can easily get a flat ground color using a Rustoleum or Krylon spray paint in several shades of gray and tan. Heck Rustoleum has a Khaki camoflage paint that light grey with a yellow tint to it. Makes a good weather rock look for a base coat to start with. I would also suggest cutting a piece of good wood to fit inside the layout and attach with screws at the sides to hold it in place. Keeps the layout from flexing and makes it more ridged. I've seen the Terrain For Trains layouts sold on E-Bay and at Internet Model Trains ( http://www.internettrains.com/merchant2/merchant.mvc ). Just look under N Scale then modular layouts. If you want to see the ghastly paint job then just look for the layouts on E-Bay and you'll see what I mean. But if you want something mobile and small that's quick and easy to get going this is it. But if you design something on your own you'll get what you want along with the functionality your looking for instead someone else's preconceived idea of what that is. This is a choice you'll have to make. :-)

[Riptrack]

I stand corrected....Apparently they have some layouts on E-Bay that are painted better than the ones I saw a while ago.  
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Terrain-For-Trains-Painted-N-Scale-High-Sierra-Layout-used-Trestle-bridge-track-/281497570708?pt=Model_RR_Trains&hash=item418a900d94