Action Packed N Scale Layout in 2x4 Feet

Action Packed N Scale Layout in 2x4 Feet - The Layout is Done!

Рет қаралды 36,994

Күн бұрын

The 2x4 foot N scale project layout is finally done. Well, except for a few last details I want to add like some trucks and trailers and additional vehicles. See all the new additions to the layout in this video along with some trains running on the finished layout.
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Check out my website: www.steves-trains.com
Note that while I have Amazon affiliate links for most products, often you can find them at hobby retailers for cheaper. Note that as an Amazon affiliate, I receive a commission on any sales I make through those links.
TRAIN SETS:
►T Gauge Sets: www.vcshobbies.com/product-ca...
►Z Scale Sets: ztrackcenter.com/starter-sets
►N Scale Kato Amtrack Set: amzn.to/3iyCbBt
►N Scale Kato Super Chief Set: amzn.to/3B4ISS7
►Kato N Scale Track and Controller Set 1: amzn.to/3B61UHF
►Kato N Scale Track and Controller Set 2: amzn.to/3Y5hflZ
►More Kato Track Sets: amzn.to/3OYcZQJ
►HO Scale Rail Chief Train Set: amzn.to/3OVJizQ
►O Scale Lionel Polar Express Train Set: amzn.to/3EQLcNu
►O Scale Lionel Hogwarts Express Train Set: amzn.to/3Y5hM7t
KATO TRACK:
►Kato Unitrack (N Scale): amzn.to/3kl9msS
►Kato Unitrack (HO Scale): amzn.to/3kl9msS
CONTROLLERS:
►Battery Powered Controllers that work great for N scale too: amzn.to/3umqFfa
►Awesome DCC Starter System: amzn.to/3gZVbbp
LAYOUT KIT:
►HO Scale Grand Valley Kit: amzn.to/3uiPvN1 (my first adult railroad project)
►Track set for Grand Valley Kit: amzn.to/3VPyzsS
►Building set for Grand Valley Kit: amzn.to/3F1b8WQ
►N Scale Scenic Ridge Kit: woodlandscenics.woodlandsceni...
►N Scale building set: amzn.to/3BsZMu3
TOOLS:
►Bench top hot wire cutter: amzn.to/3Voq1tk
►My Filament 3D Printer (upgraded version): amzn.to/3Uroph6
►Snap-off Blade Utility Knife: amzn.to/3OXM1cj
►Cordless Dremel Set: amzn.to/3VO86Mm
►My DeWalt cordless drill: amzn.to/3gW5i18
►My Dewalt cordless saw (current version): amzn.to/3H73Jbo
►My Dewalt cordless miter saw: amzn.to/3VNnzfL
►My DeWalt Cordless Brad Nailer: amzn.to/3XBvltD
►Speed Squares: amzn.to/3IxfJ6h
►Hot glue gun: amzn.to/3ZFcTmk
More Items:
►NEC PowerCab: amzn.to/3acwox9
►Digitrax DS74 Units: amzn.to/3M7KBbW
►Push Buttons: amzn.to/3M9eEQG
As an Amazon affiliate, I receive a commission on any products purchased through Amazon links.

Пікірлер: 98

@mikediehl1468 3 ай бұрын

Building a smaller layout like you did can easily give you a quicker sense of accomplishment instead of waiting for years to finish an entire room filled with n scale trains. A small space packed with a lot of details! Excellent work sir! 😀

@gmaneis 3 ай бұрын

Your layouts started out being excellent here on KZfaq, and they keep getting better. Everything is so beautifully done, especially the electronics. Thank you for sharing your super talent.

@StevesTrains 3 ай бұрын

Thank you!

@sevind7 3 ай бұрын

thanks for posting these Steve. My grandfather passed away over two decades ago and he had an entire room dedicated to a model railway. These videos take me back to fond memories. Thank you.

@Trains-With-Shane 3 ай бұрын

Nice work! The tiny details like the dumpsters and junk piles really bring life to the scene.

@StevesTrains 3 ай бұрын

Thanks!

@NorthernBandit1 2 ай бұрын

Steve...how incredible! I've watched your previous vids and I am impressed with you finish, fabulous. Looks real and even with your modisty...dude you knocked this out of the park. I am building my N-Scale layout now...at a point of beginning to carve up some foam and make some scenery. Your layout is inspirational! Thank you!

@StevesTrains Ай бұрын

Thanks!

@andrewlaverghetta715 3 ай бұрын

I don't think I already commented on this, but I watched it the other day and it's awesome! I have a 2.5x4' layout and I enjoy it, but this has a lot going on and a lot to look at. I hope you get to show it off somewhere in person too!

@charleswalsh9895 3 ай бұрын

Lots and lots of ideas, Great. Thanks

@paulj.waldron1976 3 ай бұрын

Very well designed and engineering. Personally, I'm a O scale person, but that N scale looks marvelous. 👍

@StevesTrains 3 ай бұрын

I’ll have an o scale video this next Tuesday!

@eugenepiurkowski5439 3 ай бұрын

Thank you for sharing your work. Marvelous job. Everything is perfect :)

@ChicagoCrossingRR 3 ай бұрын

Bravo Steve - this is probably one of the most efficiently designed layouts I've seen, you've done a beautiful job. It's really impressive seeing four industries plus an interchange spur in such a small space without crowding. Lovely how you've hidden all the spurs in or between buildings.

@historybuff7491 3 ай бұрын

Nicely done. It show that a lot can go in a small space.

@f364marte 3 ай бұрын

Absolutely amazing!

@ronbaker8383 3 ай бұрын

The beauty of n gage you don't need lots of space

@StevesTrains 3 ай бұрын

Exactly!

@rhendricksonn 3 ай бұрын

Great job Steve

@StevesTrains 3 ай бұрын

Thanks!

@davegoodridge8352 3 ай бұрын

That's a great job!!

@JohnNack 3 ай бұрын

Looks really awesome! I might add a couple more figures to make some of the areas feel a bit more ‘lived in’

@StevesTrains 3 ай бұрын

Yes, I plan to add more.

@sittinglynx3738 3 ай бұрын

Steve it really does look amazing. This build has inspired me to do a small layout. I hope to start this spring :)

@stom5292 3 ай бұрын

Outstanding The small details like the patch work on the roads and random junk in the corner make this look very realistic

@myduino 3 ай бұрын

Very nicely done!

@user-vv3nn4jc3w 3 ай бұрын

Very nice, thanks for posting…

@iotaprime2892 3 ай бұрын

Outstanding! Inspirational.

@juniorflores687 3 ай бұрын

Great layout! Amazing detail work.

@tonyantonuccio4748 3 ай бұрын

Steve, you have been an inspiration for me getting back into the hobby. I followed many methods from your 3.5 x 5.5. Now I'm doing a layout on a 30 x 80 door and am still learning from the details you present on this one. Your skills in construction are matched by your presentation. Kudos to you and the other excellent presenters on yt.

@StevesTrains 3 ай бұрын

Thanks, good luck on your project!

@milepost33 2 ай бұрын

Wow! What an awesome setup!

@StevesTrains 2 ай бұрын

Thank you!

@alzeNL 2 ай бұрын

Very nice indeed ! I'm going to be getting back into N and Z gauge and going to focus on a small size layout. I really like your layout, its looks beautiful and plenty to keep attention/interest in operation.

@bulletsponge1656 3 ай бұрын

Gotta love those ebay street lights i bought 30 of them they are nice and cheap 2!

@bentstrider 3 ай бұрын

Never really abandoned this hobby. It's more like I get on it for several months at a time and then I hit a wall. After seeing this setup, I do think this is the standard to try and follow. Got a 2'x3' I started back in 2018. But it's been lying dormant in the mini storage. Perhaps it's time to implement some of these design features and also implement one of those abandoned projects I see floating around on ebay from time to time.

@NachosElectric 3 ай бұрын

"Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in!"

@ashleyglennon734 2 ай бұрын

Nice work! This is a great layout design as you get mainline, switching and commuter rail all-in-one. And I love the genius storage system. Love your detailing and the fact that you could have multiple operators all having fun at once. All of this functionality packed into a small footprint is amazing. Keep the videos and innovations coming!

@BriansModelTrains 3 ай бұрын

Amazing work!. Congratulations.

@StevesTrains 3 ай бұрын

Thanks!

@Myrulv 3 ай бұрын

very nice, and inspiring!

@garfieldirwin 3 ай бұрын

Very impressive Steve -- professionally done in all respects! Cheers!

@StevesTrains 3 ай бұрын

Many thanks!

@joeystrains.9316 3 ай бұрын

Impressive layout, this is the future of the hobby, a small footprint in in your home and lots of action.

@StevesTrains 3 ай бұрын

Thanks!

@HARDL3FT 2 ай бұрын

I wasn’t much of an N Scale fan before watching but the fun size miniature layout you created makes me want to make one myself! Good job!

@W_Grizzified 3 ай бұрын

I see a magnetic backdrop in my future! Excellent idea 😊

@nfapiper1 3 ай бұрын

I've been pondering a design for a simple HO layout, and this design might just be what I'm looking for. Great work!

@dbarr15 3 ай бұрын

WOW you have outdid yourself. This turned out beautiful. Thanks for bring us along for the ride.

@toomanyhobbies400 3 ай бұрын

Awesome job! Love the warm look of the light brown ballast on the upper level track. It brightens up the look of the grayish roads and buildings on that level. Looking back to the Colorado Loop with all it's brown rocks and scenery, the gray ballast was a good contrasting look there.

@biotrekker 3 ай бұрын

The level of detail is awesome.

@robertlowery5586 3 ай бұрын

Beautiful layout! Only thing I would add is a little tiny hobo camp in one of the wooded corners. The 'boes could be cooking some stew or beans.

@jerrysmith1929 3 ай бұрын

Another impressive build and a lot of action packed into a small space. Nicely done!

@lexluthermiester 3 ай бұрын

@StevesTrains Very nicely done!! My favorite Nscale layout size is a standard 48"x96" plywood sheet cut down to 42" or 44" wide with an optional 48"x48"(again cut down to 42" or 44" wide)sheet added on for an L shape to fit in a corner. This always gives plenty of room for big curves for passenger trains, which are my favorite type of train. BTW, Nice Burlington Silver Streak Zephyr set!

@andrewjones6693 3 ай бұрын

Nice! Love the silver Burlington passenger liner!

@TheyCallHimDietSeth 3 ай бұрын

That's a beautiful layout! I love how much you fit into such a small space!

@HadwayLayout 3 ай бұрын

That is a very cool layout. I hear people say all the time. I don’t have room for a layout. Only 2’X4’ is a very small footprint in a room. I will be sharing your video every time someone says that to me. Thanks for the video.

@StevesTrains 3 ай бұрын

Yep, layouts this size can fit in most homes.

@rosemaryr.long-morgan9704 3 ай бұрын

Wow, great work. Layout looks very nice & You've packed quite a bit of concrete vs foliage without detracting from the trains/tracks especially in a 2 x 4 ft size diorama-it doesnt't even look crowded. I like the extra protection idea of the acrylic sheets with magnets & that You have incorporated a hinged compartment with knobs for easier access to panel plus storage, again great work! /Rosemary

@StevesTrains 3 ай бұрын

Thank you very much!

@thomasetesta5641 3 ай бұрын

Awesome layout Steve with tons of detail; I’m amazed 😊

@WesternMichiganRailway 3 ай бұрын

Another great layout! Loved watching this one get built. Cant wait to see your next project!

@StevesTrains 3 ай бұрын

Thanks so much!

@ChannelWright 3 ай бұрын

Very nice! Love those magnetic shields too!

@angeloavanti2538 3 ай бұрын

Very nice layout. Perfect size for any space. Have fun!

@barondesena 3 ай бұрын

Wow lovely work you put a lot of action into a tiny space!

@davidallen6333 3 ай бұрын

this layout is awesome great job ! Shows you don't have to go big to have a great layout !

@markmonroe7330 3 ай бұрын

Excellent presentation. Thank you. Really love this.

@Miertreg1 3 ай бұрын

Super schön 👍👍👍. Viele Grüße Gert

@TheyMakeItLikeThat 3 ай бұрын

Looks great! It's amazing what you can cram into a small space if you try

@StevesTrains 3 ай бұрын

Thanks!

@trainliker100 3 ай бұрын

The recessed legs are nice. The common "four legs in the four corners" method just snags people's feet. Another solution is to make a pedestal base. Basically, a box, that has a somewhat smaller footprint than the layout top. It also provides storage (if you make a means for access) and prevents the underside of the layout from being a catch all for visible clutter. It can be plain, or fancy with perhaps routed rounded edges or quarter round moldind used to soften the edges or even curved plywood for very rounded edges. At 6:15 in this KZfaq of the San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum you can see a 4x8 Lionel layout with a pedestal base and rounded edges. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/hcl6n6l13LKsnpc.html

@reiheractual 3 ай бұрын

thinking about doing something similar to this a Florida East Coast Ry. theme

@OldcampRanch 3 ай бұрын

Very cool, thanks for sharing 👍🏻

@JakeSweeper 3 ай бұрын

Very nice. But as a suggestion for the two dock facilities in the center, only put straight trucks or pup (28') trailers in them as the 53' semi-trailers in common use today would not be able to get in and out of there w/o backing down the hill and regularly bumping into things. Heck, the old 40' trailers would be a little hard pressed to get in and out.

@StevesTrains 3 ай бұрын

Yes, I was looking at that and it would look really bad with the longer trailers. Things are compressed a ton as they are and the long trailers would really ruin any remaining illusion.

@JezMan67 3 ай бұрын

Hi . Superb n so detailed. Awesome job . Do u do Christmas village setup this size with the trains going around. Interested to chat more n discuss. Thanks n Cheers 🎉

@StevesTrains 3 ай бұрын

I did an o gauge Christmas layout this past year and have done a couple small n scale ones in the past. If you were wanting me to build one for you, I don’t have any availability at this time.

@DeadlySpoon12 3 ай бұрын

Fantastic work! definitely using this as inspiration for my 2x4 project. Where do you source your track from?

@StevesTrains 3 ай бұрын

Various online retailers. Wherever I can find a piece I need.

@jeffreyconnors8782 3 ай бұрын

This layout looks awesome ! I’m also into N-scale and use Kato track. However, I’ve never been able to find kato unitrack in and radius smaller than 45deg. Where did you get yours, or is it not Kato ?

@StevesTrains 3 ай бұрын

It is all Kato. He bought from various online retailers. Fifer hobby, model train stuff (gone for now, but coming back), Midwestmodelrr.com, etc

@Conn653 3 ай бұрын

Will the trolly operate with the pantographs in the upright position or will they hit the tunnel?

@StevesTrains 3 ай бұрын

They can be partly up, not fully extended. But I just leave them down so I don’t have to worry about it.

@1870movie Ай бұрын

Very nice. Could you share an approximate cost of this project?

@StevesTrains Ай бұрын

I didn’t keep track, but probably $2,500-$3,000 or so. Maybe less, but there is a lot of track and structures and the combined DCC and DC systems add cost. It always adds up more than you think. Especially adding details like vehicles which can cost $10-20 each and all the other random items. The actual used materials cost is less, as there is a lot of scenery items that I bought but used only a small amount. Similar with paint and stain and all of that.

@NHseacoast 3 ай бұрын

Great layout Steve! Where did you buy the industrial buildings? Do you have a link ! Thanks! George subscribed

@StevesTrains 3 ай бұрын

I got them from several online retailers. I got some from model train stuff, which shut down but is coming back eventually, Amazon, and others.

@NHseacoast 3 ай бұрын

@@StevesTrains what. Brand are the industrial. Buildings?

@StevesTrains 3 ай бұрын

@@NHseacoasti think all are Walthers kits. They have a bunch of warehouse type kits sold as a bunch of different structures that look similar.

@mapit07 3 ай бұрын

Awesome job. Question My Kato layout is DC how can I add DCC? Your thoughts?

@StevesTrains 3 ай бұрын

Usually pretty straightforward. You just need to supply the DCC signal to the whole layout at one time, so if you have multiple blocks or things like that where power is controlled by toggle switches or that kind of thing you just have to do things where power is supplied by DCC. So maybe if the toggle switches are all thrown one direction than the DCC signal goes to the track. If all you have are DC throttles connected directly to the track then all you do is replace a DC throttle with a DCC one, and just make sure all the feeder wires go to the DCC system. Kato track works fine with DCC. The only issue is that the power routing turnouts #6 and some others, will cause a short and shut down the DCC system if a train enters the turnouts from the frog side and the turnout isn’t thrown the correct way as the frog will be powered with the wrong polarity. In general, this isn’t really much of an issue and so I don’t normally worry about it.

@mapit07 3 ай бұрын

Thanks Steve!