Excellent work, really great concept and very well executed! A great project for someone who is new to N Scale and wants a layout with plenty of features to work with! Cheers from Melbourne Australia 🇦🇺
I thoroughly enjoyed watching your video! Watched the whole thing! Thanks for detailing all of your instructions and illustrations. Very inspirational! Great layout!!!
Hi Steve! Greetings from Spain. I’ve recently acquired an N gauge layout which, although reasonably designed is built on a fixed L-shaped base board. A good deal of the structures are kit-build and, certainly reuseable however, the running tracks are not well planned. Seeing this video has definitely given me ideas and inspiration for a complete redesign. My main garage layout is OO scale so, I’m looking forward to the next few months of working on something a lot smaller😊.
I built an N gauge layout using a 36" x 80" slab door (no pre-drilled holes); nice size, great smooth surface to work with, and solid after I mounted it on legs.
Thanks for this video. I actually found the smaller loop to be a good foundation for my first layout. I have the loop ready to go and I am thinking of building it as a steel mill with a single switcher and a short flat car that I can stack some steel beams on.
I am considering this in 3-rail O. Should be scalable. I guess the biggest challenge would be the hinged second level - may be too heavy/bulky for one operator. Perhaps rear platform access through openings where I can reach into the mid section, or maybe smaller lift sections spread across the length.
You would need to make the lift section sturdier of course and I would a couple pneumatic piston things on there to make it easier to open and close. Or maybe add some counter weights to the back of it.
You need an oscillating multi tool. Would make all those annoying cuts. Probably one of my best tools. Great video. I’d like to build a small layout similar to this for my son.
You soldered the whole top loop (because there was a single feeder wire), but why did you not solder the other levels? On the other levels it appears as though there are several longer sections without a feeder (esp on the bottom layer). I take it the Kato track connections do a good job maintaining electrical connectivity thru multiple track pieces?
Your vids are helping me build my small 2x3 tram layout. I haven’t bought the poplar siding boards yet but am curious about using oak veneer, the stuff that comes in rolls. I’d cut to dimension and glue to the 2 1” thick pink foam sheets I’m using to build my scene with gorilla glue. I’d still use the slats under the foam. Think this would be sturdy enough for a tabletop layout?
I’ve thought about playing around with that stuff for some projects. I don’t know that it would be strong enough without another layer of something, but I’ve never used it so not sure. There is some size where it would probably work fine and some cutoff where it won’t but not sure where that point is.
@@StevesTrains thanks. I just bought some and it does appear fragile, but I think you’re right, some sort of reinforcement looks like it can help as it appears to split easily. On layouts with curved fascia I think this stuff will make a layout look really nice 👍
This is one of my favorite videos and I know very little about trains but this is awesome :) if I wanted to get started with N scale what’s the most budget friendly way to start? Thanks :)
Well, the Kato starter sets are a great value for the quality you get. Bachmann sets are cheaper but i wouldn’t want to stick with the included easy track long term since it isn’t as durable and there isn’t as much variety in the track types. You can buy just the Kato track sets and then piece together trains separately (individual locomotives, cars) over time as the budget allows to spread the cost out over a longer period of time.
It would be hard to do that of course. It would be easier with a larger layout so there was more space, but it would need to be setup like you might do a lift gate or something. Doable, but a lot more work to get a perfect track connection, especially in N scale.
Hi Steve, I've watched loads of your videos. All very helpful since I'm a beginner. I found a Kato track plan named Loop De Loop. The tracks needed are listed on the plans. There is one notation I can't find. There's a stroke across the track notated TJ. Any ideas ? Thanks for all the great videos.
It might be “terminal joiners” which are the rail joiners that have power leads attached to them. You swap out the unijoiners at that connection with the terminal joiners.
I didn’t solder every joint on this layout although for a lot of these small ones it doesn’t matter since the length of track isn’t enough to cause too much of an expansion issue unless it is getting super hot. Obviously the larger the layout the more critical expansion joints are.
I was planning on bookmarking this series to make one myself so thank you for doing this.😀
Building N scale layout.
Tri-nivel.
Kato tracks.
DC and DCC.
I love the N scale layout.
Good job my friend.
Excellent work, really great concept and very well executed! A great project for someone who is new to N Scale and wants a layout with plenty of features to work with! Cheers from Melbourne Australia 🇦🇺
Thanks!
Watched every minute of this, would love to see the same thing with the 1x5 layout
Thanks!
Wow! Thank you so much!
I thoroughly enjoyed watching your video! Watched the whole thing! Thanks for detailing all of your instructions and illustrations. Very inspirational! Great layout!!!
Thanks!
Hi Steve! Greetings from Spain. I’ve recently acquired an N gauge layout which, although reasonably designed is built on a fixed L-shaped base board. A good deal of the structures are kit-build and, certainly reuseable however, the running tracks are not well planned. Seeing this video has definitely given me ideas and inspiration for a complete redesign. My main garage layout is OO scale so, I’m looking forward to the next few months of working on something a lot smaller😊.
It's amazing! What am I looking to duplicate your setup roughly . I appreciate the video, sir.
I built an N gauge layout using a 36" x 80" slab door (no pre-drilled holes); nice size, great smooth surface to work with, and solid after I mounted it on legs.
Excellent concept, Steve. Love the three levels!
Very nice, you’re a very skilled artist! Thank you for sharing
That was fun watching! You put a lot of thought and that small layout.
WOW! Super Video!
Totally awesome layout Steve!!💙
Thanks for this video. I actually found the smaller loop to be a good foundation for my first layout. I have the loop ready to go and I am thinking of building it as a steel mill with a single switcher and a short flat car that I can stack some steel beams on.
What a neat little layout!
Very Creative Layout ! I Like it.
I am considering this in 3-rail O. Should be scalable. I guess the biggest challenge would be the hinged second level - may be too heavy/bulky for one operator. Perhaps rear platform access through openings where I can reach into the mid section, or maybe smaller lift sections spread across the length.
You would need to make the lift section sturdier of course and I would a couple pneumatic piston things on there to make it easier to open and close. Or maybe add some counter weights to the back of it.
Many thanks for a great video
You need an oscillating multi tool. Would make all those annoying cuts. Probably one of my best tools. Great video. I’d like to build a small layout similar to this for my son.
I have one now! I bought one a month or so ago when expanding our pantry. That would have helped a ton on this project.
This is impressive.
Perfect! I've paid for videos like this 👍
Great video!! Lots of ideas.
Oh wow! Way cool, awesome 👍🏻
You soldered the whole top loop (because there was a single feeder wire), but why did you not solder the other levels? On the other levels it appears as though there are several longer sections without a feeder (esp on the bottom layer). I take it the Kato track connections do a good job maintaining electrical connectivity thru multiple track pieces?
I love this video
Cool thanks mate
Your vids are helping me build my small 2x3 tram layout. I haven’t bought the poplar siding boards yet but am curious about using oak veneer, the stuff that comes in rolls. I’d cut to dimension and glue to the 2 1” thick pink foam sheets I’m using to build my scene with gorilla glue. I’d still use the slats under the foam. Think this would be sturdy enough for a tabletop layout?
I’ve thought about playing around with that stuff for some projects. I don’t know that it would be strong enough without another layer of something, but I’ve never used it so not sure. There is some size where it would probably work fine and some cutoff where it won’t but not sure where that point is.
@@StevesTrains thanks. I just bought some and it does appear fragile, but I think you’re right, some sort of reinforcement looks like it can help as it appears to split easily. On layouts with curved fascia I think this stuff will make a layout look really nice 👍
This is one of my favorite videos and I know very little about trains but this is awesome :) if I wanted to get started with N scale what’s the most budget friendly way to start? Thanks :)
Well, the Kato starter sets are a great value for the quality you get. Bachmann sets are cheaper but i wouldn’t want to stick with the included easy track long term since it isn’t as durable and there isn’t as much variety in the track types. You can buy just the Kato track sets and then piece together trains separately (individual locomotives, cars) over time as the budget allows to spread the cost out over a longer period of time.
Are u selling this?
It's just the perfect size.
Just love it .
Awesome
Yes, but it is already going to someone once I finish my last video I want to do with it.
awesome design. Is there a way to connect the bottom to tracks in such a hinged design? I suppose it would be similar to a bridge that opens?
It would be hard to do that of course. It would be easier with a larger layout so there was more space, but it would need to be setup like you might do a lift gate or something. Doable, but a lot more work to get a perfect track connection, especially in N scale.
Hi Steve, I've watched loads of your videos. All very helpful since I'm a beginner. I found a Kato track plan named Loop De Loop. The tracks needed are listed on the plans. There is one notation I can't find. There's a stroke across the track notated TJ. Any ideas ? Thanks for all the great videos.
It might be “terminal joiners” which are the rail joiners that have power leads attached to them. You swap out the unijoiners at that connection with the terminal joiners.
when you soldered all the track together, did you leave any gaps to allow for possible track expansion that might cause buckling ?
Nice video !
I didn’t solder every joint on this layout although for a lot of these small ones it doesn’t matter since the length of track isn’t enough to cause too much of an expansion issue unless it is getting super hot. Obviously the larger the layout the more critical expansion joints are.
Very nice. What was your final cost?
I use AnyRail
“I’ve cut the intro and outro”
*spends 20 minutes on intro and making a door 😂
True! But I did actually cut out a lot from all the other parts in the video series I spliced together.
🤠🚂🖐
😀❤👍
Thanks!
Thank you!!