Hi All
Newbie alert...
Good news: I've got permission from the wife to build myself a model train layout!
Even better news: She likes the idea and may even help build and design scenery and stuff.
Bad news: I don't have much room, and the wife thinks it will lead to clutter
I had a 16ft x 4ft HO Hornby/Lima layout when I was a kid (20+ years ago), but know nothing about what's available these days, and have never used N gauge.
A standard 8x4 layout looks like it's going to be too big for me, unless I hang it from the garage roof on pulleys so it can be lifted up and out of sight. So I need to start small to convince the wife this hobby will be feasible and won't clutter the place up.
I've got a 5ft x 3ft board and that looks usable in the space available, so N scale is the obvious choice.
Now to my first question:
Is a decent N scale layout possible on say a 5ft x 3ft board?
I like really long line runs, trestle bridges, tunnels, mountains, rivers, canyons, and other types of "alpine" type scenes.
I also like having lots of trains running at once.
Is my idea possible in such a small space?, and if not, how big would be a minimum and what proportions do you recommend?
Could I make it even smaller than 5x3 and impress the wife with how little room I'm taking up?
Comments, ideas, criticisms, and heated discussions invited!
Thanks
Dave.
Newbie alert...
Good news: I've got permission from the wife to build myself a model train layout!
Even better news: She likes the idea and may even help build and design scenery and stuff.
Bad news: I don't have much room, and the wife thinks it will lead to clutter

I had a 16ft x 4ft HO Hornby/Lima layout when I was a kid (20+ years ago), but know nothing about what's available these days, and have never used N gauge.
A standard 8x4 layout looks like it's going to be too big for me, unless I hang it from the garage roof on pulleys so it can be lifted up and out of sight. So I need to start small to convince the wife this hobby will be feasible and won't clutter the place up.
I've got a 5ft x 3ft board and that looks usable in the space available, so N scale is the obvious choice.
Now to my first question:
Is a decent N scale layout possible on say a 5ft x 3ft board?
I like really long line runs, trestle bridges, tunnels, mountains, rivers, canyons, and other types of "alpine" type scenes.
I also like having lots of trains running at once.
Is my idea possible in such a small space?, and if not, how big would be a minimum and what proportions do you recommend?
Could I make it even smaller than 5x3 and impress the wife with how little room I'm taking up?
Comments, ideas, criticisms, and heated discussions invited!
Thanks
Dave.