How small can a USA switch layout be

Hi Kevin,

Have a look on NMRA BR (http://www.nmrabr.org.uk/member-articles) for some articles by UK modelers who are into NA modeling. Plus there was a Peco Publication in I think 2014 on NA modeling ("Your Guide to Modelling North American Railroads: North American Special"). Amazon UK should have it if Peco doesn't.

Nigel

Hi Nigel.   I looked at the link you sent me. But, "It could not be found".   All the best. Kevin

Hi Kevin,

Try this:

NMRA British Region – Sharing Know How

Click on "Members Articles on the top (third from left).

Nigel

Hi Nigel.  Thank you.   I will read that.     All the best. Kevin

Hi Bill.   Regarding my US dream, don't get me wrong. At heart I am still a British Outline fan, and especially Southernn and BR(S). With so many , of the recent products from both Hornby and Bachmann EMU and DEMU Sets in my collection awaiting a permanent layout. And that is why I keep building Puzzle Planks.
All the bes. Kevin

Hi Kevin,

Well you could always have a small Southern Railway (or even Southern Pacific, Norfolk Southern, Southern Central of Georgia, Southern Illinois, Virginia Southern, Colorado and Southern, Buffalo Southern or Birmingham Southern) switching plank to keep up the Southern connection.

The malachite green with sunshine yellow used by the Southern Railway in the US was identical to that used on the SR in the UK following a visit of the then railroad president who admired the color scheme so much he had all the locomotives repainted on his return. Lots of good models by decent manufacturers. Avoid Athearn "Blue Box" hood switchers unless new, older models have out-of-scale bodies ("Classic") and poor mechanisms. Proto2000 or Atlas/Kato are usually good, as are new Bachmann.

Nigel

Hi Nigel.  I will take all this "Aboard". And bear it in mind ( Not Grizzly?) thank you very much. Kevin

Hi Ron.   Updating my progress , or lack of? After lots of trials with Uncoupling I have just discovered how weak Neodymium Magnets are, the material that is, I had just taken a disc magnet from a stack, and was about to position it for my next test, but it was in two pieces. I had better follow your "modus operandi", and start cutting out sleepers in readiness , if only I had used code 100 track??   All the best. Kevin alias Passed Driver

Disc magnets ??   I use 3mm cube magnets and they are powerful  & I doubt that you could break one.

Hi Ron.   The magnet in question is a disc, that I purchased long ago. The 3mm cube came along later.All the best. Kevin

Kevin, not sure if you got sorted for affordable locomotives and rolling stock, but try Anorak's Anonymous at exhibitions, they are usually incredibly cheap - approx £42 for a DCC fitted locomotive.

I recently got a Bachmann 70T switching engine with factory installed decoder from them for £27!!

Their freight cars go as low as £4 sometimes too.

I know they attend Alexandra Palace exhibitions pretty much every year, if that helps you?

Danielb wrote:

Kevin, not sure if you got sorted for affordable locomotives and rolling stock, but try Anorak's Anonymous at exhibitions, they are usually incredibly cheap - approx £42 for a DCC fitted locomotive.

I recently got a Bachmann 70T switching engine with factory installed decoder from them for £27!!

Their freight cars go as low as £4 sometimes too.

I know they attend Alexandra Palace exhibitions pretty much every year, if that helps you?

Hi Danielb.    Thank you for your reply. To be honest I had forgot about my “ American Dream “. At the time I was really struggling to get my layout running , insofar as trying to get Kadee couplers to operate efficiently , I understand as far as most British outline Modellers are concerned they don’t belong. I thought I could do something different .  It now every coupler is working, no matter what Modellers think, it is my layout.  Best wishes 

[user=1801]Passed Driver[/user] wrote:

Danielb wrote:

Kevin, not sure if you got sorted for affordable locomotives and rolling stock, but try Anorak's Anonymous at exhibitions, they are usually incredibly cheap - approx £42 for a DCC fitted locomotive.

I recently got a Bachmann 70T switching engine with factory installed decoder from them for £27!!

Their freight cars go as low as £4 sometimes too.

I know they attend Alexandra Palace exhibitions pretty much every year, if that helps you?

Hi Danielb.    Thank you for your reply. To be honest I had forgot about my “ American Dream “. At the time I was really struggling to get my layout running , insofar as trying to get Kadee couplers to operate efficiently , I understand as far as most British outline Modellers are concerned they don’t belong. I thought I could do something different . But now every coupler is working, no matter what Modellers think, it is my layout.  Best wishes