hello all, I am new to n scale

[alfalfa]

I bought lots of new track and have an old trainset I never did anything with. I have not even got my base put down yet, because I blew all of my money on new track I am using several layers of cardboard with styrofoam on top. Any advice at all would be welcome. :) Thank you

[alfalfa]

I got some books and mags with great advice and pics today. It is alot to read, but just skimming through I can tell that I will learn alot.....................hours later........ I just finished setting up my first test track on the kitchen table. Very simple. Just a circle about the size of an xtralarge pizza. NO nails or soldering or glue or anything. I did have to repair the wire I broke. That took less time than joining two pieces of track.

:)

[ntrainlover]

I suggest using a piece of 1inch styrofoam so you can shape hills easily. Then cover that with plaster cloth and Sculptamold. Do all of your senery using woodland senics items.

[dan t]

i am a in n scale to there is a lot to no befor you get strated n scale is sensitive your swiches haft to be perfit or thay will derail! are you going to you's under the tabel swichmachine or the one's that come with them? are you youing atlas, bachmann. micro trains, or kato if you are youing bachmann you are in for a wrold of fun thay are the werst ones!!! atlas & micro trains are not compatabel unlest you chang the trucks on micro trains to atlas or kato trucks. depening on how menny cars & cerivs sizes depens on wether you can push them. are you youing code 80 or 55 track there is a lot to think about in n scale. this is the basic things you need to no

[T-Man]

Dan, code 80 is N scale track at 9mm. Code 55 is 10.5 mm which is HON3 HO narrow gage 3 feet. HON 30 is HO narrow gage 30 inches which is N scale. So code 55 track is out!

[Xnats]

Welcome alfalfa :) Just spit out any questions you might be stumped on and we'll try to help.
I'm lost with the rail stuff.
All N Scale is 9mm wide(from inside of rail to inside of rail). Then you have to height of the rail (from top of rail to bottom where it sits on the ties) with code 80 being the tallest. That is the oldest and all brands will run on it. Code 55 is shorter and code 45 is even shorter. The Code 45 and 55 are used to have more life like appearance. The older stock will not run to well on these lower rails do to wheel flangs they used make in the day. They are commonly referred to pizza cutter wheels. They were made with extra big flanges( part of the wheel that rides along the inside rail) to help prevent derailments.
Here in the States most of our stuff is scaled to 1:160 - Japan has stuff that is 1:150 and England has some other 1:148 I think. All these versions will run on 9mm N Scale track. You will have a problem matching Atlas True Track to Kato, because of the plastic road bed connecting system. Micro train should match up to section Atlas track no problem. I'm not sure about Bachmann track, I still never seen a piece in N Scale.

[dan t]

atlas youes code 55 in n scale here is a link http://www.atlasrr.com/Trackmisc/ncode55.htm