N-Gauge newbie. Where do i start

Jeffro · April 23, 2012, 11:21:40 AM

hi all.

Im looking into buying my 1st train set at the age of 40. late started i no.
i really like the look of the n gauge size trains and track.

im looking to have a baseboard about 6ft x 3ft, and i want a setup with lots to do, not just a double loop and just watching... i now want to buy my first set and go with DCC, was thinking of getting the farnish Digital Commuter set , then adding track and locos etc as i go. will the ez control that comes with this set do me for about 4 - 5 trains and if i want to add lights, motorised points etc to my layout , can i do it with this. Also can i use any make of ddc n -gauge train, lights, motorised points etc with the farnish stuff.

or is there a better way of starting,maybe peco setrack starter pack, then buy trains and controller , but which ones? ive got about £300 to get me going, then more for adding stuff later.

am i looking in wrong places as i cant seem to find much dcc n-gauge stuff

thanks in advance for any info.

Newportnobby · April 23, 2012, 11:28:40 AM

Hi Jeffro - welcome to the forum

As I'm an old DC type I can't answer your questions very well but I'm sure someone will be along shortly with the necessary information.
I do know, however, the Farish Digital Commuter set is one of the very best as the loco is one of their best offerings and the coaches are excellent models too.

Lawrence · April 23, 2012, 11:36:56 AM

Hi Jeffro, welcome to the forum. I would suggest you take some time to read through some of the posts in the Layout Construction thread, the DCC thread and in the reviews section there is information on Locos, rolling stock and controllers

scotsoft · April 23, 2012, 11:41:19 AM

Welcome Jeffro

Like newportnobby I am DC so can't answer your DCC question.

However while you are waiting on the answer, which I am sure you will get here, why not have a look at this thread http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?topic=1736.0 here you will find links to software that can help you plan your layout.

I have seen some very good results posted here using the Scarm package as it can produce a 3D picture of what you have laid out.

EtchedPixels · April 23, 2012, 12:02:47 PM

The little Digitrax DCC controller is pretty basic to say the least but it's good enough to control loco lights but not digital control of pointwork.

Almost nothing in N comes with DCC enabled by default, but most newer models now come with a 6 pin socket for plugging in the chip which is fairly easy to do. Quite a few suppliers will do DCC fitting for you if needed, and several of the suppliers will give you a decent price for 'loco purchase + dcc fitting' if it's not your thing doing it yourself.

For actual stuff I'd repeat my usual advice - start small. Get one train a loop of track and a siding or two working on a piece of board, then decide where you want to go and what you feel confident with. People sometimes plunge in head first then discover as they drown in a mass of wire, woodwork and problems that a large layout is the wrong place to start, and sadly sometimes give up.

Alan

Mustermark · April 23, 2012, 12:38:51 PM

Welcome to the forum, and the hobby!

Jeffro · April 23, 2012, 12:54:09 PM

just been looking at the dynamis controller. looks to like its everything i would need, ie for trains points etc. so may by everything separate then. will look at the rest of the bachman stuff ie track , trains and see what i come up with. im guessing the dynamis will work with any dcc trains? thanks guys

Donkey · April 23, 2012, 10:30:27 PM

Quote from: Lawrence on April 23, 2012, 11:36:56 AM
Hi Jeffro, welcome to the forum. I would suggest you take some time to read through some of the posts in the Layout Construction thread, the DCC thread and in the reviews section there is information on Locos, rolling stock and controllers

Hi Jeffro and welcome to the

. I recommend you follow Lawrences advice and do some reading before deciding how to move forward. Very good advice from EtchedPixels too. Yes I am sure the Dynamis will do everything you need as will the NCE powercab which I am very pleased with and no doubt several other controllers. Good luck with your new hobby - it really is great

Marty

OwL · April 23, 2012, 11:32:12 PM

The farish digital train set is a great place to start and you won't go far wrong. My advice is get this train set first, have a good old play, and this will help you make more choices about what you want next and more informed decisions on DCC. That way you can see for real the look and feel of a DCC engine before committing yourself to more expensive purchases.

The train set gives you all the basic ingredients to start an excellent layout and hopefully a hobby for life.

Please have a look round and ask as many questions as you wish, we are all a friendly bunch, finally let me welcome you to

tim-pelican · April 23, 2012, 11:39:43 PM

Another vote for the Farish set. I got this for Christmas, and it has the big advantage that you can have a train running in minutes. The controller is easy to use, and will let you swap between controlling different locomotives, turn the lights on and off, and the like - but you will want to replace it eventually if you want to control points or other accessories, change the configuration of the DCC decoders, and other more involved things.

I haven't bought a lot of other trains to compare to yet, but the models in the set seem very good quality to me, and look great running.

Chinahand · April 24, 2012, 02:19:16 AM

Hi Jeffro and welcome to the wonderful world of N Gauge.

One piece of advice I would add to that already given is 'Don't rely on just the single track connection that you get with train sets'. It's best to run a DCC Bus beneath the board and connect each piece of track to it as the reliability of metal track connectors can become 'iffy' after a while.

Jeffro · April 27, 2012, 11:38:03 AM

ive seen a nice n-gauge layout already made, its running with dc, could i convert it easy enough to dcc. its got all th switches etc fitted for layout lights, could i keep that in place and just add a dcc controller and trains .

Andrew.PEI · April 29, 2012, 11:17:25 AM

Hi and welcome to a very interesting and "Extensive"

hobby
Anything is possible with an existing layout- You just need a lot of time and $$$ to do things.
Electrics are usually easy to modify- Hopefully you have some experience with wires. Best advice on the existing stuff is to label all your wire drops and start again on wiring looms to your panel. Stay with the same colours on any items that are staying DC eg red for +ve black for -ve. Yellow and green are popular for any ac circuits . AC doesn't usually care which way it goes.... Learn how to solder joints in wires so they are neat and tidy. Above all draw a map of the wiring as you go- as often we get interrupted and it can be weeks before we get back to our "First Love"

and carry on where we left off.
Don't be afraid to ask this community for help- :computersmile: As together we are the best experts in the business.

Lawrence · April 29, 2012, 02:09:47 PM

Quote from: Jeffro on April 27, 2012, 11:38:03 AM
ive seen a nice n-gauge layout already made, its running with dc, could i convert it easy enough to dcc. its got all th switches etc fitted for layout lights, could i keep that in place and just add a dcc controller and trains .

It will get you started jeffro, but there is nothing like building your own and you will learn so much more by doing so