Modeling the small and delicate N scale can be intimidating, especially for beginners. However, with the right setup, you can get the most out of the available space you might not find on a much larger scale. Here are five recommended N scale track plans for beginners.
Carolina Central
The Carolina Central is a great doorway into the hobby. The benchwork’s foundation is literally a 28 x 80-inch interior hollow-core door. Used and damaged doors can be found at an affordable price by visiting your local hardware store or building center. Just make sure the door you select is still structurally sound.
Although it’s set in the 1950s near the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Carolina Central is a freelance layout with flexibility in equipment usage and types of operations.. The track plan is packed with mainline running, industrial switching, and interchanging for either DC or DCC control. You’ll also be making a splash in specific scenery features, such as the Yahoo River (which the main line crosses twice) and modest foothills that will serve as the backdrop.
Download our free Two great layouts for beginners PDF for more information on Carolina Central.
Colorado Plains
According to Trains.com Director David Popp, T-Trak (T as in tabletop) is a modular system designed for layouts to be placed on top of most everyday tables. N scale shines with this type of benchwork as it makes the layout both space efficient and portable, especially for clubs and groups looking to showcase their creations at shows and events.
For beginners looking to tap into the T-Trak world with their own personal layout, consider the latest Moder Railroader project layout by Popp and Associate Editor Bryson Sleppy: the Colorado Plains. The 2’43∕4″ x 8’6″ setup will fit on most rectangular folding tables, thanks to the oval main line with Kato Unitrack (a preferred choice for T-Trak modular with its firm yet removable joints for each section). Modern day railroading in eastern Colorado will also make acquiring available equipment and structures easy, all while modeling a flat and simple landscape.
You can follow along by reading Model Railroader’s January, February and March 2025 issues, with Sleppy teasing the possibility of expanding the current Colorado Plains layout in the future.
Fulton County Railroad
It’s typically recommended that beginners start small when building their first model railroad. However, if you have the space and would like something bigger, without the fear of biting off more than you can chew, we suggest the Fulton County Railroad. The 8’ x 10’ layout can be built around the wall in a spare bedroom. According to former MR staff member Jim Hediger, the benchwork is designed to be built in sections, making it easy to construct and assemble, as well as disassemble in the event of a future move.
The layout’s setting is freelancing in the Midwest, mid-1950s-1970s, with the fictional Fulton County Railroad interchanging with the Wabash Railroad. Other railroads and time periods can be swapped if desired. Having the track plan in N scale provides open room and plenty of space for mainline running, point-to-point operations and industrial switching, especially when handling long trains with hi-cube auto parts cars.
Visit Model Railroader’s February 2012 issue for more information on the Fulton County Railroad.
Mount Coffin & Columbia River
You can certainly do a lot in a small space with N scale, especially with a single piece of 2’ x 4’ plywood as M.C. Fujiwara demonstrated with his Mount Coffin & Columbia River Railroad. This freelance branch line is set in the early 20th century with a fish cannery and coal mine as the major industries. Any other forms of freight traffic, such as logging, can make for appropriate substitutes.
Your skills in scenery and track work will develop when working with this track plan. The mountain range serves as a divider between the layout’s two scenes, and uses stacked layers of carved, 2-inch-thick extruded foam insulation boards. The main line and turnouts on the riverfront side will challenge you in working with curved turnouts and flextrack, with the end result being a realistic scene along the banks of the Columbia River. A traditional oval-shaped main line is still possible for those who wish to keep the track laying simple, though scenic alterations should be expected.
The Salt Lake Route
If you’re looking for mainline mountain railroading on a portable, roughly 4’ x 8’ layout, look no further than out west on the Salt Lake Route in southern Nevada. According to former MR staff member Dick Christianson, the layout is small enough that it can be completed in a timely manner. And even with the mountain side of Meadow Valley Wash showcasing rugged terrain of bridges, grades and tunnels, the desert-like scenery is simple with sand, some rockwork, and plenty of bushes.
Both the main line and yard uses Unitrack, while most structures in Caliente, Nev., are available as kits by Walthers Cornerstone. Modern mainline freight from the Union Pacific Railroad can run both east and west along the two continuous loops. Additional operations will also include switching at the intermodal yard and helper service out of the engine track. If modern equipment isn’t your cup of tea, the layout can also be backdated to a different era of your choosing.
Download our free Salt Lake Route PDF for more information on building the layout.
Learn more about N scale model railroading in the all-new book by David Popp.
I will look into some of these.