Beginners Frequently Asked Questions

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I am interested in "roadbed" track.  What do you think of Tillig Bedding Track ? They look stronger than the more scale model track I had when I was younger and apparently you don't have to lay a track bed with it. Are they a step forward?

Roadbed track systems have been available for a long time now. Tillig Bedding Track, Roco Geoline, Marklin C and Hornby Dublo are examples. They are nice but it really is better to build track with more adaptable components. If you want  train layout that is easily assembled and then packed away after Christmas then "roadbed" starter sets are ideal.   A roadbed track like Tillig bedding track, or Roco Geoline will last longer, and be more reliable when subjected to assembly and disassembly every so often.  But the scale advanced model track is not designed for that, and prefers being pinned onto a layout board.

 Road Bed Tracks were designed for temporary set up on the kitchen table, or sitting room floor.  The aim was in achieving perfect alignment during assembly to prevent wear and tear. Recent bedding track is much better than the similar track of a few years ago. They offer fewer shaped track parts to make the exact layout you might require - so check the make you get has what you need available. 

Scale model railroads use Code 83 model track and both Tillig Bedding Track and Advanced Model Track are Code 83.  If you happen to have both types (Bedding and Advanced) , they can be interconnected without problem.  So don't be afraid to get started with the more friendly bedding track -you can move up to model track when you decide to make your first "board" layout. And all your track will interconnect and be usable.

For a permanent quality layout the more scale advanced model track is the one !   Take a look at Tillig Elite Model Track or Rocoline Track.  These are Code 83 which is prototypically correct. Their flexi track lengths offer the adaptability of any radius curve, looks realistic and is not available in "road bed" systems. Roadbed for these more scale tracks are made from cork or foam strip sold in a roll and is laid easily. Tillig have a nice granite covered foam track underlay called Styrostone in two colours. Styrostone underlay grips onto the track and looks good, reducing needs to add loose ballast gravel which many other systems require.

Are HO scale trains just a size of train or is it a track standard? Can you run any HO train on any HO track?

The Different Scales

Can you explain the different combinations of scale and gauge that represent different gauges of prototype track.
 Sure - there are many, some very obscure, but here are the most common ones
 

Can you explain the difference (if any) between HO scale and OO scale?
HO scale locos/stock are slightly smaller in size but run on the same 16.5mm track (distance between rails).
HO is international made by almost every railway maker of track -  OO is British origin mostly in Hornby made items.
HO is 3.5mm to foot scale, whilst OO is 4mm to the foot scale. Not much difference. 

I am trying to decide what make to get.  I knew OO Hornby, but lately I read about other makes and sizes.  I just want a basic appearance railway about 2m by 2m which will give me room to make a basic layout.  Possibly I may make some expansion in the future...

Think about what scale is best for you first:
I suggest for normal use "00/HO" or TT gauge (although there are others  larger and smaller). 
TT scale fits a good layout with plenty of features onto a table or 1.5 to 2m (5 feet to 6 1/2 feet) square . 
The OO / HO is larger with wider turns so a good layout can easily go 2.5 to 3.5M (8 feet to 12 feet) square and that size suits floor layouts better.
Both TT and HO will go on a board nicely.
A TT layout can contain more "features" than a similar HO-OO layout if they are both on a board of the same size.

If you like "short" trains then HO-OO is interesting because it has bigger detailing visible on the rolling stock. Often a train in HO will be an Express loco and 2-3 coaches..
If you prefer "longer" trains, then an OO train could easily reach right along your layout from end to end if on too small a baseboard. If longer trains is what you like choose TT.  Each TT carraige/loco is 3/4 the length of the OO equivalent, so with TT scale you can add more rolling stock and it will fit in the same space of track.
Visit your nearest model railway shops to compare the sizes and costs of both.
Best advice is to go computer based digital control (DCC) if it is for an adult or analogue DC for a younger modeller. Will children use it?. You can always start off with analogue DC (non-digital) and later buy a DCC unit when you want.

Get bedding track if it is to be assembled and disassembled to put it away.
Use model track if it is for a base board.

A thought on layout dimensions .... What if you want to move house later?  Can your big layout be halved for transportation?

Another idea .... It may be possible to locate a second smaller layout board underneath a larger layout - so consider a table with two levels.

I have decided on an oval type of layout for starting and then expand on this and later on a few sidings and a station.. the scenery can be done later.  I will upgrade the control to DCC right now. What do you suggest I begin with?

Get started first. Try out a simple loop with sidings on the level eg a paper base trackmat type setup, set it up and work up from there. Making a start, and getting a bit of experience counts for more than you think right now. A typical first layout  is just a loop with a line leading off to a small siding. You add a loco shed to the siding. Next get a couple of  turnout points to form a passing siding. Next get a platform to make a station on the passing siding.  Next consider a "depression" in the building board, for a river, and use a bridge to go over it without having to make hills. Add a pedestrian bridge over the railway to your station. Maybe place a hill and tunnel over the far end of the track oval.  Growing is easy, it is getting started first that needs a decision.

 Track Curves and Measurements of Your Layout

I'm in the process of designing a layout for my spare room.  I would like to know if this equipment would run and look appropriate on a 30" radius. I like HO but possibly will have to go for TT gauge if the layout becomes too large, due to wider turning radius limits on HO.

It is all down to the tightest turning circle available, and that allows the carraiges to get round safely. This affects the width of your layout, assuming your trains have to turn and come back again via a looped circuit, without actually reversing the loco to return along a straight length of track.
As a guide:
For Baseboard Dimensions
In HO a track oval layout requires  130cm x 94cm / 52" x 37" , 
In TT a track oval layout requires  70cm x 85cm / 33.5" x 27.5"  
Consider adding a bit more for a second outside track oval

Layout Width equals the minimum turning circle your train can make without derailment.
In HO a tight 180 degree turnaround takes 86cm / 34"
In TT a tight 180 degree turnaround takes 53.4cm / 21"

This relationship is a guide only - it depends on the wagons chosen being able to get around such tight turns. Inter City Extress (ICE) and longer passenger or container wagons need more, and a short goods could turn tighter.

What is the meaning of "code".  I see Code 100 track, and Code 83 track in HO and TT

The "Code number" is the height of the rail in thousandths of an inch, so, for example Code 83 rail is 0.083 " / 2.1mm high.  Code 100 is .1 " / 2.5mm high. This is just the rail height - it is designed to fit the wheel size of your loco and train wagons.
HO and OO track is sold in code 100 (Hornby, Piko, Bachmann), Code 83 (Roco, Tillig Elite) and Code 75 (Peco UK).  Code 83 looks the most realistic .
In HO, code 100 track is considered "very high rail" from an appearance point of view..
If you joined code 83 to code 100 you would get a tiny .4mm change in track level, and a step up on the rail top where they join together, This would make a slight clackety sound as the train wheels go over it. So you might choose to get a stepped joiner underneath, or sand a teeny bit of metal off the top to smooth the join.

Must you keep to the same track maker for all your OO track? I have a Hornby 00 starter set and I want to go forward with HO.

Sure - you can easily move from one track make to a better make.
Remember, your existing Hornby OO / HO track is Code 100.
The code number gives the track height.
You can either buy more Code 100 or move to code 83 and also get a bag of about ten adapters.
Hornby and Bachmann is code 100, which is "prominent looking". Try to get code 83  for your personal use - it looks far better.
Piko is also code 100 so you can buy Piko A-track and happily connect to your existing Hornby-Bachmann equipment.
For Code 83 I would recommend Tillig Elite HO track. When you look at Elite track it is super - the rails are pre-oxidized with rust (except on the rail top) and look the part, they are well made and very high precision.  However Rocoline is also top class precision track in Code 83. The sleepers look realistic too.

A clever way forward would be to "go digital" and purchase a Piko (code 100) or better still a Roco (code 83) digital starter set. Remember you get the equipment at a low cost when it's packaged in starter sets. However if you only want to upgrade and extend your track, you might consider buying some code 83 Rocoline or Elite and a bag of adapter pieces.

Old Equipment Warning: If you buy new HO locomotives and stock made in the last five years, it should all run on code 83 or code 100.
But old (collectible) stock sometimes has larger wheel  flanges (the flat edge that keeps the wheel on the track) and these old wheels will bump along the rail ties that hold the rail on the sleeper, then derail when you come to a turnout points.  So they are collectible, but not very useful in a modern layout.

Can you merge 83 with 100?
Yes, both Roco, and Piko do special stepped Fishplates for attaching Code 83 and Code 100 directly to each other. Many other makers have lengths of adapter track to convert to their standard.  A hard core modeller will probably just sand a bit off the steel rail instead and "make them fit" - it's easy to do. But adapter joiners are handy and quick.

How steep can a hill be for model locos?

On small layouts such as 4' X 8' plywood sheets it is best to keep the track on the flat. The reason for this is that there is little room left to have track turnouts to yards and sidings if some track is higher than other sections. (TT solves this quite well)  For HO you can rise 3cm in every 100cm or 3%.. An 8' board is approximately 100" long by the time you consider track curves.  To climb 3" from one end, over another train at the far end, and down to the starting level leaves little chance to include a turnout towards other linked features.
I read once that a 2-3% rise halves the pulling power of your loco. So if you have a budget loco (starter set loco) and a large number of cars in your train the smaller 2% might be your maximum gradient. On the other hand - if you have a top class loco (sold as a separate unit with a brushless motor inside) then you have oodles of spare pulling power and you could have lots of cars on a 3% gradient, or fewer cars on a 4% gradient.
If your baseboard is longer, use 2% grades but allow one track to rise and the track you want to cross to descend. That way a load on the locomotive is minimised. Where space is short 4% up and down halves the distance needed to pass over another track. Grades of 4% are near the limit for some locos from budget beginner , whereas quality locos will still operate just fine.

I want my train to journey through a hilly landscape with dramatic bridge crossings over valleys and rivers.

A clever way is to cut a stream and valley down into your baseboard. This way you arrange that some scenery lies below the baseboard and the mountains rise above on either side. You get hilly scenery, for less track gradient, and the layout doesn't have to grow in length to do it.
So leave your track flat, and make the landscape go up and down around it.
Try placing your mountain scenery on one layout section where the train can enter a tunnel under a mountain, come out, cross a viaduct bridge over a stream in a deep valley, traverse a dramatic cliff edge track section. Then another tunnel can lead into a new flat countryside layout section into a shunting yard or country station. It takes less layout length to do all this if you keep to a level track.
Another idea is to place some flat land at a lower level than the track, and have an raised embankment over the farmland, this way roads, rivers and canals are lower than the track and your bridges don't involve a track climb. Then your roads can do a steep climb up the hill and go over the track further on in the layout. A big advantage of this is that when you get your already raised track to the mountain section you are nicely placed to traverse the hills and valleys at a "partly up the hillside" level which makes placing of bridges much easier.

Most makers have a Book of Track Layouts. In it there are details for several layouts that have different operating levels, and it can be interesting to study layouts that work. Seeing how somebody else figured it out, can avoid mistakes and wasted time when you get to do your own version of a layout with track gradient. You will see that some track is at "base level" with some sections above this level and other sections below base level.

I heard that a track loop that goes back on itself can "short out " the mainline.  How do you do "Reverse Loops" ?

We usually separate the reverse loop at both ends, by inserting a tiny plastic insulation piece at the join. Then we power the loop track as a separate section with a separate pair of wires from the power pack to the loop. We add a polarity reversing switch into the non-loop (mainline) wires. The train goes down the mainline as usual, and onto the reversing loop as usual. While the train is in the reverse loop, we flick the switch to reverse the polarity on the mainline track sections, so when the train exits the loop onto the mainline, the track polarity is already matched, and the train proceeds with no problem.
You can't forget to flick the switch because you have to change the points for your train to exit the loop at the same time. So you change both the switch, and then the turnout points just as the train approaches the end of the loop.
There are ready made electronic switch units that do this for DCC (digital) sets, so your one-on-one train-to-controller communication doesn't get messed up. The DCC arrangement would be nicer for if you have multiple trains running simultaneously.