Bruce has been in touch with his N scale L shaped layout:
“It was in 1971 while living in Toronto Canada that I bought my first N Gauge train set.
It was a small boxed set by Aurora, Postage Stamp Trains, which cost me $25.
It consisted of a small 0-6-0 steam engine, 4 freight cars, and some rails. I was hooked on the detail and size, and this started me on collecting N Gauge.
Over the next couple of years I bought through the mail from the USA several Rapido, Atlas, and other makes.
I then moved to England for a couple of years, and bought a Hornby Minitrix Britannia for £10.
I then moved to Cape Town for several years, and found a small hobby shop close by, and continued my collection, mainly Atlas items.
After that I moved back to England for a while, and then in 1981 moved permanently to the USA, where I have lived at the same address for almost 40 years.
I bought a country house that did not have a decent garage, so I built a large 2-car garage with an upstairs, and two rooms at the back.
One room, my future Train Room is 16 ft by 12 ft, and next to it is the Tack Room (for saddles and bridles) for use by my wife for her horses.
However, it was not until 2013 that I started building my layout, as my main interest was collecting different trains. I did not specialize, as I bought anything that I liked the look of – steam, diesel, electric trains from USA, England, Germany, France, Japan. Most of my purchasing was done on ebay between 2000 and 2010.
I “finished” my layout in 2018, since I did a little bit each year, as there is no heating or A/C in my train room, so I worked just a couple hours at a time over a couple of months each year.
Attached are some progress photos – I apologize for the bad quality.
The layout is “L” shaped, with 4 train tracks, and 4 DC controllers.
There are 2 outside long distance tracks for my longer trains, and 2 figure-8 shorter tracks on the inside. Nothing too fancy, as I want to see my trains run.
The houses I used are a real mix – some might not be truly N Scale. I got Spanish Villas bought in Cadaques Spain, Bermuda Cottages, English Cottages, American Farm houses, and a Lighthouse I bought at a Dollar General.
Bruce”
A huge thanks to Bruce for sharing his N scale L shaped layout.
Whenever I see a farm on a layout, for some reason, I’m always reminded of Pete’s HO farm.
That’s all for today folks.
Please do keep ’em coming.
And if today is the day you start your layout and joining in on the fun, the Beginner’s Guide is here.
Remember, it’s the start that stops most people… don’t let that be you.
Best
Al
PS Latest ebay cheat sheet is here.
PPS More HO scale train layouts here if that’s your thing.
Bruce. That is a really nice pike. I’m sure a lot of us would like to see the trains running. Get some a.c. and heat in the train room, so you can work year round. The photos are fine. Like a lot of us, we rarely complete our layouts, so keep working on details. Make some trees. Plant some grass and get the backdrops more realistic. Your work is very good. Hope to see more.
Bruce, thanks for your story, I too started my N gauge journey in the early seventies with an Aurora set. After the children were grown I started to add and having a grandson who is really into trains gave me the motivation to create a layout. Your layout is beautiful and I’m sure gives you hours of enjoyment. I envy your forethought to make provision for a train room. Thank you for sharing.
Very nice layout But cant tell if it’s still N scale or you went to HO.
The Critic
Coincidentally, I too started my lifelong N scale collecting when I asked my dad to buy me an Aurora “Postage Stamp” starter set for my 16th birthday, in 1972, also in Toronto! Mine was a Canadian Pacific F7 in maroon livery, with 3 or 4 freight cars and a CP caboose. That little locomotive was very well made, and provided 40-some years of reliable service. The rolling stock is still in use. In fact, I even have the original box … it’s got various scenery left-overs in it.
The Postage Stamp brand also produced an N scale operating bus system for a little while, which I added to my layout in my teenage years. Just before Christmas 2019, I pulled out the bus (also in it’s original box) which hadn’t been used in perhaps 30 years or more. Cleaned up the track, burnished the pick-up brushes, and set it up for the amusement of our little grandkids … it runs like a charm, and they can operate it themselves. Aurora’s Postage Stamp was indeed a quality product line.
Great story and layout. You brought back a little bit of your world wanderings and made something very special. Thanks for sharing. Cheers! NJ Mark
Static displays are OK … but a Train running now and then would be better .
I use have a N scale layout. It bring back memorize.
That has been a great journey for you Bruce! — you have a great layout and I enjoyed seeing it develop along the way!
Very nice. I’m having a ductless heat/air system installed in my 19’ by 25’ bonus/train room. I highly recommend one for your train room.
I really like this letter from Bruce, Reminds me of my self—I have stuff from long ago that I keep.
Bruce, wow, what a neat layout! I really like all the different houses, cottages and such. The different levels of the 4 track runs makes it interesting to look at. I’ll bet it looks pretty cool when all 4 lines are running. Very nice work!
An absolutely amazing layout and story.
So good to see the Blue Train in there. I grew up in Cape Town and saw it several times. I used to use an excellent model shop in Plumstead. Thank you for the trip back in time.
Gotta say well done!!!! Keep up the great work!!
Beautiful layout……………….love the bright colors….
Don’t care what anybody else says:
These are beautiful pictuere
Very nice I love those passenger trains
the Layout is nice but do you ever run your trains ?
Hello Bruce, Quite impressive layout you have there. Lots of track and details. I’d love to see a video of the layout with trains running.
Maybe you could consider a YouTube channel, it’s very easy to set up and videos are easy to upload.
I have a channel under the name of cbgadget
I like keeping a low profile and have about 100 subscribers. I rarely post vids just for family to view.
Thanks for sharing your hobby
Cary B in Maryland
Looks good.!!!!!!! I hope mine turns out that good.
Hello Bruce, Rocco here from Northern New Jersey. Love the layout. I too started with an aurora postage stamp set back in 1973. Mine consisted of an Sante-Fe F-7 diesel locomotive and 4 passenger cars n-scale. Had a layout until 1985 when my grandson was born. I decided to switch to HO so when he got old enough to work on it, It would be easier to work on. N-scale I though would be to tedious to work with for a young one just starting out. I do miss N-scale though it gave me a lot more space to build a much bigger layout. Now I have to settle for half the size of the layout. Thank you for sharing. Rocco in the good old USA.
A great story AND a great layout! N scale has come a LOOONG way!
Bruce: I LOVE the variety (of both buildings & rolling stock). Anyone traveling cross-country via rail will see quite a variety of architectural styles.
In NE Ohio, we have CSX & Norfolk Southern as the main rail carriers. Every so often, I will see a UP Loco on a NS consist (don’t know how things like that happen, but they do – if anyone can shed light on it, I’ve always wondered about that).
Bruce very nice layout. Can you also post the track plan (layout plan) thanks. With
Which program did you draw the plan.
Thanks
Wil
I also bought an Aurora Postage Stamp Santa Fe fast freight train set at an after Thanksgiving Day sale for $17.95 in Miami in 1971.
I still have that set and I am still using all of it including the power supply. My parents added 2 bedrooms to our house in Miami. They had fold down tables built in the new rooms. Mine had my trains. My brother had slot cars on his.
While attending the university of Florida in 1975 I trains hanging down on a door in my fraternity dorm room. They always wanted me to crash the trains like they did on the Addams family television show.
I now have trains hanging from the ceiling in the garage in Seattle where I now live.