James' N Scale Train Layout Project

It took about 2 weeks of oval-track-on-cardboard train-running to decide that a permanent layout was going to happen. I was becoming accustomed to running my trains every day, and needed them to run every day. Sometimes with the chuffing sound of the Whistle-Stop steamer and an occasional whistle blow, but mostly with sound off. The lone clattering of the wheels on the track became a natural, constant sound in my home– to me, a comforting white noise, like a water fountain. When my trains were running on the track, all was well. After getting the support of my family to use a corner of the spare bedroom (“it’ll go right up against the wall, I promise! You won’t even notice it!”) I began to just THINK about what a permanent N scale train layout for me might look like.

I looked at my two Bachmann Starter Sets and decided I could use the combined contents as a starting point and expand from there. In early September 2021, my Whistle-Stop loco was still chugging away consistently with daily use and even the Empire Builder DC steamer could still get around the track pretty well. I hated the “whine” of the DC loco on a DCC track, so I’d switch out the DC and DCC controllers (Bachmann makes it so easy with the simple micro-plug connectors!) I knew I’d have a DCC system in my permanent layout, but I also thought I’d want a dedicated DC loop, too. I had both controllers, why not use them?

I started poring over the Bachmann Website every night, impressed at the structure of the website and the availability of lots of products, from locomotives to track and scenery options. I knew it would all work with my existing 2 Bachmann starter packs, which thrilled me because I could continue to invest in the Bachmann world as my hobby grew, which I knew it would. The resources were well-written and targeted to beginners like me; I felt very comfortable in the Bachmann space to learn about running model trains. When it came time to put my permanent N scale train layout together, I was pretty convinced, back in September 2021, that it would be a Bachmann production 100%– locomotives, EZ Track and even Plasticville scenery.