NOCH pre-formed layouts

Anyone have any experience with the NOCH pre-formed layouts?
Pros?
Cons?
Recommendations?
Tips?

They seem kinda pricy for somthing one could build with 5 dollars worth of styroboard and a knife.
I am just trying to find the secret track plans for the thing.
I have a wooden box that is about the size of a briefcase. The basic oval using 195 radius tracks dont fit by just a bit, So I was wondering what the deminsions were for the trackplan used on the layout.

Pros: Virtually instant gratification; supreme portability.

Cons: Costly; no sense of real achievement; utterly unrealistic from any standpoint.

Granted, a loop of track is unrealistic no matter how you slice it, but when building your own layout, at least you can hide part of the loop, or add a scenic divider, and bring the visible parts a little closer to reality. As but one example of what can be done with a simple loop, see Bill Mock's fine layout.

Recommendations: A slab of Gatorboard and a sharp knife for starters. No end of forum threads and websites for assistance in taking things from there.

Kelley,

Check ebay, they have some of them listed with the track plans. I think it was Itty Bitty Lines that was listing them with the track plans as a part of the photos to view.

I received a Noch winter layout a few years back (a Tessin/Tirol I think). Not very realistic but they can be "enhanced". I doubt that they could ever look as good as some of the ones built by memebers here, but still... not bad as a temporary layout at Christmas time. I thinik that the NOCH track plans are still available for download off the German Noch site. I think it's www.noch.de or www.noch.com. I have .pdf files of several of their layouts, if you know which you'd like, drop me a line and if I have it, I can email it to you.
Also, if you can read German, try 1zu160,net. This N-scale website is posting articles under "Workshop Noch Fertiggelaende" on building up a Noch pre-formed layout.
-Rainer

Hello Kelley,

here is the direct link to the track plans from Noch . Down at the bottom of the page is a check box and a link. This is for the archive of older preformed layouts that are not in production any longer. You have to check the box stating that you did read the information that Noch can't make sure that all parts from the parts lists for those layouts are still available, since they are parts from other manufacturers (track sections and buildings and such...). Then you can use the link ans you'll see the older layouts. For each layout you can find a PDF file with the plans and parts lists.

Hi Uwe!
Wow these are great! Just what I need. I got one of those cheap wooden boxes from the Baumart (Ki-yi-yippi-yipi-yay!)for 10 euros, and for another few euros I got some better handles that would cover the holes used for handles. I'm thinking of getting a Joerger controller and make a little mobile layout.

David K. Smith wrote:

Pros: Virtually instant gratification; supreme portability.

Cons: Costly; no sense of real achievement; utterly unrealistic from any standpoint.

Granted, a loop of track is unrealistic no matter how you slice it, but when building your own layout, at least you can hide part of the loop, or add a scenic divider, and bring the visible parts a little closer to reality. As but one example of what can be done with a simple loop, see Bill Mock's fine layout.

Recommendations: A slab of Gatorboard and a sharp knife for starters. No end of forum threads and websites for assistance in taking things from there.

All very true, no doubt, but if Noch pre-formed layouts are the means of getting into the hobby people who would otherwise feel intimidated by the craft-like work involved, then how can they be wrong? Leaving aside the concept of "beauty being in the eye of the beholder", we don't want to sour this wonderful hobby of ours by prescribing rules for the "right" ways of building layouts. Let those who have the skills and knowledge to adopt the craftsman approach do so, and we'll all rejoice in their efforts, and let those of us who don't, build our layouts in our own way.

ausman2001 wrote:

All very true, no doubt, but if Noch pre-formed layouts are the means of getting into the hobby people who would otherwise feel intimidated by the craft-like work involved, then how can they be wrong? Leaving aside the concept of "beauty being in the eye of the beholder", we don't want to sour this wonderful hobby of ours by prescribing rules for the "right" ways of building layouts. Let those who have the skills and knowledge to adopt the craftsman approach do so, and we'll all rejoice in their efforts, and let those of us who don't, build our layouts in our own way.

I'm not stating what's right or wrong, just stating my opinion. When someone asks for recommendations, those are mine. One can take them or leave them.

I have built a few of these layouts for people who are not into the scenery building part of the hobby, but just enjoy running their equipment. Some end up adding on to them themselves later on, so it is a start for them. I know I enjoyed building them for people.

They have a good place in the hobby for those that cannot build for themselves too.

JD

ULie wrote:

Hello Kelley,

here is the direct link to the track plans from Noch . Down at the bottom of the page is a check box and a link. This is for the archive of older preformed layouts that are not in production any longer. You have to check the box stating that you did read the information that Noch can't make sure that all parts from the parts lists for those layouts are still available, since they are parts from other manufacturers (track sections and buildings and such...). Then you can use the link ans you'll see the older layouts. For each layout you can find a PDF file with the plans and parts lists.

AHHHHHHHHHH I just bought 90 percent of the track I need and now when I click the sight, its dead!!!!!NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! It was working last week!!!

Nevermind1! Now you go to catalog, find the finished foam layout you want, then click the pdf file for the trackplans there.

Seems to me they are updating their website. Looks like a new design. If you follow the link to "Gleispläne" on the main page you see the same Error message. Let's wait a few days, and I think they will sort this one out.

Hi Uwe!
I found them by going to the catalog, and finding the preformed layout, and there they seemed to have moved the PDF with the plans and parts list. Cutting the foam into the tight circle would be a challenge so I would see why sombody new might want to go ahead and shell out the 99 Euros. But times being hard Ill take my chance with the 5 euros worth of foam, even if I screw it up, its not that much.