What's your dream layout ?...

[Anonymous]

If I were financially able, I'd like to build a gigantic layout in N scale with all the "bells and whistles" that would represent the United States and all of its major cities like New York, Chicago, Washington D.C., L. A., etc as well as all of its famous landmarks. Oh well. Back to reality...

[vsmith]

My retirement layout...

HO, Los Angeles, 1940.

Compressed, but San Pedro to downtown, up to Santa Barbara, east to San Bernardino, and south to Fullerton, did some initial layout schetches but its big! at least 60' x 60' area, maybe start a club layout? I dunno, my past experiences with clubs was never very good...

[underworld]

About 3500 square feet of gauge 1 tinplate....or maybe 1000 square feet of HO.

underworld

[:D][:D][:D][:D][:D]

[Anonymous]

My dream layout ?
Germany in the 1930s, with all the great streamlined trains like the "Henschel-Wegmann-Zug", the stremlined classes like, 01.10, 03.10, 19.10 the big 05, the 06 and the "Fliegende Zuege" like the "Fliegender Hamburger", "Fliegender Koelner" etc. From Coast to the "Alpen" Mountains.

Ciao and greatings from old Germany :-)

Ralf
www.lok13.de
www.emcf.de <<<< we are looking for new members

[selector]

A 20'X35' custom built of the early 1950s around Sudbury, ON, with Aggro doing the trees, JFugate the rest, and Randy (The Doc) Rinker doing my wiring.

All-die-cast steamers: Consolidation, Hudson, 0-6-0, 4-8-4 Northern, and K-4, all sound equipped. Maker isn't very important, all the top brands do reasonably well.

Fridge stocked daily by Grolsch, McCaffreys, and Beamish.

Meals catered by best local eateries.

AAAAHHHHHH!!!

[Anonymous]

A large two track main line northeast HO scale layout with a large depot,

[Pagardener]

My dream layout is the Garden (outdoor) layout I am now building. I am making my backyard (which is a forest with lots of boulders) become the Rockies of the late 1800s. So far the 'plan' includes 2 towns..a silver mine..a logging operation..a lumber mill...4 trains A Denver&Rio Grande (4-6-0)freight...a Denver & Rio Grande(4-6-0) passenger...a 2-6-0 lumber train and a 2-6-0 mining train. All scale 1:22.5. If the rain ever stops I will start laying hose to outline the mainline. All of the engines will be Bachman as they prototyped the 'Baldwin' locos which is what the D&RG used. I will try to make it as historically accurate as I can using documents found on the internet[8D]

[TheS.P.caboose]

I'd like to have the space that the Pasadena Model Railroad Club has. They're in a 70' x 72' wharehouse in Alhambra, CA. They have passenger and freight traffic from different eras.

[Chompers]

My dream layout would be my hole backyard filled with streams bridges and trains allover the place. then i would have it travel all through myhouse.

P.S. Pagardener buy a LGB Mogul instead of an "Indy" it isstronger an allot more rugged. also it is 1:22.5 compared with bachnams 1:20.3 scale.

[upchuck]

I'm the baron of my railroad...and I'll build any layout my wife says I can...

[Anonymous]

If I had unlimited space and funds, I'd start with an HO scale replica of BRC's Clearing yard ( and of course I'll figure out how to make the cars roll at the proper speed), then replicate some of the complex junctions and crossings in and around Chicago, like Pullman Junction or State line, connect them all with something like CB&Q's triple track main, starting at Union Station, in the 60's, with all roads represented, and all the diesel builders still going strong! HMMM... B&O Centuries in the Sunburst Scheme, Chinese Red RS-3's!
Wake up Jimmy!!

[Anonymous]

I would like to see PA & NY in the 30-40-50's! Maybe even NJ & DE. I from that area of the world.

[METRO]

I'm currently building my dream layout, piece by piece, aiming to finish it by the time I retire (I'm still in college by the way.)

The idea is a seriously large urban/mountain line following a fictional route from the fictional city of Selene Ontario (at the mouth of the St. Laurence and Lake Ontario) following the coast of the lake, through fictional rolling mountains based loosely on a cross between the Catskills, Laurentians and Blue Mountains, and into Toronto.

With two major cities, two distance passenger lines, two major commuter systems, a couple of short-line frieght haulers, a belt line, and trains from CP, CN and CSX it will be heaven.

Now only another 40 years, and several thousand dollars to go...

~METRO

[nickinwestwales]

Hey Metro,if you`re running into Toronto that gives you 2 Amtrak workings ( New York & Chicago ) plus the Northlander up to Cochrane to fill out any gaps....good luck,nick

[METRO]

Nick, also since Selene is going to be a major metropolis on my layout, there will be Amtrak workings to that city as well.

VIA has more than enough, I'm fiddling with a few of the route routings (it's freelance after all) so that I can put quite a few of thier trains on my layout as well.

The two major commuter lines are the GO Transit out of Toronto and the Selenian Lines Commission out of Selene, both very extensive and with completely different flavors to them. The GO is very modern, newest Bombardier bi-levels and F59s. The Selenian Lines Commission is more like Metro North and NJ Transit, a wide variety of equipment from many eras and lots of heritage behind it.

~METRO

[passengerfan]

The late John Allen's G&D would suit me just fine.

[Anonymous]

Within the next year I hope to start on My dream layout. I plan on following the general idea of a three track main line of the Chicago & Northwestern in commuter territory. This will allow both freight and commuter operation as well as long distance trains like the "400", since I'm modeling 1970.

I have already began work on alot of the buildings including my versions of Dads rootbeer, Vienna hot dogs and Jays potato chips plants.( dad's was kind enough to send me some supplies when I wrote and explained my project) I have purchased several proto 2000 E-units and Athearn F units and I am painting them the correct yellow and green scheme and adding decals. I plan on purchasing Kato Bi-levels

[Anonymous]

Chicago in kato N-Scale...

Everything would be kato with no time period(ex. Amtrak Superliner in station w/ AT&SF Super Chief, and SD70MACs w/ bathtub Gons & a C&NW Mike w/ hopper cars in the yard). It would be all Unitrack with "The Works" & Digatrax DCC. Did I Mention it would be a floor layout?

[Gunns]

Unlimited permission to run on the BNSF main from Raton to El Paso, with our restored Locomotive, the 2926.
http://www.nmrhs.org/
Gunns

[TrainFreak409]

My dream layout would be an excessively large N scale freelance railroad empire. It would depict my own Scott Squad Railroad and its subdivision SAB Rail Systems (Local Commuter Traffic.) Powered by large locomotives of all eras and locals. STEAM and DIESEL, and especially TURBINES! Working together to make the SSRR and SABRS run like a swiss watch. Most locomotives would be custom built by SB Locomotives, SSRR's most trusted builder.

Ahhh, one day, one day...[:D]

~[8]~ TrainFreak409 ~[8]~

[Anonymous]

a 100x50 foot layout, first i would buy the a vancant good building in my town there is one that is about 125x70 and transform it in to the layout and a lounge room, with a stove kitchen, and fridge for refreshments. It would be Ho scale, and decipt 1990's santa fe operations, with sp, up, and conrail, and i would have to have the beloveded 3751!!!! i loev that engine to pull my trusty special trains.

[CBQ_Guy]

If this was one of the model railroading Forums instead of the Classic Trains Forums, I'd tell you.

[Eriediamond]

My dream layout would be a 50x100 foot building with nothing but old Lionel from back in the 40's early 50's like I had in my youth. Since thats impossible, I guess a 12x12 foot room with an N scale layout will have to do. It's rough getting old and trying to relive your youth.[:O][:O][xx(][xx(]

[Anonymous]

I'd buy the vacant Wal-Mart across town and model the NS Atlanta North Division in HO.

[markn]

By geographical default-I drive I-64 from Norfolk, VA to Cincinnati, Ohio quite often- I-64 was second to C&O /N & W for the easiest route to there but it roughly used the the survey and the route- to make a long story short-to model some of the most dramatic US railroading involves a whole bunch of mountains (scenery) and not alot of railroad-maybe I am given too much to realism-but some of the things they had to do in the mountains for railroad (and for the interstate) are impressive and would be fun things to incorporate into a dream layout-unfortunately to compress it into layout it would be tunnel, trestle, fill, tunnel,trestle, bridge etc etc etc. CBQ guy-chill out a bit-some of us like to touch and feel "CLASSIC TRAINS" through our layouts not just museums and books.

[Anonymous]

Four track electrified Pennsy mainline in O guage. No particular error, but my way. Modified P5's running next to Conrail painted E33's.

[Anonymous]

Hi all.
I love northern Calfornia railroads, mostly the high line! I hope to model this area in the 1940s to the 1960s. Even with BNSF owning it, it still retains some unique charm.

[jlampke]

CBQ_GUY: You're right, this is the Classic Trains Forum, so please excuse my post here.

Gunns: I like your idea, but I would want to run a restored Cascade or Klamath through the Shasta Route.

Getting back to reality..... Vic's Hobby Supply in Portland, OR, has a real nice O-gauge layout in their store basement. Well worth a visit.

[MikeSanta]

I'd have a big version of what I have now. I have a 13x15 Lionel layout where I can run five trains at once. I use conventional control: I'd like to run conventional and command as I feel like on the new one. I'd scenic it so it looks generic so I could run stuff from anywhere in the country. I'd have both rural and urban areas so my accessories would look good. I'd have a bigger block system so I could run more conventional trains and I'd have a diamond crossing on it. I'd have floor to ceiling scenery and multi level train loops.I'd have the scenery designed so I could change the era of my layout from the 50s to today.