Removing your Rat's Nest

[FJ and G]

I've gotten so much help with my questions the last couple of days that I will try to give some possibly helpful tips and suggestions; this being one, I suppose.

I won't name names--the guilty ones know who they are--but I've seen some really cluttered, jumble of boxes, trash, baubles, and knicknacks stashed haphazardly under layouts. These pack rats conceal their stash of trash by artfully covering it all up with a skirt to hide the evidence.

I was just as guilty until I discovered the "unused rooms" in my house. You probably have these rooms as well, even if you live in a townhouse or the upper floor of a condo.

It is the space either above the garage and/or in the attic. Sometimes there is a trap door and sometimes there isn't. I discovered this space above my garage. It is an unbelievable 20 X 30 feet (approx) in area and about 8 feet high in center, sloping back to the sides.

I discovered all of this space while wiring my house (I had to run the wires to the panel up and thru this space). No trap door was present so I had to cut away the ceiling drywall in the garage and perform some gymnastics to get there.

Some important caveats.

In summer, the place is hotter than hell and in winter, it is colder than antarctica. Very rarely is the temp just right. I recommend storing two types of things in the attic: things that are light, and things that won't be destroyed by heat, cold, and possibly humidity. Items I stored there are styrofoam, my fake christmas tree, pvc pipes, and many other items. If you collect train boxes, this might be a good place.

I also put wood walkways there so I don't fall thru the drywall and land on the cement slab below. Also, I carry a droplight up there so I can see my way around.

Trash under your layout can be a bummer when you need to redo some layout wiring or crawl around to do something. Hope this tip helps.

dave vergun

[pennsy_fan]

I must admit, I have a rats nest under my layout.but wont the temp. extremes fade the boxes up in the attic?

[Buckeye Riveter]

Rubbermaid type tubs under the layout work very well.

[Anonymous]

Under my layouts, I've got lots of stuff-track, wires, boxes, parts, junkers for parts or whatever, transformers, non-train junk. I have sheets that hang down over the sides of my layout and conceal everything, so it's not an eyesore or anything that people see when they come to see my trains. As much clutter as there is, I know exactly where everything is and can find anything I need under there in a matter of seconds.

[Anonymous]

My crawlspace has quite a bit of train items along with tools and even
some canned green beans under it. Don't wont them to get to hot or cold.
I try to clean out about three times a year. Me and my wife spare a 12x24
out building for storage so that works pretty good. I tryed the attic thing but for me just to much trouble to get to it.

Keith