Big things that don't fit on my layout

[FJ and G]

1. Well for the first one, I just can't resist: big fish, as colorfully told by Jim D., Chief, Big Girl, and all of the other "spoons and sinkers" on this forum.

2. A 15-stall roundhouse (or even a smaller roundhouse).

3. 072 track

4. A scale Big Boy and 21 inch passenger cars

5. A full-sized big industry like oil refinery or steel mill complex

6. A hump yard

7. My big ego

Well, there you have it; things I dream of having space for someday, but for now, the pool table and movie room are off limits.

A couple of random and haphazardly placed comments regarding the above:

072 track in 2 rail O refers to 072 RADIUS track, not diameter. I'm trying for 054 minimum. Still possible to add kadee couplers in the future, I suppose.

Reg. engine storage, I notice on my way in every day on the VRE, that NS simply stores its engines on the tracks in Mansassas and Alexandria yards. That's right, they just sit there, often idling for hours and hours as they sit (gas bill must be high).

For those like myself modeling the 50s transition years, did railroads let their locos sit there when not running or were they placed in roundhouses and engine sheds? Now an engine shed sans turntable, would be a bit more doable on a space-starved wall shelf layout.

A favorite place, I notice, for turntables, is in the inside of return loops.

Full-scale passenger cars are simply too big at the moment, that is, until my future layout extension gets built.

How bout you? Anything you'd like to have that just won't fit on your layout?

Dave Vergun

[Anonymous]

With only a 10 x 20 room, there's more stuff that won't fit in my space than I can think of. Hopefully, we can shoe horn in a roundhouse & a town.

Tony

[Anonymous]

Consider it a blessing. With 072 track, your engines get a whole lot more expensive. My first car ('72 El Camino SS, $1.500 in 1976) cost what a lot of these toy trains do now. I sold the muscle car in 1993 for triple what I paid after I got married. You think my trains will provide the same ROI? I got both cash and a wife who donated the formal living room for tains outta that car!

[Anonymous]

You guys are all lucky. Since I moved all I have is a testing loop(3'x3'). I use it to run my steamers and diesels and whistles for a while so they won't rust away. Pretty much nothing fits on it more than a few cars. I'm waiting for the summer to start cleaning out the basement. I'm planning to use that for my layout.

[Big_Boy_4005]

You're embarrassing me Dave, I think all of those things DO fit on my layout. Even that cast of characters in #1.[:I][:I][:I][:P][;)][(-D][(-D][:-,][:-^][:-^][swg]

[FJ and G]

Elliot,

Your layout will really be something. If no one volunteers to write about it for a magazine article, I certainly will.

I'm not all that concerned about running big stuff. Semi suits me just fine; but I would eventually like to transition to Kadee couplers for all of my 3-rail stuff and as of now, I think 054 diameter is the most they will do, so I'm trying to adjust my curves accordingly.

Yea, those characters and their fi***ales are growing bigger by the day!

dave v

[Jim Duda]

Professor - the fishies that Big Girl, Cheifster, Buckeye, and Doooodaaaah catch will be too damn big to fit on your layout!...could very well be they would be the ONLY thing not to fit on that monster! But it will be one hellluva fish fry, won't it?

Seriously, just about anything is too big to fit on mine...

JD

[Anonymous]

If you can't go out > move up ^

A second level solves a lot of problems with 072 track and provides room for that city.

Alan

[fjerome]

hey david, you could always write about MY layout...and it would be easy. all you would have to do is lift the web site. [:D]

the "other" place was too busy to write about it.

as you may recall, i had to give up about 100sqft to keep the exterior aesthetics within spouse approval and that cost me the (3 rail) O72 curves for my veranda and big boy. even my two yards don't provide enough engine and rolling stock storage. i would like a legit industrial complex, too. however, i suspect this is my last layout, so i will have to be happy. [^]

[FJ and G]

FJerome,

What's your website?

[fjerome]

oh, dave. you've been there. how is all my "junk" doing? the gatemen??

http://homepage.mac.com/fjerome/BAMenu.html

[FJ and G]

Hey,

I remember you now! My daughter is now doing painting like your daughter.

The "junk" will go on the below shelf which will have a sort of combo toy/hi-rail theme; while the top shelf is hi-rail prototype to the max. That is the serious, no fun, rivet counting shelf but the bottom shelf is the toy trains are fun shelf.

How's that for a jekyll/hyde layout?

Your junk is groovy. Box full of slightly damaged Lionel cranes, light towers, gatemen, etc etc etc. The fun part is in restoring it. Gotta fini***he top level first, however.

Dave

[Anonymous]

Excellent website!!!!

[FJ and G]

I second that; your layout is coming along beautifully and an article is a sure thing. Let's stay in touch, Forrest!

Dave

[ChiefEagles]

Dave, I love your number 7. Might have something in common. [:D]

[Anonymous]

Regarding no 7 on Dave's list:

Hey, there isn't a layout in the world big enough to contain most people's egos. I don't think a transcontinental railroad could do it! [;)][:D]

Tony

[Anonymous]

I have room for most any of them on the list except number 7. As many know, I am chopping a good 18 inches from all sides to make room for walkways. Always plan isleways first (so said with jigsaw in hand!). Another tip from your Uncle Jack.

[Kooljock1]

I've got a Coal Ramp and Loader, and a nicely painted and detailed Rico Station kit under the layout looking for a bigger basement.

Wife tells me there's a nice listing on Realtor.com....

Jon [8D]

[FJ and G]

Jon,

There are several folks I know with big accessories under their layouts awaiting a bigger basement. Pete (see "Pete's Practice Layout" in May04 CTT) has some humongous accessories, including a really nice handmade bascule bridge with motor from a military aircraft that powers it underneath his layout, awaiting his new home when he moves to Williamsburg, VA this fall.

The people I pity are the ones who, by dint of circumstance, are "forced" to move from a house to an apartment and must do with even less.

However, you just have to be a bit more creative, perhaps adding multiple shelves, tunneling thru walls, converting to an urban switching layout that provides more action in less space, or downsizing to smaller accessories, like the new K-line smaller ones or even building them yourself. Or, one can always purchase full-sized HO accessories and park them in the back of the layout and call it "forced perspective" instead of using shorty full scale accessories and calling it "selective compression."

dave v.

[Big_Boy_4005]

I hate to admit it guys, but even with the huge space that I have, there are still some items that may not find their way onto the layout.

Things like a Bowser turntable and 3 stall roundhouse, and Lionel's steam clean and wheel grind shop. I want to get them in, but they have such large footprints, and the way I have designed the layout with narrow scenes, it's tough to find these monsters a home, but I'm still thinking about it.

[cnw1995]

One huge reason why I'm committed to using 027 track and curves - the large, expensive, tempting engines and rolling stock can't fit - heck, even the relatively less expensive 031 engines and rolling stock can't fit....but I'm saving myself from myself ;)

[Dave45681]

I have trouble finding space for the MTH Gas Station, Car Wash, Firehouse, Mels diner, etc. It's the large rectangular bases that limit me. (I know they are required for the mechanism to exist, it just makes it harder to place them)

I have a Gas Station, but once I realized how much real estate it took up, I passed on all the subsequent accessories mentioned, even though I really like their operation.

I find Elliot's comment interesting, I have less issues fitting in items that actually have track running through them. If I had a yard somewhere, I would easily place a SC&WG shop. I do have a lift bridge set up along the back edge of my outermost loop.

I guess this is partly my fault. I like large radius loops. (have 2 O72 with an O54 inside). For my ~10 x 12 foot layout, I guess the above mentioned items would fit if I was into O31 or O27.

[Anonymous]

I don't have a layout built yet, but I have the track plan completed. Things that won't fit on my layout:

1. Scale 120-foot turntable (my layout has a 25-inch one)
2. O72 curves (three rail)(using O-64)
3. Wye (had to forgo wye, instead have two reverse loops)
4. 15-stall roundhouse (have a 9-stall planned; what I would give for space for a 56-stall roundhouse [:)])
5. Scale Big Boys, and other things that need O72 or more

I'll be able to run 21-inch passenger cars, although I'm not sure how they'll look.

See you around the forums,
Daniel

[Anonymous]

Lionel Transfer table; Culvert Loader and Unloader. All of the large MTH buildings and accessories such as the Gas Stations and Bus Stations.
Bill
www.modeltrainjournal.com

[daan]

In Holland houses are relative small compared to american size, my attic is 5x15 foot in usable size and we live in a relative normal house (for dutch standards). I'm happy to have room for a small layout, but a roundhouse.. no option. (But here in Holland it's very special to have gauge 0 anyway)