Bummer man

[Anonymous]

I have to move .The hardest part is moving the layout .When I made this ,I had not thought of , what if I had to move.I look at this as a good thing .now I can find a bigger place for my layout .What a bummer!

[8D]Al

[Dr. John]

Hey Al,
We're in the process of moving too. I'll leave the layout in place that I built over at my Dad's house - he'll enjoy running it. I'm hoping to find a house with a good size bonus room (not many basements in Alabama). Then it will be back to the drawing board using RR Track software. Hopefully I can build a larger layout with wider curves this time.

[ChiefEagles]

Good luck to both of you. Don't be strangers. I moved 20 years ago. Just unpacked my trains. Now to get started on permanent layout [right now on the floor in spare room].

[brianel027]

Believe me, you don't know how many trains you actually have UNTIL you actually have to move them all. Not to mention the extra packing and careful handling they require (unless you feel like unpacking a pile of broken pieces).

The REAL bummer is not having to move the layout so much as simply having to move out of necessity, not out of choice.

Do yourself a favor and move to someplace where the economy "looks" to be good. I moved a couple years ago, so I know the pain in the neck in can be with a train layout. The job picture where I'm at is utterly miserable at best (unofficial unemployment rate around 20-25%, official at 9-10%). That's why the new slogan for New York State is the "Roman Empire State." It's a lot easier to love New York if you live somewhere else. So if (the big if) I can pull it off, I may have to move yet again too.

These days in this less-than-certain economy it really pays to design layouts that are constructed with light-weight materials (pink styrofoam works best) and designed to come apart to be moved. Look at all the communities that were prospering only a decade or two ago, and were decimated by the loss or closing of one or two major employers. There's an article idea for the train mags... building moveable light weight, easily disassembled train layouts for these modern unstable times that fit easily in a moving van. For the job you may have today will no doubt fit in a corporate moving van tomorrow much easier than your train layout. Can you say 'outsourcing' and 'NAFTA.'
Free trade is one thing, fair trade is another... if it ain't fair, it isn't free - at least for the US.

I would say the hardest part of my last move and the most labor intensive was moving the layout. Good luck.

[daan]

Making a movable layout (sections which fit together) has much more extra's apart from being able to move it. If you get tired from a part from the layout, you can remove it and make a new part to fit back. This way it won't get dull and your layout stay's exciting. I made a h0 layout that way and it was great not to break down the whole when I wanted to fit something else. I do have a fixed layout now, but I'm not planning to move...

[cnw1995]

Hi Dr. John, I hope things go smoothly in your move. Where is your new church in Alabama? Daan and Brianel really make good points. I've been looking again at my layout - it's very un-permanent. Foam boards laid atop a rock-filled crawl space adjoining the basement - an unanticipated benefit of the non-permanent approach is how easy it is to move track around.

[Anonymous]

HEY THANKS GUY'S Still looking for a new place.I think its funny , I walk in look and the first thing I Iook for is ,ok 2 bedrooms and were can I put my layout .Will take the advice of sections for the layout,I think we can save most.

AL

[3railguy]

With a Milwaukee 10 amp sawzall and a packs of "torch" and "axe" blades (those are milwaukee names), you can make clean cuts through scenery, roadbed, track, and all. These blades retain their shape and cut fast behind 10 amps. Don't even begin to think of spending less at Sears or Walmart. on a junk saw and blades You will do more damage than good.