Advantages of a small (<100 sq. ft.) layout

[Sturgeon-Phish]

I was reading where there is a trend to building smaller houses and the advantages to that. This made me think there are advantages to a small layout as well. Sure I dream of a 16X40, but now I "have" a 9.5X6.5. Bird in the hand than two in the bu***hing I guess. I arbitrarily picked under 100 sq. ft. I read where inertia was the biggest obstacle to building a layout and if posts hailing the attributes of a small layout, prompts someone into building a small layout instead of dreaming, well our hobby is better for it. What are some of the advantages you guys can think of?[^]
Thanks
Jim

[wrmcclellan]

Jim,

My 8 x 12 layout fit into the space I had available. If it were any larger I am not sure I would have gotten it to the level of completion as it exists now. Time is a huge factor to consider when chosing a layout size. It allows me to have an 072 outer loop for larger locos and an 054 inner loop. There is a crossover in between, a reversing loop, and a small yard. Pretty good action.

Regards,
Roy

[Dave Farquhar]

I think you pretty much got it--a smaller layout assembles faster and is easier to maintain because there's less track and fewer structures to keep clean. Plus there's the money factor. I'm building an 8x8 layout right now. It fits well into my budget. There's no way I could afford to build a basement-sized layout.

And my wife would object to a basement-sized layout anyway. She doesn't object to an 8x8, but I don't know how many more 4x8s I could add before she would object. Smaller layouts cause fewer objections from other family members, which is also important.

I know some people think the only layout worth having has O72 curves and larger, but having had no layout, a 3.5'x4', and now an 8'x8', I'd gladly settle for the small 3.5'x4' layout if I couldn't have anything else. And I'd much rather have a well-done 3.5'x4' layout than a basement empire that's just track on bare plywood.

I dream of someday being able to fill the attic--I'd do O, S, and Standard Gauges if I had the space and money--but this lets me have fun now. And I can have fun with what I have, even if I never can do three large layouts or one huge layout incorporating all three.

[BNSFNUT]

A small layout is easier to build and maintain. My last HO layout was 20x6.5 ft and was a bear to maintain. My current O gauge layout is only 4x 6ft 3in (the size was dictated by a left overs from roof repairs) and enjoy it a lot. While I want to fill the old HO layout area with O gauge I know that I will not because of my health problems. I will be adding on to this layout with a 4x8 ft section but for right now a small layout keeps happy just running it and adding details and stuff.
The one thing to remember is if you build it you will have to maintain it and what seems a minor job now might become a real chore with age.

[jimhaleyscomet]

Layouts are like boats, RV's, cars, houses, and fi***anks. You should always feel your space is a tad pinched. Otherwise they get to expensive or time consuming to operate and maintain.

Huge RV, Huge SUV, Huge Boat - Can you afford the gas to move it?
Huge House - do you have the time to clean it and the money for utilities? (I am a househusband, my wife is the wage earner
Huge Layout / fi***ank- Can you afford the space and the amount of material (landscaping and track) / time it takes to build it and maintain it.

Jim H

[pbjwilson]

Most layouts I've built were close to 4X8 or a tad larger. 100 square feet is plenty big to make a nice layout. When building my layouts I came up with the square foot rule. That was that every square foot should have a focal point. Could be a building, tree, group of figures, something to catch the viewers eye. On an N gauge layout I did, there was a fallen tree in one area. It was just enough to catch your eye and something out of the ordinary. So on your layout you could have 50 - 60 focal points! Thats alot of modeling. Better get to work. Good luck.

[Anonymous]

100 Square Feet is the about the right size for all single person layouts.

Much Smaller and everything feels too cramped.

Much bigger and it requires a team of people to built and operate.

96 to 100 Square Feet is about the right amount of surface area for a one or two person track layout.

Even if the room is 400 Square Feet, the layout surface should only be about 100 Square Feet.

Andrew F.

[Anonymous]

Reasons I operate a smaller type toy train layout: health and monetary issues have set limits on building an elaborate one person toy train operation.
The creative challanges present a mirade of fun scenereos in order to maintain high interest focal points while maintaining a affordable quest for enjoyment.
The ever tempting expansion rites are tendered by vertical innovations and tying the maze together creating more action per square foot than a lot of the mammoth from here to eternity layouts.
I am totally impressed by large layout efforts demonstrated by the high buck contingiency and feel fortunate gaining perspectives on their incredible efforts.
Regardless of size it's all about toy trains and enjoyment at any level everyone contributes and should play trains in whatever way brings them pleasure.

[Anonymous]

I love looking at and admiring large and nicely finished layouts, but will always prefer a smaller layout for my own use. I can think of any number of reasons for my choice--too many to even begin to list here, although some of the reasons have already been covered by others in prior posts.

But I also feel the same way about houses. Why buy or build more house that you need or can take care of? Many folks do that just to impress others, I suppose, but I don't know if I can think of a dumber reason for building a large and expensive home.

Truth is, in my many years in the hobby, I've seen far more very nicely done small layouts than I have huge layouts that have also managed to attain a similarly "completed" and detailed look.

[Jumijo]

We have an 8x10 L-shaped layout. The small size has one huge benefit. Progress, even the slightest bit, is noticable. One half of our layout is already scenicked, after only a few months, and that's from working on it only one or two nights a week. Track cleaning by hand only takes 1/2 an hour.

Jim

[Anonymous]

I have a very small layout...only 5x8. I'm very pleased with it, and have little desire for a larger one. Instead, I've built a few other small layouts...a 2x4 "N", and a 4x6 "S". All 3, plus some "G" in the garden, give me plenty to do.
The 5x8 "O" has 2 loops of FasTrack, and the inner loop has 1 siding. I also have a "dummy" siding running along the front 1/4 of the layout for some operating accessories/cars. The main drawback for me is the word "footprint"...many of the scenic items being offered (buildings, animations) are LARGE. But I've been able to deal with it through "creative kitbashing". People who have seen it, and knew before-hand that it was small, have said "Gee, I did'nt think it would be THIS nice".
So, my personal opinion is, a small well-done layout is better than no layout at all. Even if you plan on a large layout some day...building a small one is a great learning experience. Joe

[Anonymous]

My layout is primarily a 7X13' main table area with extensions on both ends to incorporate reverse loops, the two loops are then connected to each other with a seprate line. The idea was to reverse trains,but also to "hide" trains off the main 7x 13' area, which is the only area I plan to "finish" with scenery and buildings. I agree to try an have a much larger area well senicked and laid out would take more time than I feel I want to put into my schedule.

[Anonymous]

Noticable progress. That was the primary reason that we built a smaller layout (6x10) even though we had additional space available. Had we not seen this progress with the completion of each session, we would have probably lost interest before the major work was done.
Mike
Our layout:
http://home.comcast.net/~graz6/wsb/html/view.cgi-home.html-.html

[Anonymous]

Mike, Very, very nice. Had you not shown the layout's overall view, I would have thought it was MUCH larger. Great work, Joe

[Dr. John]

Jim, I'm very much with you on this. I once made the mistake of trying to build my dream layout (HO scale at the time) about 30 years ago. Got through the benchwork and maybe a third of the track laid - in 4 years time! I ended up tearing the whole thing out. It was too much for me to do by myself with the amount of time I had available.

My last layout was just under 6X10 and I had it running with some scenery in less than 6 months time. It was large enough to have interesting operation with two trains running and several accessories, yet small enough to maintain and operate by myself. Wiring (conventional) was limited to 4 blocks. I used hollow core doors with attached folding legs that I will reuse for my next layout. More fun more quickly with less headaches!

[FJ and G]

I'd rather see a well-built small layout than a large ugly one.

[Anonymous]

I am in the middle of building a 800 sqft layout... Somewhat larger than the ones being discussed here... But I have to say that this will take me about 4 more years before I can plant a single tree on it! Lots to be said about gearing the size of the layout to the amount of time you have to work on it (not just your space)...

I really like small, well designed layouts like 6' x 12' or 8' x 16' which can hold alot of action, and not take 10 years to build!

[FJ and G]

Another advantage of a small layout: you don't have to walk very far.

If you want a medium-to-large layout, you could build a completely self-contained small layout and then expand it. That way you aren't building for years and years without having some operating pleasure. Also, you can intersperse operations with construction.

John Allen did it with his G&D layout, matter of fact.

A few months back, CTT did a layout plan on an expandable layout.

[Dr. John]

Dave,
You make an excellent point. At least with an expandable layout, you have the option to stay small and finish it to the nth degree, or go for the next phase for more running distance, operational possibilities, scenery, etc.

[FJ and G]

Thx, John,

I'm gonna stop monkeying with R/C for a while to finish my small inner loop outside beginning this weekend. I dug a trench and filled it with ballast (crusher fines), but it got disturbed when BB the beagle dug a hole in it and buried her bone.

The other nice thing about the outside toy train is that there's no need to periodically dust. I think that dust is the bane of indoor layouts; tho indoor layouts have much more "lab" type controls, such as the ability to add finer detailing and better scale scenery that doesn't need periodic trimming.

But it's pretty cold outside to work right now.

[Warburton]

Mike -- Wow! Beautiful layout. You should have CTT do a story on it! You don't need a big layout to have a great one: look at Lionel's display layouts from the fifties.

[Anonymous]

Outstanding modeling there, Mike!

[Buckeye Riveter]

My layout is 4'x16', or 64 sq. feet, but by using the computer to design the layout, TMCC to run the trains, and tunnels to hide portions of the track, it gives one a real sense that it is larger than it really is.

Two trains are normally run on the layout, but sometimes we have had three.

[FJ and G]

isn't it a bit ironic that at this moment in time, this post is juxtapositioned beside a post needing a 1,200 square foot model railroad. [:D]

[Jumijo]

Buckeye,

You have a really nice layout. Love the scenery!

Jim

[Anonymous]

Buckeye's layout is great. Great modeling in a narrow space.
Jim, your layout is quite the showpiece also! The photo with the farm scene and backdrop just makes me smile. Very pure.
Mike

[Jumijo]

Mine? Mike, you gotta be joking! Mine looks like a toy compared to yours and Buckeye's. Yours is one of the finest layouts I've ever seen, small or large. [bow][bow][bow]

Jim

[Anonymous]

Jim,
Nonsense. Like I said, it has a very pure look to it that really captures the classic 3 rail vibe. Similar to the showroom layouts that Lionel used to do - blurring the line between toy and scale. The scene looks like a perfect 1950's snapshot. I'm just waiting for Lassie and Timmy to pop into the picture!
Mike

[Jumijo]

Well thank you, Mike. Very kind of you. Blurring the line between toy and scale is exactly what I intended to do, since all we run is O27.

Jim