I posted last night asking if it was a wise choice to dismantle my layout and redo something better.
Have any of you ever done this, and was it for the better?
Thanks,Jacob
if it wasn't, then i would have taken up a different hobby.
grizlump
Slowly building a layout since 2007!
Some of us will spend many years building the "complete" layout. I've put 4 years into this one, and I will be expanding it, while not making too many changes to the current design. I enjoy building very detailed scenery. I'll admit that my track plan isn't much to operate, though, so that's another reason for the expansion.
If you look at the August MR, you'll see David Barrow's layout. He apparently builds a new new layout every few years. He has a minimalist style, barely any scenery at all. That wouldn't please me at all, but I'm sure he has more fun running his trains than I do.
Do you like your old layout? Are there things about it you just can't stand? Do you think you can build a much better one now with the knowledge you've learned? These are the questions you should ask yourself.
And maybe you're just one of those modellers who likes building layouts, and gets bored once the benchwork is up and the track is down, before you've even started ballasting. Nothing wrong with that, either. If you're having fun, you're doing it right.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Another point: if you now that there's a good chance that you will tear up the old and start anew, then plan for it while building. Keep things as reusable as possible, for example using removable mechanical fasteners instead of glues for track, benchwork sections, etc. where possible.
This will ease the pain when the time comes to refresh the plan and start again. Then you just need to take some extra care when dimantling and find places to save your materials for the next building spree.
Oh, and yes I have dismantled a former layout and saved most of it for the next one, and this was actually my plan from the start. I knew I wouldn't be capable of making a more ideal layout until I had more space and skills. The experience was quite valuable and will hopefuly save me time and effort next time.