Does Size Matter?

[Anonymous]

I pose a question to anyone who has been in the hobby more than a year or two. I started building my current layout 3 1/2 years ago and have expanded the original plan twice during that time. It is now 195' mainline run (N-scale). My locomotive fleet and rolling stock inventory also continue to increase. The empire GROWS! I've tried to determine if I am expanding my layout because I have more locos and rolling stock, or because of additional rolling stock, I need to expand my layout. Or, am I expanding because the room to do so exists? I would like to hear your stories of how your empires have come into being and your reasoning for there existence.
Thanks and HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Roger

[Anonymous]

When I had the space for a full basement empire, I didn't have the time or money. Now that I've started over with little space, the scope of my project is far beyond the capacity of the available space so significant compression is in order. If and when I have enough space, I know the layout will expand to fill every square inch, as much as I might try to resist. (I like scenery, you see.)

Of course the answer to your question is impossible to answer. It's like the George Carlin routine about stuff and space. You got too much stuff so you move to bigger space. Then you get more stuff to fill up that space and soon you have too much stuff. And on it goes.

Wayne

[jimrice4449]

I sarted with a 25X26 oversized 2 car garage (whose floor has never been sullied by contact with a tire). After I got the frieght yard of my dreams built (with a working hump yard) I built a passenger terminal on an upper level. Then I discovered that in order to cut off an engine from an inbound train I needed an extra 4 feet or so for a tail track. The solution was a rabbit hutch type of structure that eventually metastisized into a 12X24 foot add-on. When I win the lottery I'm going to have contractors (I built all the present buildings myself) build me a 2000 sq ft add on so I can have some main line. The hobby's about process and you either add on or tear it out and start over.

[NZRMac]

I found myself with a layout design I liked (pensil and paper) but when the track was on the layout it wouldn't fit.
So now I see where I've gone wrong I can make it fit by expanding.

I'm in the garage I've got the space, didn't park the car there anyway, got permission from the boss, so away I go. 16'x16' along the back sides with 12' and 8' peninsulas.



Ken

[IRONROOSTER]

I think most of us fill up the available space. My layout is 11x18 because that's how big the room is. Bigger room, bigger layout. I have more locomotives and cars than I can comfortably fit on the layout unless I want to change to a 6 track mainline.

The disciplined approach of course is to decide what you want in a layout and use only the space you need to do it. Then buy only the equipment needed to fill that goal.

I think the key is to not let it become a maintenance nightmare. Use quality components and minimize the number of high maintenance items such as turnouts.
Enjoy
Paul

[challenger3802]

It took 2 years of planning to pluck up the courage over this Christmas break to clear the spare bedroom and turn it into the train room. 2 weeks later and I have a layout which nearly fills the room with two stations spread over two levels, and a loop under one station. The plan has changed lots of times, finally setling on one I found in an old magazine (1954 incase you want to know)

As for rolling stock and period, it's a case of I've got loads of stuff collected from childhood to now, which means one particular period is out of the question! The layout is now going to be a preservation line (only I now need to invent a way for it to be there!)

Ian