Last Monday my friend and I demolished my old layout in just over 2 and a half hours, and I filmed time-lapse video. Enjoy!
https://youtu.be/wkj5JRwBNMU
Harrison
Homeschooler living In upstate NY a.k.a Northern NY.
Modeling the D&H in 1978.
Route of the famous "Montreal Limited"
My YouTube
Harrison, you and your friend are much more methodical, disciplined, and careful at removing an old layout than I have ever been. I use a sawzall and an engineer hammer.
You were remarkably methodical at removing everything that could be salvaged, quite impressive.
I liked the palm-heel thrust at 7:35.
Oh, I also like your NCT Shield logo, it looks good.
So... this blends into a conversation that we have been having on another thread. I have long been a proponent of building a 4 by 8 for your first layout, and then taking it down once you learn some skills and what you actually want from a layout.
It appears that is what you have done.
Would you suggest this approach to others? Was the building, then demolition of your first layout a rewarding and worthwhile learning experience?
Please let us know.
Have fun with all your new projects.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
Harrison, thanks for the video.
I'm impressed that you were able to save so much. I have never been successful removing cork roadbed so that it could be reused.
York1 John
When I think demolished, I think sledge hammer and saw zaw. It looks more like a piece of plywood was just stripped down.
Hopefully that plywood can be saved for a future layout as wood is crazy expensive right now.
I saved all the wood, screws, rail joiners, track nails etc. from my last layout for re-use next time around.
Just about all of this was re-used on the current under construction layout. Three of the frames pretty much as-is, and the rest of the frames disassembled and the wood re-used on the new framing.
These two sections were re-used as-is:
This corner was another section used but added onto. The rest were boards used to build new sections along with new wood.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
Thank you Kevin and John. Rio Grande, I’m sorry if it wasn’t action packed enough for you. I hope you still enjoyed. John, if I wasn’t so concerned with saving money I wouldn’t have salvaged as much as I did…
Kevin, I will have to look for the thread, but feel free to quote me on any of the following. I think that building a 4x8 as your first layout can be quite beneficial, especially for a complete beginner. It allowed me to learn how to build track, wire, and make scenery without building something bigger. It also allowed me to run trains in circles. I would say that if you have a definite plan for what you want to do, and running trains in circles is not one of them, then perhaps a different layout shape would be good, but I wouldn’t go any bigger for starters. For my next layout, I will be constructing it in two or more phases, so that I won’t be overwhelmed by building a whole (larger) layout. Let me know if you have any questions.
What a great video! Thanks for sharing.
For the first few moments, I thought that was a pitcher of vodka gimlets, so I was getting ready to report you two guys to the authorities.
A job well done. Congrats.
Rich
Alton Junction
HarrisonI think that building a 4x8 as your first layout can be quite beneficial, especially for a complete beginner. It allowed me to learn how to build track, wire, and make scenery without building something bigger. It also allowed me to run trains in circles.
That was my experience also. My first layout, when I was about your age, was 30 inches by 72 inches in N scale.
The knowledge and experience, coupled with success, from that first layout provided a solid foundation for future layout building.
All I can say is if that was your first layout, you had a lot more skills down on it than I did on my first. It was a disaster BEFORE it got torn down! Dan
HarrisonRio Grande, I’m sorry if it wasn’t action packed enough for you. I hope you still enjoyed. John, if I wasn’t so concerned with saving money I wouldn’t have salvaged as much as I did…
No worries. It was still entertaining. You can only salvage so much but it's nice to save some materials for re-use. Many of us have been shocked and dismayed at the skyrocketing prices of lumber since the pandemic. I save all the wood from the last layout but the next one is much bigger so I've had to purchase a good amount of lumber to get this one to near completion. Fortunately I started the new layout in late November 2019 and most of my lumber buying was done before the Pandemic got rolling the following March. I have only had to purchase a small number of 1x2 and 1x3 boards to get things finished up. I'm short on 19/32nd OSB, which I've been using on the mainline but am only short by a bit and may substitute other OSB I have on hand to finish it. Then there is the helix to do next.
riogrande5761Many of us have been shocked and dismayed at the skyrocketing prices of lumber since the pandemic.
I just paid almost $30.00 for one sheet of OSB!
Sad to see the layout get destoyed. I've not been anyhwhere as successful in salvaging old cork, track, etc. I hope you had fun on the 1st layout.
Thanks for sharing. Here's to a larger and better pike! Keep encouraging others to do model railroading b/c we need younger blood in this hobby. I'm happy at 45 to exploit technology in a similar way to you to seek help, order things, etc.
SeeYou190 riogrande5761 Many of us have been shocked and dismayed at the skyrocketing prices of lumber since the pandemic. I just paid almost $30.00 for one sheet of OSB! -Kevin
riogrande5761 Many of us have been shocked and dismayed at the skyrocketing prices of lumber since the pandemic.
It's nutty. I used 19/32 OSB for my mainline because it is thick and stout enough. I bought all that I have before the prices started skyrocketing last Mar/Apr 2020.
Last I checked it was $36 a sheet in northern Virginia so I've been squeezing the most subroadbed on what I had on hand. I literally have one curve left into the yard that may cover about 6 or so linear feet but I am fresh out of 19/32 OSB. I do have some 13/32 but IMO it's too thin for strips of subroadbed on risers (although it's ok in sheets supported by cross members.
Last summer my wife found a bunch of 23/32 on the FB market place for a nice price so we bought it. I believe it is used as subflooring here as it fit perfectly in our bathroom floor but we have a bunch left (1 4x8, 1 2x8 and a 4x4 piece). I may used that although I'll have to adjust how it matches up with the 19/32 at the top surface. So heck if I'm going to go buy another sheet of 19/32 OSB at $36 a whack at this point , I'll make do.
For grins I just check our local Lowes price for the OSB that I'm using:
19/32 OSB has shot up to $39.77
7/16 OSB has shot up to $40.25
Yikes! And last year people were saying lumber prices would start dropping the following spring. If anything, its continuing to rise! I bet the cost of new homes will shoot up a lot too!
I think a few years ago I paid about $9 for a 4x8 sheet of 7/16th OSB
Word to the wise, save any lumber you can and re-use it!