Who likes the planning stage

[JeremyB]

Hi guys

I have a finished layout and Im planning my next railroad, I can't beleive how much fun this stage is. I mean you have a clean slate to do anything you want and I find it so much fun. Who else likes this stage

Jeremy

[Jetrock]

Indeed, the planning stage can be a lot of fun--it's all dreaming and drawing and no spending and swearing!!

Seriously, the planning stage can be important because it lets you think up new solutions and imagine the features you would like--the problem comes when you have to turn them into reality and find that the turnouts are NEVER as sharp as you'd like them, and even though there's *almost* enough space for magnificent feature X, being 1/2" short makes the whole plan unworkable.

Planning also allows us to come up with things like realistic theme and operating ideas, as well as historical research (so important and fun for us counters of rivets.) For freelancers, planning can include development of the free-lance road's history and reason for being.

So yeah, the planning stage is a lot of fun. I'm building my railroad in stages--part is already built, but other portions are still just on paper or in my head--so I get to keep having fun in that respect and still operate a few trains!

[Anonymous]

The planning stage becomes more fun as one progresses through the learning stage. I do believe we all get better with time and our enjoyment increases as the square of our learning curve. Planning is fun, and it gets better and better.

Don't build too much steam, the pops will blow and it will be wasted.

Tom

[Anonymous]

I'm still working on my first N-scale layout--a small one, but we all have to start somewhere, right? Anyway, I really enjoyed the planning stage because there was so much new stuff to learn about. Reading and learning about each facet of this hobby has been a very enjoyable endeavor!

[Anonymous]

My love of layout planning is what led me into my current profession as an Architect. I do far more layout planning than layout construction, unfortunately...

[Anonymous]

Planning is half the fun, I think. Even with the simplest of track plans, you hatch idea after idea of what will work...and what won't; what you'd like to have ..and what you'll have to compromise on. The possibilities are endless it seems. I'm starting over and I'm having fun just sketching, thinking of all I can do differently (and hopefully better) this time around.

[Big_Boy_4005]

I love planning. My own layout is mostly planned, though some details will be filled in as I build.

I just finished planning a layout for a guy over on the CTT forum. It was all done via email, and then tonight he called me. We talked for two hours! He loves the plan and is excited to build it. I had fun drawing it for him, and can't wait to see the pics when he's done.

Even if you are done planning your own there are always more to do. Some people have a difficult time with this part of the hobby. I have a harder time building them, but that'sstill fun too.

[Hawks05]

since i finally got some wood to build my benchwork i can finally design a track plan. Big_Boy and Grayhound i know i'll be talking to you guys a lot. tomorrow i know i'll just clean out the room so i can bring up everything and get set up. then probably put a circular piece on there just to finally get the trains going. oh boy i'm so excited. i know i'm going to have fun coming up with what to have on the layout and what not to.

[AggroJones]

I like sketching out plans I will never get to use! Its nice to imagine what its like to be in the planning stages of a layout. I plot it out with new ideas I want to try. [:)]

[Anonymous]

I think it's fun but sometimes I wi***he layout was already done for me.

[Anonymous]

Prototype research is the element of modeling that gives me the most pleasure. Regardless of how able a modeler I may become I'll never be able to translate research into product exactly. Thank God the Espee archives are only an hours drive north.

Randy

[Fergmiester]

I really enjoyed the planning part but for me it was more of a dreaming and drawing excercise where the sky was the limit. The reality is I was unintentionaly planning in N not HO and when it came to doing the laying of track I realized many of my plans would not work. However Things are working out now i just don't have the scenery I was hoping for.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by JeremyB

Hi guys

I have a finished layout

what do ya mean by finished i did not know it was possible[;)]

[Favrefan04]

I downloaded RTS from Atlas, and I have been designing layouts for the last several days. When I have nothing better todo I sit down to my computer and start working on a layout. I like that program, because you can see exactly what you can put into the given space that you have. I have made up a couple of dream layouts. Something that if I had the room I would want to try to build. Those I really enjoy because I can just let all of my ideas just flow, and let it all come together until I finish and the I check to see how much space it would actually take up. The biggest one that I have done was 27 x 25 x 6 in an L shape. It is a lot of fun to just start putting down the track and finding out what will work and what won't. You are right though, because after I get the track put down then I start thinking about where roads would be, and I can also put in buildings as well. It is an endless from of entertainment for me.

[Anonymous]

The planning started when I visited my soldier son in Germany. I told him, now that I was retired I was going to start a model train layout. He got out his artists sketch pad and 3 hours, a bottle of Jim Beam and much wrangling later, I had the conception. Oh yes, planning can be fun.

[Anonymous]

As my interest have developed into preototype modeling, I have found the research almost becoming as interesting as the actual construction of a trackplan will be.

[BNSFNUT]

I like layout planning. I've spent many a hour drawing layouts just for fun. I like to take a prototype idea and then designed a layout. I started out drawing on paper with the Tee square and drawing board.( for you young folks this was how it was done before computers) and work up to a CAD program. I have design hundreds of layout in the last 30 yrs including the one have now (exept the branch line that sorta happen) and have even designed a couple of layouts for other peaple (not as fun as it seems)

[Big_Boy_4005]

QUOTE: Originally posted by BNSFNUT

I like layout planning. I've spent many a hour drawing layouts just for fun. I like to take a prototype idea and then designed a layout. I started out drawing on paper with the Tee square and drawing board.( for you young folks this was how it was done before computers) and work up to a CAD program. I have design hundreds of layout in the last 30 yrs including the one have now (exept the branch line that sorta happen) and have even designed a couple of layouts for other peaple (not as fun as it seems)

I still do it that way for the most part.

But this past week, I actually drew a plan for a member asking for help over on CTT, using the computer. I was forced to so that we could do it all via email. Last night he called me on the phone and we discussed the details. He loved it.

This is a layout for 3 rail O.