ModelRailroader.com Reader Poll – March 4, 2003

[espeefoamer]

Picking up a loco or car occasainally,but no layout.[:(]

[cwclark]

I try to make progress every chance I get...Just tore down layout #4 (which was of course unfinished,) moved to the country, and finally got my dream layout room. 23' x 25'! (It's even bigger than the 15' x 20' I build in the early 80's)...The contractors just finished removing a garage door and bricking up the big hole in the wall and this Friday , I officially start building! ...here comes the track lighting and next weekend, up goes the benchwork!

[Anonymous]

plenty progress in planing but looking at a room with no layout is depressing
ohh well im gona do good with my extra planning

[Anonymous]

I've made huge progress at christmas I was running a 4x8 and I cut and built it into a 14x8 with a 5 track yard ,6 sidings and a2 track staging area yet to be built. This summer I hope to finish laying track and then it's on to buildings and scenery
Andy

[dand200]

I've started my first serious new layout in my first home. I am learning a lot and since it didn't exist this time last year and the trains are running now looking for industry to serve, I would would say I've made excellent progress.

[DonaldAgne]

My layout is finished, and don't have enough room in my small apartment for another one, so now only building models and a small railroad diorama. Finished my layout in a year, from January 2002 to January 2003. I was able to work on it only on weekends and holidays and still made pretty good progress. If anyone is interested in what techniques I used to finish it so quickly, let me know, and I'll pass on what I learned.

You can view my layout at http://ddwngauge.homestead.com/index.html

[Anonymous]

no building on my layout yet, but did do alot of planning on my lay out design. I broke my leg and ankle, on superbowl sunday, needless to say my funds have been drained. I had planned on starting my layout this spring.

[Anonymous]

After suffering a heart attack in early Feb, I've had plenty of time to work on my rr, since I'm out of work until the middle of April. What is a setback to me, has been a boon to my little town. By the way, I'm 37, not overweight and am now fully aware of the dangers of high cholersterol.

[Anonymous]

I've made more progress, thanks in part to a semi-regular work group that meets every month or two. It's a 14x30 foot layout, so I decided last spring that I'd need help if I were to make any progress at all.

Last winter, before I started the group, I would make periodic frenzied attacks on the layout. This year, progress is more steady. It's not even that the workgroup is doing the bulk of the work - there's three or four, and we're here for about four hours. But in between worksessions, I seem to be more reliably getting down to the layout, because when the crew shows up next, I want there to be progress since the last time.

Last year at this time, benchwork was half-done, with nothing running. Now, all benchwork is done, 80 percent of the mainline is in, the three staging yards are in place (not yet wired), and basic landforms are done for about 70 percent of the layout.

Ray Persing

Chief Cook and Bottle Washer
Cincinnati and Western Railway Company

Check out photos at http://modelraildayton.com/div3lpix10.shtml

[john lea]

Hey Big Boy, the first table looks like your building a card table for the Friday evening card games! lol
Yes this was the first winter to restart my Ho after a 3o year plus being a very busy person. It took quite a bit of work to get a room. actually a cabin, small but private and secure. After 6 weeks of sorting old things and family member items. I orderd some road bed last night and today I'll get some lumber and start the grid work. Wednesday I took my old locos to a shop in Sacto to see if and how much it will cost to rebuild and get dcc ready. I've been planing it for a while, drawing,erasing and so on. Found a book "Practical Guide to Model Railroading" 1952 by kalmback. It has a accurate trac and switch radius and all, great for planing. Yes the winter and spring have been good, I'm retired you know.

[Anonymous]

Progress is coming along slowly due to lack of funds,benchwork is up starting to lay track need tracklaying materials ( roadbed,foam )hopefully funding will be coming soon need to take care of bills first. plan to complete tracklaying project next month.

[farrellaa]

I have made tremendous progress this past fall and winter, I built a 24' by 26' addition to my house to contain my model railroad that I will be constructing hopefully this coming year and next (and next and next and next.........). I am really anxious to get the layout planning done so I can start the benchwork. It will be HO scale and i will be able to run the 20 or so locomotives I have been collecting the past few years. I have been out of the hobby for twenty years and look forward to the newer locomotives and rolling stock.

[Anonymous]

I don't have a layout right now, just a stack of freight car kits a mile high. But no, I haven't made any more progress this year as I did last year, even with much more available time.

[Anonymous]

I've been trying to get my own layout for about two years.
This last winter I finnaly got enough money to fini***he benchwork.

I also collected cork roadbed and flextrack.
No model related objects for Xmas[sigh]

[k9wrangler]

Got off to a quick start, did some scenery, added a small yard/coal mine and some electronic upgrades thenbegan to stagnate, too many irons in too many fires to concentrate on any so I spent too much time jumping around them.

K Scribner
Sunfield Twp Michigan
http://www.railimages.com/gallery/karlscribner

[cp1057]

Last winter very little was done and mostly headscratching over a new layout.

This winter much of the track for a new layout has been put down. The new layout should offer a lot more operating possibilities, mix mainline running with branchline action. No regular trains running yet, wiring needs to be done.

Charles
Hillsburgh, Ontario

[douginut]

spent the last year alternately constructing and demolishing my layout
it took me most of that time worked into after work and weekend hours to figure out that the layout from the 101 that I was trying to do was IMPOSSIBLE without using HOn3 and stub switches. it just didnt work.
So I have everything in boxes and continue to raid the Hobby Stop here in Orem several times a month whenever I hear the siren song of the latest UPS shipments to Rodger and Pauline. It is much less work to just dream, plan and buy than to build.
besides, I like my own plans better than Lynn Wescott's anywho.
Doug, in Utah

[Anonymous]

I voted for more progress mainly because right after a very dismal Christmas (train supply wise) I decided my layout was not progressing the way I wanted, in fact it just flat didn't look good. I tore out all of the layout save for two city blocks which included the school, ripped up all the track, and started all over. It is now coming along great and as planned, except no I need a plethera of buildings to fill the new voids. Always an excuse to go to the catalog and order! Hey, while I'm at it, anybody out there know where I can find an HO scale hospital?

[Anonymous]

This winter the "bug" hit me again! Got plenty accomplished and now I can enjoy it all the rest of the year.
...Richard

[pbuck]

as i live in the southern part of the country winter doesnt have much to do with it
i work on my railroad year round i started a new layout last may and have made good progress i am working on my signaling sys at this time

keepem on track
pbuck

[GRR7315]

My layout has been covered in snow for awhile....... 1st Robin in yard on Saturday,
and neighbor's cats have found a new litter box.... it's SPRING....

[IRONROOSTER]

Started laying the second track on the double track mainline this winter, last winter didn't lay any track.
Enjoy
Paul

[Anonymous]

Yes, I have deffinately made progress on my HO layout, this winter. I have been able to do some scenery as well as do some ballasting. Since I am now retired, I have more time. I may even fini***his German/American layout, before I die. I plan on liveing another 20 years. I do need help installing the DCC though. Any volunteers?

[Anonymous]

Health problems and increases in my work schedule played havoc with my plans for this winter, but things are looking up and I expect this to be a very progressive year. Having to re-build the garage while working on the railroad within tends to slow the work too, but again, this is becoming less of a problem as time goes on.

[Anonymous]

THE T & R RAILROAD IS UP AND RUNNING. I TRY TO UTILIZE THE EQUIPMENT ON THE BNSF/AMTRAK LINE(FORMER GN) RUNNING BY TOWNER/RUGBY NORTH DAKOTA. GRAIN TRAINS AND AMTRAK. MOVED FROM A 4' X 8' TO 2' BENCHWORK AROUND A 9' X 10 ' ROOM. PLENTY LEFT FOR NEXT WINTER. MODEL RAILROADING IS A GREAT HOBBY FOR THE LONG ND WINTERS.

[Anonymous]

I finished my first layout, 9' x 7' HO, last winter then we went and sold our house so late last winter and early spring was spent tearing down four years
of work[:(][:(][:(]. However the up side of all this is our new home has a full
basement and I made the most of this winter by building a 13' x 24' train room
[:D][:D][:D][:D]. I'm finished with the room, sky is painted and about 75% of the
bench work is finished so all in all I would say that this winter has seen a lot
of progress. Can't wait til next winter, I can't believe I said that [:(][:(][:(].
Harv

Steam is where it's at!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Anonymous]

I got a lot done this winter my benchwork is complete my track plan is finaly works I got a loco {a 4-8-4 to be exact} and a couple of cars,track,and power pack ect. Last year i was just reading books and drawing my track plan.

I'm modleling the Sante Fe 40's-50's good luck to all.

[Anonymous]

In the early ninties, I lived in Kingston ON. I started an HO layout that was 10X13 feet. It was a mountainous terain, with many spots for tunnels and bridges. I got as far as building the benchwork and laying the track and turnouts (no senery). Then, my life turned 180 degrees. In 1996 I moved to Vancouver BC, fulfiling a boyhood dream - living on the west coast! For the next eight years, I moved from place to place within Vancouver (a total of seven times). Always looking for more apartment space and a better location within the city. I was out of the train business. In the fall of 2003 I got the train bug again. Knowing I was moving to a new more permenant home within a few months, I didn't bother building anything. I decided to work on a theme for a layout, thus giving me a chance to design a few different trackplans and stockpile rollingstock based on my theme. Now I'm moved in and ready to build.

[Anonymous]

I got more done this year thanks to this website and this forum helping me with hints, and inspiration.