A sad day[:(], and yet a happy day[:)]

[FThunder11]

Today, i was thinking about my layout while i was reading model railroader(aprils).Specifically the article on "Landscaping with Foam" on pg. 46. Thats when i thought to myself..."my layout sucks!" I know you mabey thinging, there is know layout that sucks. But that is were you're wrong. If you saw my layout you would think to your self..."His layout sucks!" I had a POS!!! It was a board with some cork and track on top, the fake grass you get from hobby lobby that comes on sheete, and little sections of the track were ballasted. I mean my layout looked horrific. But i kept telling myself that it was good and i could make it better. Yeah Right!!! When i was reagin the article, i decide to put some real scenery with foam onto my layout. I said, yeah i could get the foam at Lowes and get some stuff to carve it and make it look good. But the problem was still there! How would i get this done? So thats when it hit me i need to start over completely! So i went into my layout rom!! I took all the cars off the track (all 10 of them)(thats a lot for me) and placed them back into their original boxes and put them all in a safe place. I then began to take up the track. All the track that had ballast on them i just threw them away, because its too hadr the recover them. Then i salavaged as much of the rest of the track as i could. Right now all that rmains is the cork, the board and the grass still stapled on the plywood! Tomarrow (the 14th) i will take apart the rest.
Once its all taken apart, i am going to do a lot of research, build as new table and start from scratch. Anyway, this will make me much happier, and i hope to have a layout that i am proud of, not a POS.[;)]

[AggroJones]

Yes. This happend to me a few years ago. The "crappy attempt" layout before the one I built now was like that. Trackwork was awful, misaligned, and unleveled. The scenery looked as if a child designed it. I kept trying to enhance the layout, but it still looked like crap. It took me a while to decide to scrap it and begin new. But I did manage to salvage the switches, some of the WS road bed (mistake, should have trashed it), and all the structures.

I guarantee you, the fresh layout you build will be way better than trying to fix up the old unsatisfying one. Good Luck!

[Anonymous]

Hi there,Dave here!!
Been There, Done That!! I started my layout 3 years ago when I was in a wheelchair, the result of an Arkansas ice storm that cost me a hip. I started with two of the modules from "terrain for Trains" and when I moved back to Little Rock, I designed a layout that incorporated the modules and essentially fills up a 10'x11' bedroom. I used foam, also and found it to be easy to work with. When it came time to plaster over it, I used Plaster cloth on some sections and vinyl spackling compound on the rest of it. The compound is harder to work with, but you can buy it by the gallon very inexpensively. Good luck, We're all pulling for you!!![:)]

[IRONROOSTER]

One of the best learning experiences is by doing. I'm on my fifth layout each one a little better than the one before.
Enjoy
Paul

[Fergmiester]

Well Kevin my hat's off to you. Though there are times I have wanted to take the whole thing and trash it I never had the guts or the will. Instead I have been doing a slow transition of areas I didn't like. At least this way I still run the trains. I hope you get up and running sooner and later and remember don't give up the faith as we have all been there and yes it can be very disheartening. BUT it does get better.

Remeber: 1 step forward, three steps back is still considered progress in this hobby of ours.

[tomytuna]

Oh man..why did i read this......now i may have to go down that same road.....my setwup is ok.....but original benchwork not good.......good luck...Tom

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Remeber: 1 step forward, three steps back is still considered progress in this hobby of ours.

That is so true[:D]. I'm working on my 5th layout and it is the best of all of them. My first was 4X8 all built on 1x2's(bad idea). It can only get better. Good luck to you.

Jeremy

[Roadtrp]

Good luck. I would guess that over time everyone changes their expectations of what they want their layout to be. Be sure to tell us how working with the foam board goes for you.

[FThunder11]

Thanks for all of the support :)

[tomwatkins]

I think "Starting Over" is a part of the deal. As we build more we learn more. Our expectations increase and we become less and less satisfied with what we've done previously. Past a certain point it's time to make changes or the dissatisfaction outweighs the fun.

One of the best bits of advice I've ever gotten was in an article by Paul Dolkos several years ago. He said If something on your layout is bothering you, change it. At that point there were a number of things that were bothering me a lot. The basic design was fine, but I had turnouts and curves that were too tight for some of my locomotives. I had transistions that weren't smooth enough. I had a small yard that didn't function well and took up too much space. Finally, I'd learned a lot more about the time and area that I'm modeling. After a lot of thought and great gnashing of teeth I starting rebuilding one area at a time. Several years later, I've got one area left to do. The rebuilt areas now operate well. My locomotives and rolling stock don't derail in certain places like they used to do. My railroad looks better, operates better and represents it's time and place better. Starting over and changing what I didn't like has been time well spent.
Have Fun,
Tom Watkins

[Anonymous]

I mentioned this a few months ago on this forum - in our MR club here in Zagreb, Croatia, when we were replacing some already ballasted turnouts and sections of track, we used alcohol to remove them from the layout (and to clean up if needed) because it dilutes hardened white glue which was used (diluted with water) to glue ballast. Hope this works for the American glues, too.
Good luck with your projects,
Oliver

[pbjwilson]

This topic leads to the question, is a layout ever completely finished? I've built many layouts. Most get to some sort of completion but then are changed, added to, or taken apart and started over. It's one of the things that makes modelrailroading a great hobby. You build, rebuild, start over each time improving your skills and knowledge. So don't think of it as a sad day when you dismantle your layout, think of it as a new beginning. And in a couple years you'll probably be doing it again.

[Anonymous]

It's all part of the learning process.The older we get, the more skills we aquire and we improve on the ones we have. That's progress. Just like the prototype, always improving.
Read some of the replies to a question I posted How many layouts have you built and what did you learn from them?(click on the title). We all been there, done that.
Hang in there and don't get discouraged. We're all in this together. We're pullin for ya!