Alot of us dream of a great layout ! Some of Us actually build a layout(s).
Some of us join groups that already have layouts , because we either do not have time to make a layout or we do not have the skills to make layouts .
I realize some just want to collect trains & never run the the trains & that is ok !
We all like different things . I am not here to judge !
I am here to say some of us need to try to make a layout if we have time, money & space .
CHARTER MEMBER OF THE MILWAUKEE FALLEN FLAG MODEL TRAIN CLUB . I COLLECT HO, N , O-3rail & On30 Trains & run them ! I Use KATO HO & N scale Track . I also Use Lionel Fast Track ! I change track layouts Often !
WRGMILWI am here to say some of us need to try to make a layout if we have time, money & space .
I wholeheartedly agree!
Even if you make a small diorama or, like Larry (Brakie), a small switching layout [ISL], even if it is only a foot wide and five or six feet long. Jump in and get your feet wet.
Like Nike says...
Just DO it!
Cheers, Ed
WRGMILW I am here to say some of us need to try to make a layout if we have time, money & space .
Time: I am retired so I have time.
Money: I have earned a pension and I work at a hobby shop part time so I have money.
Space: my wife gave me the full basement, one of our daughter’s bedrooms and her mothers suite so I have space.
DREAM Realized!
One thing I have notice over the past two years is the growth of switching layouts.
I can understand why.
They are cheap to build,can be highly detailed and fun to operate if designed properly. They also require less space. A shelf along one wall will suffice.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
WRGMILW Alot of us dream of a great layout ! Some of Us actually build a layout(s). Some of us join groups that already have layouts , because we either do not have time to make a layout or we do not have the skills to make layouts . I realize some just want to collect trains & never run the the trains & that is ok ! We all like different things . I am not here to judge ! I am here to say some of us need to try to make a layout if we have time, money & space .
Well, except for joining a club, I do all of those things.
I have almost always had a layout under construction - some even had trains running.
Paul
IRONROOSTERAlot of us dream of a great layout ! Some of Us actually build a layout(s).
40 years ago, my friend began building a layout. He wasn't happy with it and tore it up to redo it. He continued to buy locomotives and cars.
Long story short, he bought things for 40 years that are stacked up in his mother's house. He has never had a locomotive move even an inch.
While some might have enjoyed the process, he is disappointed that his dream layout never materialized.
On the other hand, I retired two years ago, finished all the waiting house projects, and finally decided to start a layout. The first thing I did was to make sure I got a loop that I could get a train moving. You can't believe the satisfaction it brought to just get something moving.
I feel badly for my friend. He knows it's not too late, but he is so discouraged, and with ill health approaching, he cannot bring himself to dream anymore.
I wake up every day thinking of what I willl work on that day.
York1 John
For nearly my entire life I have had a layout... right up until the last two years.
.
Right now I have a house that is being remodeled to accomodate a layout roon, but the remodel has stalled due to work requirements.
I have some tools to keep me from going nuts.
1) I am building the 150 car freight car fleet required for the new layout.
2) I have a 30 inch square scenery module I use to take pictures.
3) I have a layout segment I am building in the garage.
4) I can set up Kato Unitrack on the floor and watch things move.
I cannot imagine never having a layout and being a model railroader.
Just build SOMETHING!
-Kevin
Living the dream.
York1I feel badly for my friend. He knows it's not too late, but he is so discouraged, and with ill health approaching, he cannot bring himself to dream anymore.
That's really sad. Even though I am 72, I still have dreams and a fair sized layout under construction.
York1The first thing I did was to make sure I got a loop that I could get a train moving. You can't believe the satisfaction it brought to just get something moving.
I agree. Even it if won't be part of the final layout, it does fire me up to just run some trains.
While planning is invaluable, at some point you ought to start building. A former co-worker once told me "you can shine your bullets all day." The time spent planning is a step toward building a layout that works for you.
I also ask why wait until retirement or near that stage to start building a layout? Despite plenty of demands including a full-time job and three young kids, I try to squeeze about an hour nightly for trains. I'm blessed to devote whatever time to the layout.
To live is to struggle. If life were easy, we'd all be miserable creatures at each others' throats living the lives that Hobbes said were '...solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short." Those who know to face challenges head on, who struggle, who stretch themselves out toward things just outside of their reaches, will do better in the long run and be much happier.
"A man's reach should exceed his grasp, or what's a heaven for?"
My layout is temporarily stalled due to other responsibilities and projects, but the main loop is complete and my son and I run a train or two around it a couple times a week.
The day that a layout of my own becomes unfeasible will probably be the day I exit this hobby.
Visit the Chicago Valley Railroad for Chicago Trainspotting and Budget Model Railroading.
I have gone over a year without a layout. When my new bride and i moved in together a year ago, we immediately planned and built space for my office and a train room in a separate structure in the back yard. then there were other remodeling projects around the house. Finally, I am getting the lumber together for the benchwork to build my new layout. I am excited to get working on it to at least get that first train running. I'm tired of "dreaming" and want to get doing.
I have always struggled with liking many different railroads and none of them crossing each others path. Love the IC and the Susquehanna, both in the same time frame. Trying to finally build a layout that somewhat combines the flavor of both the IC and the NYS&W Utica branch. Once I get myself going on layout construction, I make great strides. Its just getting myself going thats a problem sometimes. Mike the Aspie
Silly NT's, I have Asperger's Syndrome
York1 On the other hand, I retired two years ago, finished all the waiting house projects, and finally decided to start a layout. The first thing I did was to make sure I got a loop that I could get a train moving. You can't believe the satisfaction it brought to just get something moving.
I enjoyed that feeling even more since my first loco never worked. I still have it and its still terrible. Then I got a P2K that worked really well.
Modeler of the Lehigh Valley Railroad in Bethlehem PA, 1971 and railfan of Norfolk Southern's Lehigh and Reading Lines of the modern day.
http://hohobbyist.weebly.com
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIYnPo26Y8nsXyKhtpvSWwA
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"When railroading time comes you can railroad...but not before."
- Robert A. Heinlein
ROARING
Sometimes the dream is all that you have. Ride it out to the end of the line.
ROAR
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
selectorThose who know to face challenges head on, who struggle, who stretch themselves out toward things just outside of their reaches, will do better in the long run and be much happier.
I think that is why Golf was invented. Unless you score an 18 on a round, there is always a challenge to do better.
I have spent more time trying to get creative with some MRR lighting solutions than I would like, in the end, if I succeed, the satisfaction will have made the effort well worth it. While I don't go looking for challenges, I never back away from one, nor do they frustrate me.
The solution will be found or it won't. After about 12 years my layout is a long way from looking somewhat complete and people ask me when it will be finished. It never will be but I am glad I have what I do. The satisfaction of having something is rewarding enough for me, especially when I look at the 100s of hours of enjoyment it has brought.
A loop of track is just fine, I started with two pieces of flex track on the mantle and would push a single car back and forth with my hand.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
To all of you who can't decide what railroad or era to model:
My layout is Southwestern desert scenery, because that's what I like. Part could easily be Mojave Desert, and the red-rock part could easily be in Utah along the former Los Angeles & Salt Lake or former Rio Grande (all Union Pacific now).
However, I run anything I darn well please. If I want to run Illinois Central orange stuff, I do (well sold it to my friend, who can assemble an entire IC/ICG orange freight train and has run it at my house).
Big Boys and/or DDA40X Centennials, or the coming Genesis SD90MAC-H? Designed the layout with tunnels on curves, but provided the correct clearances to operate them all and double stacks. Not a problem.
My scenery will never be good enough to put in a published article, but I'm fine with my layout and I enjoy it.
I challenge those of you who may be procrastinating, for whatever reason, to get off the couch and build something. Guess what? It won't be perfect the first time and you might end up choosing to redo part of it just like I have...so what, it's your railroad.
If you don't have space build one of those little 4' modules and join a club where you can assemble your little 4' slice of railroad heaven into their larger layout at a show, and run big trains through it.
We learn by doing. Don't want to make the mistakes on your own dime? Find a friend and help build their layout. In the process you'll learn what you might not want to do on your own. Your friend will appreciate the willing help, AND if you play your cards right you'll always have a place to run your trains, even if you can't have a layout at home. Most wives will let you have one night with the "club" per month or sometimes, per week.
Enjoy!
John
PRR8259 I challenge those of you who may be procrastinating, for whatever reason, to get off the couch and build something. Guess what? It won't be perfect the first time and you might end up choosing to redo part of it just like I have...so what, it's your railroad. If you don't have space build one of those little 4' modules and join a club where you can assemble your little 4' slice of railroad heaven into their larger layout at a show, and run big trains through it. We learn by doing. Don't want to make the mistakes on your own dime? Find a friend and help build their layout. In the process you'll learn what you might not want to do on your own. Your friend will appreciate the willing help, AND if you play your cards right you'll always have a place to run your trains, even if you can't have a layout at home. Most wives will let you have one night with the "club" per month or sometimes, per week. Enjoy! John
Well said.
Often newbies post here looking for layout advice. My advice would be to build something--anything--and get some experience. Too often it's possible to get trapped by "analysis paralysis." Mistakes can be fixed, and how will you know what you like unless you try it?
Or help someone build a layout. I am helping a couple friends build large layouts, and it's fun to let my locos stretch out on their layouts.
Gary
I'm in a Modular Club, no I don't dream of a layout, but I do dream of having a 1990's Intermodal train and Mixed Freight added to my collection.
I tip my hat off to those who do have layouts, I've seen a few good ones on this board!
Transcontinental Railroad
I have a strong preference for steam engines, but have collected lots of diesels as well. So lets say I will model that transition era were both were utilized. I am also not a strict time frame person that feels a need to model any particular era. I just like the looks of model trains, particularly the highly detailed ones that have come out over the past 15 years.
I found myself liking those big C&O, B&O, NW steam locos, but also some of the Santa Fe ones. I just couldn't resist a number of those Santa Fe diesels with their marvelous paint schemes that harkened back to when I was a kid. So on my first major layout (the Atlas plan "Central Midland") I ran all of these different lines. I would explain that my railroad went from the east coast to the west coast,...Baltimore to California.
I'm imagining doing something similar with this new layout,....the lower deck level will be the 'Baltimore' theme, progressing up thru the mountains of Appalachian mountains (coal county) to the upper layer western mountains supporting logging trains, and finally to a Santa Fe train station on the upper level. (Since I have recently decreased the size of that peninsula, I'm not so sure I'll be able to do those Appalachian mountains)
At the moment I don't anticipate that the upper deck will have any individual loops of track on it, but rather will have a perimeter track only. There will be a turnout at the upper level of the helix that will permit the train to go either way around that perimeter of the shed, and will allow the train to go back down the helix in a forward manner.
Brian
My Layout Plan
Interesting new Plan Consideration
I feel bad for the Midwest and Texas sometimes. Does anyone ever think about, dream of, collect, or model any of these roads in the transition era? (late 40's - early 60's)
CBQ
KCS
MKT
Mopac
RI
STL-SF
SSW
Seems like everybody in my Modular Club is either out west or in the northeast.
I do know a guy in Germany who enjoys Texas railroading in the postwar era.
This part of the country doesn't seem to get the love it deserves, despite the fact that all of the roads mentioned above had plenty of stunning rolling stock and awsome paint schemes.
Do any modelers here think the same thing?
ATSFGuy I feel bad for the Midwest and Texas sometimes. Does anyone ever think about, dream of, collect, or model any of these roads in the transition era? (late 40's - early 60's) CBQ KCS MKT Mopac RI STL-SF SSW Seems like everybody in my Modular Club is either out west or in the northeast. This area doesn't seem to get the love it deserves, despite the fact that all of the roads mentioned above had plenty of stunning rolling stock and awsome paint schemes. Does anybody feel the same way?
This area doesn't seem to get the love it deserves, despite the fact that all of the roads mentioned above had plenty of stunning rolling stock and awsome paint schemes.
Does anybody feel the same way?
I imagine there are quite a few fans of those RR's during that era. They probably just don't hang out on this forum. Some are probably lone wolves.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
ATSFGuy I feel bad for the Midwest and Texas sometimes. Does anyone ever think about, dream of, collect, or model any of these roads in the transition era? (late 40's - early 60's) CBQ KCS MKT Mopac RI STL-SF SSW Seems like everybody in my Modular Club is either out west or in the northeast. I do know a guy in Germany who enjoys Texas railroading in the postwar era. This part of the country doesn't seem to get the love it deserves, despite the fact that all of the roads mentioned above had plenty of stunning rolling stock and awsome paint schemes. Do any modelers here think the same thing?
I like the Frisco (SLSF)
Pruitt models the Q.
garya PRR8259 I challenge those of you who may be procrastinating, for whatever reason, to get off the couch and build something. Guess what? It won't be perfect the first time and you might end up choosing to redo part of it just like I have...so what, it's your railroad. If you don't have space build one of those little 4' modules and join a club where you can assemble your little 4' slice of railroad heaven into their larger layout at a show, and run big trains through it. We learn by doing. Don't want to make the mistakes on your own dime? Find a friend and help build their layout. In the process you'll learn what you might not want to do on your own. Your friend will appreciate the willing help, AND if you play your cards right you'll always have a place to run your trains, even if you can't have a layout at home. Most wives will let you have one night with the "club" per month or sometimes, per week. Enjoy! John Well said. Often newbies post here looking for layout advice. My advice would be to build something--anything--and get some experience. Too often it's possible to get trapped by "analysis paralysis." Mistakes can be fixed, and how will you know what you like unless you try it? Or help someone build a layout. I am helping a couple friends build large layouts, and it's fun to let my locos stretch out on their layouts.
I concur wholeheartedly. The first layout I actually built rather than inherited, I didn't want to run anything until I had everything perfect. As a result, since I had track problems, money problems, and time problems, I never really ran a train, and I lost interest. Noob mistakes.
I have my grand plan now, but I know it'll take another year before I can really begin on it. So last year I built a small ISL that I'm going to use for practicing various modeling techniques. I laid the track, weathered, ballasted, and put in a few structures. Took a couple months to get up and running, but now I have something I can run trains on 1-2 times a week as time allows, but is still a work in progress. And since I used mostly leftover/recovered/scrap items, it was dirt cheap. And I agree with everyone above that just having something to move trains on keeps you interested.
Heck, I might even keep this little guy running even after I have my main layout going.
- Adam
When all else fails, wing it!
At Boothbay Railway Village a few months ago, we received a donation from a guy who spent years planning a model of midwest granger railroads in the 1970s. He bought locomotives, rolling stock, books, and other things. He kept planning and buying, and passed away without even starting layout prep work. We now have 30 boxes of his stuff for our use.
Sad to say, but this is a result of over planning. it is better to start a small layout, if only to get some hands on modeling skills. Even if the layout is torn down in a year or so to be replaced by something bigger and better, you are still ahead of the game from the experience you have gained. Let the basement filling layout stay in your planning, but enjoy the work building and running something more managable to get a start.
George In Midcoast Maine, 'bout halfway up the Rockland branch
Getting a train to run is a very important part of layout building. It will keep you motivated to get on with all the myriad projects that a layout under construction calls for. When you get tired of struggling with what ever on the layout you can knock off for a bit and run a train. And it gives you a test track to check out your rolling stock, your latest kit build or kit bash or train show treasure.
David Starr www.newsnorthwoods.blogspot.com
dstarr Getting a train to run is a very important part of layout building. It will keep you motivated to get on with all the myriad projects that a layout under construction calls for. When you get tired of struggling with what ever on the layout you can knock off for a bit and run a train. And it gives you a test track to check out your rolling stock, your latest kit build or kit bash or train show treasure.
Very true, my “layout” is a loop of atlas sectional track and siding on a folding table, before I had just a temporary switching puzzle of again sectional track, but I ran my puzzle like a hundred times, and never got bored!
Regards, Isaac
I model my railroad and you model yours! I model my way and you model yours!
Actually, I'm modeling northwest Ohio, flat as a billiard table, with few rolling hills. I find it interesting because of the industrial and agricultural communities that I can model, as well as the opportunity to model two railroads at once. Back in the 70's (the era I'm modeling), there were probably no fewer than a dozen railroads, both class 1 and short lines, that traversed the Great Lakes region. Additionally, this was the time of the advent of Conrail, so you could see Pennsy (or Western Maryland, etc) locomotives and cabooses running on Erie Lackawanna rails, not to mention the trackage rights agreements that existed between railroads. It was truely a colorful (albeit tumultuous) time in railroad history.