A friend sent this article to me.
"Retired professional golfer Ed Dougherty built a six-car garage for his home in Pennsylvania, but it contains no automobiles. None that are big enough to transport people, that is. Mr. Dougherty, 72, uses the 2,000-square-foot space, plus another room in the house, for his enormous collection of model trains and accessories,..." https://www.mansionglobal.com/articles/model-railroaders-are-parking-their-train-sets-in-souped-up-spaces-141816
"Retired professional golfer Ed Dougherty built a six-car garage for his home in Pennsylvania, but it contains no automobiles. None that are big enough to transport people, that is. Mr. Dougherty, 72, uses the 2,000-square-foot space, plus another room in the house, for his enormous collection of model trains and accessories,..."
https://www.mansionglobal.com/articles/model-railroaders-are-parking-their-train-sets-in-souped-up-spaces-141816
York1 John
Interesting.
I doubt that a train room adds value to a house. Both of my nieces that are real estate agents have informed me that I am ruining the value of my house.
Oh well... that is not going to be my problem.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
SeeYou190 Interesting. I doubt that a train room adds value to a house. Both of my nieces that are real estate agents have informed me that I am ruining the value of my house. Oh well... that is not going to be my problem. -Kevin
Thats pretty nuts, a 6 car garage for a modelrailroad?. I only wish.
Preffesional golfer they make a ton of money (if they are good).
I remember someone here, forum member. Lived in Florida and built a second house, next to his house (mansion type). The second house (like 10k sq ft).was all for his modelrailroad.
Michael
CEO- Mile-HI-RailroadPrototype: D&RGW Moffat Line 1989
MotleyThats pretty nuts, a 6 car garage for a modelrailroad?
I recently considered purchasing a house with a 4 car garage for my trains. I am glad I didn't, or I would not be retired now.
MotleyI remember someone here, forum member. Lived in Florida and built a second house, next to his house (mansion type). The second house (like 10k sq ft).was all for his modelrailroad.
That is not entirely rare here in Florida. Next to my friend Randy's house, the house was gutted and turned entirely into a ten car garage for the homeowner across the street.
There is a house in my neighborhood that was gutted and turned into a boat house. It has an inlet out to the lake and can store two fishing boats inside of it. You cannot tell from the street side elevation. I have also seen this in Naples.
During the great recession, I could have bought the house next door for $45,000.00 and had one heck of a train room.
The zoning is pretty relaxed on doing this as long as no one lives in the structure, it is not commercial, and the outside of the house is not changed. The property taxes can be a problem though.
Motley Thats pretty nuts, a 6 car garage for a modelrailroad?. I only wish. Preffesional golfer they make a ton of money (if they are good). I remember someone here, forum member. Lived in Florida and built a second house, next to his house (mansion type). The second house (like 10k sq ft).was all for his modelrailroad.
Not that crazy. Check out articles on Ken McCorry's layout. On top of the really huge area, it's also multi deck! Easily the largest model railroad I have ever seen in person. ANd pictures in magazine articles really don't do it justice - I had seen tons of pictures, but kept missing the open house weekends (always annoyed at myself because he's actually fairly close to me) until I finally made it a couple of years ago - upon walking into the layout space, my jaw just dropped.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
My wife and I have purchased a few homes over the years, and when we were in the shopping mode... My wife would say, "Well the kitchen is updated, but the family room needs painting and... yada yada yada."
And I'd say "Ok, its got a roof, now, where's the train room?
Jim
hardcoalcaseAnd I'd say "Ok, its got a roof, now, where's the train room?
Before we built the dream house in 1989, we looked at houses on the market. I wanted a train room.
I was surprised that the realtors were able to find houses with train rooms in Florida.
None of them were called train rooms of course. They had names like "Bonus Room", "Recreation Room", "Dojo", "Art Studio", and so on, but they all would have made good train rooms.
MotleyThats pretty nuts, a 6 car garage for a modelrailroad?.
Maybe, but if it was built as a 6 car garage, and it could be returned to function as a garage when the home is sold, that may indeed add value for the right purchaser. There are a lot of guys who collect cars etc. who could be tickled to have such a place.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
SeeYou190 I recently considered purchasing a house with a 4 car garage for my trains. I am glad I didn't, or I would not be retired now. -Kevin
Kevin, not wanting to stray from the topic, but did that house ever sell? I remember the discussion.
- Douglas
I saw Ed Dougherty play golf at the Greater Milwaukee Open many decades ago, in the 1970s. He was very good - they were all very good - but while he probably did not place first in many tournements he did well enough to make a living on the tour which is no easy task
But what I remember most about him is that his golf bag (and the pro golf bags are huge and carried of course by a caddy who swelters in the heat) had "WANTED LIONEL TRAINS" printed on the bag so it was a sort of traveling advertisement for trains. According to one on-line article he bought out the inventory of an entire train store in Milwaukee during the 1978 Greater Milwaukee Open. That was the year Lee Elder and Lee Trevino were tied and thus there was a sudden death playoff that lasted 8 holes. The crowd would shout "Go Lee Go" and neither guy knew who the cheer was for. Lee Elder won and his prize was $30,000, so I am sure Ed Dougherty pocketed very little money that year.
Dave Nelson
We have a front to back split, as they're called in my area. The basement isn't full height size-wise, so I was going to build a full size basement behind this one. The wifes girlfriend told her there's no added value doing this, why not add on to the back of the house. So, a 34'x18' bomb shelter or a 20'x20' room that adds value to the house. So my train room, on the back of the house is just fine. Instead of the one level layout I would have built in the bomb shelter, I have a two level layout that runs like a charm and my op sessions are fun to host!
I had to start with one corner of the guest bedroom. I think my wife felt sorry for me, because she eventually moved the bed out, and the room is now mine for the train.
I never thought it would happen.
rrinker Motley Thats pretty nuts, a 6 car garage for a modelrailroad?. I only wish. Preffesional golfer they make a ton of money (if they are good). I remember someone here, forum member. Lived in Florida and built a second house, next to his house (mansion type). The second house (like 10k sq ft).was all for his modelrailroad. Not that crazy. Check out articles on Ken McCorry's layout. On top of the really huge area, it's also multi deck! Easily the largest model railroad I have ever seen in person. ANd pictures in magazine articles really don't do it justice - I had seen tons of pictures, but kept missing the open house weekends (always annoyed at myself because he's actually fairly close to me) until I finally made it a couple of years ago - upon walking into the layout space, my jaw just dropped. --Randy
Yes, Ken's building is rather spectacular, inside and out. Yes easily the largest private layout I have seen as well.
At my old house, the 1901 Queen Anne we just sold, I designed and built a 32' x 40' garage/shop, which could hold six cars. And above it was a 25' x 40' heated and cooled room......the train room. Here are a few pictures.
Garages like this are pretty common around here, as are big basements.
The new retirement house is much more modest than the big Queen Anne, but it has a 1500 sq ft basement that is wide open.
The availability and affordability of 1000 to 2000 sq foot or larger layout spaces has a lot to do with what kind of housing is typical in various regions.
In the northeast, upper mid west, and mid atlantic, basements are common to various degrees. Typical housing, fairly modest ranchers, or medium sized two story Colonials have been being built for 60-70 years here in the mid atlantic - 1500 to 3000 sq ft homes, with 1500 sq ft basements that are typically unfinished when the homes are first sold. Many remain unfinished and undivided up for ever.
These types of homes can be purchased in the $270,000 to $400,000 range.
My new retirement spot was built in 64, the basement has never been finished. It is clean and dry and I hope to begin the layout as soon as I complete a few small projects around the house.
So, maybe I'm spoiled, not just with my own layout space, but with the many basement and large garage space layouts all around this region I have had the privledge to visit, help built and operate on.
Basements are inexpensive here, because winter temperatures require deep foundations anyway, the added cost of going a little deeper is very small.
Very little housing in this region is built on concrete slabs, if fact, houses built on slabs around here are considered the bottom of the quality list.
In my work as a residential designer, I have designed several detached garage/train room structures for model railroaders. And in one case I even designed the layout for the gentleman as well.
If you live in the right place, you don't have to be a multimillionaire to have a moderately large layout space.
Sheldon
DoughlessKevin, not wanting to stray from the topic, but did that house ever sell? I remember the discussion
Yes it did. The selling price was $332,250.00 in June. It was listed at over $400,000.00 when I looked at it, and the agent agreed with me that is was overpriced for how cheap the house was built.
The agent has kept in contact with me since I looked at the house. He found a house with a nearly perfect 40 by 30 train room, but the neighborhood had a very expensive HOA that was a deal-breaker.
All-in-all, I am glad I stayed here in my little house that will soon have a train room, and is nearly paid-off.
York1 I think my wife felt sorry for me, because she eventually moved the bed out, and the room is now mine for the train. I never thought it would happen.
That is exciting and good news. Enjoy your train room.
Kevin, I agree. I have a 10 x 20 area for my layout now and the house is paid for and that is comforting to me. I also saw the article (original is in yesterdays Wall Street Journal) and it featured three large layouts all in the hundreds of thousands. All well and good when you have it, I'm just delighted I ended up with more than a 4 x 8 table. J.R.
GMTRacingI'm just delighted I ended up with more than a 4 x 8 table.
Me too!
My 11 by 22 room here in this house will be enough to keep me active for the rest of my life.