Yous-guys gotta all wrong!!
It be da man of the house that lays down the law! In my house, I am the king of the castle, the lord of the manor... and, oh yeah... yous guys better believe it... because...
I can put my lawn mower in any corner of my half of the garage... and she ain't got nothing to say about it!!
Umm, is that still ok with you "honey-dumplings"?
Jim
DonRicardo One day we got off work early and when I got home, her car was in the driveway, but she was nowhere to be found, until I went into the cellar where my layout was, and she was in there having a good old time "playing" with my trains!
One day we got off work early and when I got home, her car was in the driveway, but she was nowhere to be found, until I went into the cellar where my layout was, and she was in there having a good old time "playing" with my trains!
Oh that is too funny.
Now you got her where you want her.
I love it.
Rich
Alton Junction
I took over the entire basement of my condo building and no one cares. I should be good as the trains never make it upstairs and there's no evidence of the hobby. had a temporary 4' X 20' layout and no one said anything.
MidlandMike I bought my house with a full basement, with an eye for a train room. The house is on a hill, and one side is a "walk-out" basement. But here in northern Michigan even an insulated walk-out basement can get very cold.
I bought my house with a full basement, with an eye for a train room. The house is on a hill, and one side is a "walk-out" basement. But here in northern Michigan even an insulated walk-out basement can get very cold.
We also have a dry, heated and cooled basement. I have put in three bedrooms there, each with an egress window. It's nice to have those bedrooms at Christmas when the entire family comes for several days. The grandkids all sleep very well in the basement.
York1 John
I asked my doctor if I gave up delicious food and all alcohol, would I live longer? He said, "No, but it will seem longer."
Wow, what a range of scenarios! We have a modest 2 bedroom home. And we're foster parents of a deeply loved and deeply disabled Daughter.
I have an external 10x20 train outbuilding, insulated and heated easily by a little stand alone heater. My wife is grateful that I have a hobby I can enjoy without being away from the home. She likes the trains too, but isn't involved hands on. Dan
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
DonRicardoSo now I am reduced to a 96"x44" layout, which isn't bad for a n scale set up. I am trying to get her to move her shelving into the laundry area so I can do an L shaped layout.
Mike
richhotrain MidlandMike I bought my house with a full basement, with an eye for a train room. The house is on a hill, and one side is a "walk-out" basement. But here in northern Michigan even an insulated walk-out basement can get very cold. That is the beauty of a poured concrete, heated and cooled, basement in the Midwest such as the Chicago suburbs where I live. From November through March when golf and yard work are out of the question, I have my layout to visit 24/7. Rich
That is the beauty of a poured concrete, heated and cooled, basement in the Midwest such as the Chicago suburbs where I live. From November through March when golf and yard work are out of the question, I have my layout to visit 24/7.
Even here in the more temperate Mid Atlantic, I would not have a walk out basement.
And there are a lot of them around here.
Most people don't realize this, but if you look at a geography map of the Mid Atlantic, you will see that right were we are, between Baltimore and Philly, the piedmont plateau actually reaches the headwaters of the Chesapeake Bay.
So while we are just minutes from the Bay, we are technically in the foot hills of the Alllegheny Mountains.
Housing developements built in these rolling hills lend themselves to walkout basements.
But my wife can't do hills or stairs any more, a rancher on a flat lot with a deep basement was the requirement - I found it. On two quiet acres still close to things we need.
Sheldon.
We have a small house and there is tough competition for space. I ended up creating my own space by dividing my workshop in two, with walls and everything. I quickly built a permanent around the walls layout. There is no way that the space can be repurposed at this point! My wife still occupies most off the space in the house with her weaving activities... It's good leverage .
Simon
Water Level Route DonRicardo So now I am reduced to a 96"x44" layout, which isn't bad for a n scale set up. I am trying to get her to move her shelving into the laundry area so I can do an L shaped layout. Don, why not simply ask for a shelf on each of the units to extend your layout across? Minimal loss of storage for her, good gain for you. I did something similar in our basement. We needed lots of storage shelving, so I built a 2' x 16' shelving unit in place. One shelf is the staging yard for the trains the rest is less important stuff.
DonRicardo So now I am reduced to a 96"x44" layout, which isn't bad for a n scale set up. I am trying to get her to move her shelving into the laundry area so I can do an L shaped layout.
Don, why not simply ask for a shelf on each of the units to extend your layout across? Minimal loss of storage for her, good gain for you. I did something similar in our basement. We needed lots of storage shelving, so I built a 2' x 16' shelving unit in place. One shelf is the staging yard for the trains the rest is less important stuff.
Agree. My current train room (and the future train room) is set up that way.
Current layout is 52 inches high, built from those 5 shelf metal garage storage kits. Each metal leg is about 36 inches high with a 48 inch 2x3 attached to each to provide support for the table top, and the shelving units themselves are 36 inches wide, making for layout support legs 3 feet apart. The 5 shelf unit is separated to make two units 6 feet long, several of them strung out around the room. A cleat supports the back end of the train shelf. The metal shelving units are 4 legged of course. The garage sheving units I used were 18 inches deep for a proper toe kick on a 24 inch deep train shelf, but those units come 24 inches deep to, if you want a 30 inch deep train shelf. Next time, I'll probably choose that.
Then there is a shelf above the layout...traditional shelving brackets. The height of that shelf leavers a 30 inch tall backdrop for the trains. I have 9 foot ceilings in the walkout basement, so I have good space above the layout for shelving space. If OP built this all at once or in a different way, he can probably make it prettier than I did.
- Douglas
ATLANTIC CENTRALEven here in the more temperate Mid Atlantic, I would not have a walk out basement. And there are a lot of them around here. Most people don't realize this, but if you look at a geography map of the Mid Atlantic, you will see that right were we are, between Baltimore and Philly, the piedmont plateau actually reaches the headwaters of the Chesapeake Bay. So while we are just minutes from the Bay, we are technically in the foot hills of the Alllegheny Mountains. Housing developements built in these rolling hills lend themselves to walkout basements.
As you get further south, into the non-freezing area of the southern Piedmont, near as I can tell, basements are only built on hillsides. I have yet to find very many houses where the builder simply digs a hole in a flat lot, pours the floor and walls, lays the tile drain and hooks it up to a sump pump in the lowest corner. I guess that's expensive relative to a slab house or a crawl space, where the freeze line down here is much shallower. Its very common in the midwest.
Since they can't poor a slab on a hillside, to build a house on a hillside....and there are a lot of hills around here....they are all walk out basements. Flat lots are either slabs or crawls. So we have "basement lots" and "non basement lots". Huh? Weird terms for a midwestern guy.
Then about 100 miles south of here starts the sandy flat coastal plain that runs all the way through Florida of course.
Chesapeake Bay through Raleigh Charlotte Columbia Central Georgia and into Eastern Alabama is a good mix of temperate mild weather and opportunities for basements. Get too far west into Alabama and beyond and those cold fronts can dip down and cause bad storms...tornadoes or ice and snow, and south or east of that line its flat and sandy with no basements. A lot of Texas is that way too.
If northeasterners or midwesterners are looking for places to retire with good weather and basement opportunities to keep you and your wives happy, that narrow band of geography is a great choice, IMO.
My wife thinks that is even too cold though, so we will be heading farther south apparently.
Doughless ATLANTIC CENTRAL Even here in the more temperate Mid Atlantic, I would not have a walk out basement. And there are a lot of them around here. Most people don't realize this, but if you look at a geography map of the Mid Atlantic, you will see that right were we are, between Baltimore and Philly, the piedmont plateau actually reaches the headwaters of the Chesapeake Bay. So while we are just minutes from the Bay, we are technically in the foot hills of the Alllegheny Mountains. Housing developements built in these rolling hills lend themselves to walkout basements. As you get further south, into the non-freezing area of the southern Piedmont, near as I can tell, basements are only built on hillsides. I have yet to find very many houses where the builder simply digs a hole in a flat lot, pours the floor and walls, lays the tile drain and hooks it up to a sump pump in the lowest corner. I guess that's expensive relative to a slab house or a crawl space, where the freeze line down here is much shallower. Its very common in the midwest. Since they can't poor a slab on a hillside, to build a house on a hillside....and there are a lot of hills around here....they are all walk out basements. Flat lots are either slabs or crawls. So we have "basement lots" and "non basement lots". Huh? Weird terms for a midwestern guy. Then about 100 miles south of here starts the sandy flat coastal plain that runs all the way through Florida of course. Chesapeake Bay through Raleigh Charlotte Columbia Central Georgia and into Eastern Alabama is a good mix of temperate mild weather and opportunities for basements. Get too far west into Alabama and beyond and those cold fronts can dip down and cause bad storms...tornadoes or ice and snow, and south or east of that line its flat and sandy with no basements. A lot of Texas is that way too. If northeasterners or midwesterners are looking for places to retire with good weather and basement opportunities to keep you and your wives happy, that narrow band of geography is a great choice, IMO. My wife thinks that is even too cold though, so we will be heading farther south apparently.
ATLANTIC CENTRAL Even here in the more temperate Mid Atlantic, I would not have a walk out basement. And there are a lot of them around here. Most people don't realize this, but if you look at a geography map of the Mid Atlantic, you will see that right were we are, between Baltimore and Philly, the piedmont plateau actually reaches the headwaters of the Chesapeake Bay. So while we are just minutes from the Bay, we are technically in the foot hills of the Alllegheny Mountains. Housing developements built in these rolling hills lend themselves to walkout basements.
Yes, I am reasonably familiar with how housing is built in various other regions.
Define "good weather"? Personally, I have no interest in moving south, I have never cared for hot weather.
I love spring and fall here. Today it was about 65 degrees all day. I am currently rebuilding a porch for a client. Much happier to working outside today rather than earlier in the week when it was 85 degrees.
OR, a couple weeks age when it was over 90 every day.
That's why I work on model trains year round, no desire to be out in the muggy 85-90 degree summer heat.
As for winter here, sometimes we get a real cold snap, or a big snowfall or two. But mostly winter is 25-30 degrees at night and 45-50 degrees during the day.
And I have central heat.
The "average" snow storm in this part of Maryland is 3-4 inches that melts in three days.
Do we occasionally get a real snow storm? Yes. Once every few years we get something like this:
And so we just stay home for a day or two and dig out at our leasure. The red tractor can handle it.
Sheldon
PruittI really don't understand the "take care of them forever" attitude so many parents have towards their children
BEAUSABRE Pruitt I really don't understand the "take care of them forever" attitude so many parents have towards their children What if it is an elderly parent that can no longer manage independent living? When I was a teen, my girlfriend had her grandmother take the spare bedroom for several years until she passed away. She lived in the comfort, dignity and love of her family during her last years rather than be fobbed off to a nursing home. Unwriiten deal, they supported you when you were growing up, you support them during their declining ones
Pruitt I really don't understand the "take care of them forever" attitude so many parents have towards their children
What if it is an elderly parent that can no longer manage independent living? When I was a teen, my girlfriend had her grandmother take the spare bedroom for several years until she passed away. She lived in the comfort, dignity and love of her family during her last years rather than be fobbed off to a nursing home. Unwriiten deal, they supported you when you were growing up, you support them during their declining ones
What does that have to do with 30 somethings who come home to mommy because life it too "hard"?
I had my kids young, I'm 65 my oldest 46, my youngest 38, and stepkids in that same age range.
I did not need caring for when some of them came home at 25 and 30......
OP, what I would do is plan your N scale layout on tha assumption the shelves will come down. Build in stages; even if that means not doing things optimally in terms of room prep and construction style. When you reach the point you can't expand anymore, take the sheves down and relocate or reuse for your trains. Help your Wife to make better use of her existing space somewhere else. I suspect the reason your Wife keeps encroaching is she doen't think you're serious about actually building your layout. Hopefully she changes her mind once she sees you hard at work and sees the satisfaction it brings you. Best of luck to you.
More recently the second gentleman is the Forums own, Mr. Mark Pruitt. Her-in Doors looks forward to Marks monthly video updates as much as I do, and I’m now getting asked when I’m starting my (our?) layout! She is also talking about assembling suitable buildings for her next winters project!! “Fan me with a plate of soup!!!” Cheers, the lucky Bear.
Mark P.
Website: http://www.thecbandqinwyoming.comVideos: https://www.youtube.com/user/mabrunton
BEAUSABRE Pruitt I really don't understand the "take care of them forever" attitude so many parents have towards their children
ATLANTIC CENTRAL The OP made the assumption that all the people who may need to use the room you have planned for a lay out were the adult children of the home owner, that's what BEAUSABRE Pruitt I really don't understand the "take care of them forever" attitude so many parents have towards their children What if it is an elderly parent that can no longer manage independent living? When I was a teen, my girlfriend had her grandmother take the spare bedroom for several years until she passed away. She lived in the comfort, dignity and love of her family during her last years rather than be fobbed off to a nursing home. Unwriiten deal, they supported you when you were growing up, you support them during their declining ones What does that have to do with 30 somethings who come home to mommy because life it too "hard"? I had my kids young, I'm 65 my oldest 46, my youngest 38, and stepkids in that same age range. I did not need caring for when some of them came home at 25 and 30...... Sheldon
ATLANTIC CENTRALWhat does that have to do with 30 somethings who come home to mommy because life it too "hard"?
Life is a lot simpler living with three dogs. The basement is mine. The basement stairs are very steep and only one of the dogs will go down it on his own. He's the one that's afraid of thunder and he goes down there to hide. On occasion he has gone crazy and ripped up some things that were stored under the benchwork but the layout is too high for him to do anything to that.
Yes happy wifey happy lifey, it works, it really, really works. Mr. Honeydew here.
Started to apply this on a permanent basis, and the rewards are vast.
As Robert Plant once sang, "I'm in constant heaven".
But he can keep the eleven children. Two little poochies are enough for us.
My wife and I honestly both do everything we can to make the other one happy.
She wants me to be happy, I want her to be happy.
No family meeting, no marital agreements, no making my intentions clear, no claims to space or property, just honestly loving one another.
Compromises get made to meet unforseen family needs, but never at the other one's expense.
This has kept us happy for 34 years.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
ATLANTIC CENTRAL Do we occasionally get a real snow storm? Yes. Once every few years we get something like this: And so we just stay home for a day or two and dig out at our leasure. The red tractor can handle it. Sheldon
Snowfall in Ohio is similar to what you get. Some years we get a little and some years we get a lot. I remember the year I bought a snow blower we had no measurable snow falls that year and never had to use it once. I had friends who were encouraging me to buy a new snowblower every year to keep the snow away. Every few years Mother Nature will dump a big one on us. I remember about ten years ago we got several big snows in a little more than a week and the snowplows had piled the snow so high along my secondary road that the postman couldn't get to it without climbing over the pile. I don't know what my neighbors did but I took a metal kitchen waste basket with a flip top and put a sign that said US MAIL on the side and planted it where the postman could reach it from his car. I don't know if that was legal but I'm sure my postman appreciated it. He kept putting my mail in it.
I'm with you in that I like the change of seasons. I wouldn't want to live somewhere that never got any snow. There can be too much of a good thing (see above) but that's better than not having any at all. My favorite time of year is the fall when the leaves start to change colors and temps in the 50s and 60s are the norm. Usually by this time the leaves are beginning to change color but so far this year everything is still pretty green. Maybe that means a late fall and mild winter.
Getting back to model railroading, I have two time consuming hobbies, model railroading and golf. During the warm weather months, I golf five days a week and rarely find time to spend on the layout. I've lived here for 21 years now and I often wonder how much farther along I would be if I wasn't hooked on golf. I figure about another month of golf before I'll get back to the layout on a daily basis.
Whether it is a spouse, children, extended family, friends, neighbours, or the nation as a whole. Quality of life is much better when someone has your back.
My mother was a fiercely capable independent woman. She lived in her own house until her health declined and then moved in with us for her last two years. The discussion my wife and I had about her coming to live with us lasted seconds, we are always on the same page, no lengthy discussion was required. Having her very young grandchildren around her all day brought more joy to her life than anything else ever could.
I was bedside with my Dad, my Mom, my father-in-law, and two aunts when they passed away. It was where I wanted to be, it was not an inconvenience.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
BATMAN Whether it is a spouse, children, extended family, friends, neighbours, or the nation as a whole. Quality of life is much better when someone has your back. My mother was a fiercely capable independent woman. She lived in her own house until her health declined and then moved in with us for her last two years. The discussion my wife and I had about her coming to live with us lasted seconds, we are always on the same page, no lengthy discussion was required. Having her very young grandchildren around her all day brought more joy to her life than anything else ever could. I was bedside with my Dad, my Mom, my father-in-law, and two aunts when they passed away. It was where I wanted to be, it was not an inconvenience.
DonRicardoIt was going to be my train room until my son moved back home, since the company he worked for shuttered unexpectedly, and it is home for the family. In n scale an around the room shelf layout would have been great! 96x44 isn't too bad for n scale. Though there is the dissappointment in losing the train room.
96x44 isn't too bad for n scale. Though there is the dissappointment in losing the train room.
Only a temporary setback until your son gets back on his feet. I would plow ahead knowing you'll get your space back soon enough. You're a good father. Both me and my wife come from families with a rule that you were always welcome back home if you needed a roof over your head; on the condition that you are either working, a student or both on a full time equivalent basis. No freeloading, but we got your back as long as you do your part. That's what family is for. Thankfully no one in either immediate family ever had to utilize that; that would be the ultimate humiliation for any of us and a last resort. When my kids are old enough to move out they will get the same offer.
BEAUSABRE ATLANTIC CENTRAL The OP made the assumption that all the people who may need to use the room you have planned for a lay out were the adult children of the home owner, that's what BEAUSABRE Pruitt I really don't understand the "take care of them forever" attitude so many parents have towards their children What if it is an elderly parent that can no longer manage independent living? When I was a teen, my girlfriend had her grandmother take the spare bedroom for several years until she passed away. She lived in the comfort, dignity and love of her family during her last years rather than be fobbed off to a nursing home. Unwriiten deal, they supported you when you were growing up, you support them during their declining ones What does that have to do with 30 somethings who come home to mommy because life it too "hard"? I had my kids young, I'm 65 my oldest 46, my youngest 38, and stepkids in that same age range. I did not need caring for when some of them came home at 25 and 30...... Sheldon ATLANTIC CENTRAL What does that have to do with 30 somethings who come home to mommy because life it too "hard"?
ATLANTIC CENTRAL What does that have to do with 30 somethings who come home to mommy because life it too "hard"?
What? NOTHING about Marks comment implied that? His comment was just an opinion on that one senario.
BATMAN You get a lot more house in the country.
You get a lot more house in the country.
batman my i ask what town you moved to? not chilliwack is it? love the name. -rob
Mister Mikadobatman my i ask what town you moved to?
You may ask.
SUCKERS!
Everyone knows less wife = MORE trains! Ahhhhhhhh the single life! I can put a train any dad-gum place i want in this shack. Blow the horn all i want, anytime i want, all over the house if i be wantin too. Can even do it in my underwear-n-tophat if the fancy strikes.
Can leave my Model Railroaders/Classic Trains open faced just about everywhere your kids leave their clothes. Dont need no stinkin permission to buy 'oooooo - just one moreeee!'. Dont have to hunt the remote, or fight for it. That goes for the throttle pack too. Things are always where i put them!
The food aint half bad. And its always just what i was wanting. No dishes! No frilly stuff ya gotta watch out for in the laundry. No pantyhose drying on the shower rod. Best of all - NO mother n law or nagging! And if not in the mood for running trains, etc., the peace and quiet of being in the house alone.... is utterly priceless!
I mean, the list can go on and on forever guys, or have ya had enough cryin in your saki remembering the 'good ole days' before you were sentenced to life?
PMR
PS: The flip side to that coin is should i get hit by a train in the train room ( ), or simply fall down the stairs shattering every bone i have - laying there at the bottom, bleeding out till i can chuff-chuff no more...... well thats a bummer. I mean, what if i left my transformers on, who would turn them off?