Where is your trainroom or layout located?

[raymans]

In the attic

 http://youtube.com/watch?v=U4_jzIXqqxA

 

 

 

[asch]

I too live in Florida where basements and attics are rear. I closed in my two car garage and put my layout there. Once I saw what can be done in the 20 x 14 feet that is usable, I decided to tera it down and rebuild the "new" version that will be started later this month. With double decking the layout, I should have about 400 or so square feet of layot. With the inclosed garage and the roof coating we have on the house the trainroom only gets into the mid eighties in the summer and is surprisingly cool in the few days of winter we have here.

[ChiefEagles]

Raymans, I love the way you fixed that attic.  I didn't quite do my walkin that fancy.  Upstairs bedroom and through the walls [portals on each side] and into walkin attic area.  Basement and crawl space [like Doug M's] was too damp and actually hard to access even though we have an inside door.  Wife has furniture in front of that door.  Would have cost big $$ to fix basement up.  Basements or bonus rooms are the best.

[raymans]

ChiefEagles

like you I had a choice basement or attic

we run a dehumidifier in the basement during the summer and my biggest fear is water.

The cons of using the attic are that it is a smaller space and gets hot in the summer, but the AC takes care of that and I haven't come close to finishing the small layout I have anyway.

I have dreams of putting a second floor on the garage and opening that up to the attic train room. Not sure if I'll live long enough to see that happen.

 

http://youtube.com/watch?v=EtMOjjIDPjE

 

[Jumijo]

Ray,

You have one of the nicest looking layouts I know of. You've sure done a lot in that space. Hope to see your trains in a magazine soon!

Jim 

[Sturgeon-Phish]

When I was designing the garage addition, I was very seriously looking at Grambrel trusses, instead of regular trusses.  The barn like hip would of given me a 12 x 30 area with a 7' ceiling.  Would of cost about another $2k, but what ruled it out was a city ordanance which stipulates garages and outbuildings being a max of 16' tall.  The gambrel came in at 18'.

It is neat to see the varity of locations for layouts.  Was it last year in CTT when an article featured a guy whose layout was in the overhead and not really an attic.

Jim 

[raymans]

Jim i've seen pictures of yours and that is one very nice layout and tastefully done.

 

[RockIsland52]

We had about a foot of rain over 24 hours in April (either Easter or Mother's Day, can't recall which) a couple of years ago here in Northeastern MA.  Basements that had never flooded did so.  You couldn't buy or rent a pump within 75 miles to save your life.

A friend of mine had his trains in his "always bone dry" basement.  His older sump pump's float stuck, and he awakened to find the basement flooded and his trains under water.  It was sad to see.  And with all of these "do you save your boxes discussions," his mostly disintegrated and were not salvageable.  

So he got a new sump pump.

Another subsequent heavy rain period and an overnight power outage equalled another flood of lesser proportions. 

If you've got a basement layout and sump pumps, invest in either sealed battery backup or preferably a generator.  Sumps need (minimal) maintenance and they do wear out.  Experienced plumbers can provide expert advice on replacement periods.  Air tight Rubbermaid type storage boxes might also help for stuff not in use, but make sure to use those disposable dehumidification packets liberally.  And someone must sell some type of alarm to warn the homeowner of impending disaster.......they've got sensors that tell automated lawn sprinkler systems when to skip a cycle.

Jack 

[Jumijo]

We had about a foot of rain over 24 hours in April (either Easter or Mother's Day, can't recall which) a couple of years ago here in Northeastern MA.  Basements that had never flooded did so.  You couldn't buy or rent a pump within 75 miles to save your life.

That was Mother's Day, Jack. I'll never forget it!  

A friend of mine had his trains in his "always bone dry" basement.  His older sump pump's float stuck, and he awakened to find the basement flooded and his trains under water.  It was sad to see.  And with all of these "do you save your boxes discussions," his mostly disintegrated and were not salvageable.  

If not mistaken, NorthEast Trains was extremely close to, but not in the flooded area the downtown Peabody? 

So he got a new sump pump.

Another subsequent heavy rain period and an overnight power outage equalled another flood of lesser proportions. 

If you've got a basement layout and sump pumps, invest in either sealed battery backup or preferably a generator.  Sumps need (minimal) maintenance and they do wear out.  Experienced plumbers can provide expert advice on replacement periods.  Air tight Rubbermaid type storage boxes might also help for stuff not in use, but make sure to use those disposable dehumidification packets liberally.  And someone must sell some type of alarm to warn the homeowner of impending disaster.......they've got sensors that tell automated lawn sprinkler systems when to skip a cycle.

Jack 

I use the air-tight Rubbermaid containers you mention. And inside each one, I have a bowl of silica gel cat litter to absorb moisture. I change it frequently in the summer, not as often in winter. Silica get is what's inside those dehumidifier packets.

[krapug1]

Mine is located on the second floor of our Barn. In this case the Barn has electricity and is completly enclosed. I have a powerful outake fan in the ceiling and that keeps the summer temp at bay, and it has electric baseboard heat that keeps the space usable all winter. A key advantage of using the Barn is it is seperated from the house, so noise is never a problem.

My layout is 8' x 16', and while the space is large enough to expand, I like having all sides open, as I and guests can easily walk around all 4 sides. I also keep most of my collection in this room as well.

So far anyway this is prooving to be the winter that hasn't been, at least here on the East End of Long Island, so I have had much snow to wade through between the house and barn.

Ken

[krapug1]

CORRECTION:

I have NOT had much snow to wade through so far this winter.

Ken

[laz 57]

In MY MAN CAVE, or unfinished basement.  Half of basement for workout gear other half for trains.  Here's me working on building layout in August 2006.

[RockIsland52]

I was checking out your 8/06 layout construction photo.  You need to move the furnace and hot water stuff up to the spare bedroom or attic.  They're taking up valuable train space.  Jack. 

[laz 57]

I was checking out your 8/06 layout construction photo.  You need to move the furnace and hot water stuff up to the spare bedroom or attic.  They're taking up valuable train space.  Jack. 

LOL JACK, agree.  I even thought of tunneling through the back wall.  Wife said NO.

laz57

[RockIsland52]

Jim,

You're right.  Northeast Trains in Peabody MA. can't be 100 yards from Peabody Square, and the floods took out all of the businesses in the Square.  This flooding is a usual occurence and a fix is improbable because there is a river that runs sight unseen right under the downtown area.  At least the train shop is located slightly up the hill and escapes the worst of it all.

The Northeast Trains shop sells new and used, and has an off site repair service.  They usually have some nice used stuff in glass cases, but I don't know if they own it or carry it on consignment for sellers.  Interested parties can probably ask to see the used stuff run on one of their layouts while making a decision.  Beats ebay insofar as you can see the trains up close and personal and have them test run to boot.

For those of you in MA., they have a web site, northeasttrains.com.  You can Google them and get the correct site.  They used to list their used items on the site, but the last time I checked the used section had little in it, none of the used stuff I saw on display.

Last time I was in there, they had a nice postwar Lionel SF 2343 F3AA set on display for $650.  I should have just said screw it and bought the pair.  I've always liked the War Bonnet SF's since childhood in the 50's.  A friend of mine had the set with the cars, though I don't know if his were the 2243's from 55-57 or the 2343's from 1950-1952.

I ought to track the guy down and see if he wants to sell me the set with the hometown discount.

Jack    

Jack

[fifedog]

I was checking out your 8/06 layout construction photo.  You need to move the furnace and hot water stuff up to the spare bedroom or attic.  They're taking up valuable train space.  Jack. 

LOL JACK, agree.  I even thought of tunneling through the back wall.  Wife said NO.

laz57

...and the bubble is slightly to the left on your level...

[kpolak]

...and the bubble is slightly to the left on your level...

It looked like everything was leaning to the left, but I thought it was just me.

[laz 57]

I was checking out your 8/06 layout construction photo.  You need to move the furnace and hot water stuff up to the spare bedroom or attic.  They're taking up valuable train space.  Jack. 

LOL JACK, agree.  I even thought of tunneling through the back wall.  Wife said NO.

laz57

...and the bubble is slightly to the left on your level...

If you look closely at the last picture, where is my hand?

laz57

[Sturgeon-Phish]

Jim i've seen pictures of yours and that is one very nice layout and tastefully done.

 

Ray,

Thank you very much.  Coming from someone who has what I consider an outstanding layout, I am humbled.   I look forward to seeing your pictures in Sunday Photo Fun, and love your work.  It is inspiring

Jim 

[ChiefEagles]

I was checking out your 8/06 layout construction photo.  You need to move the furnace and hot water stuff up to the spare bedroom or attic.  They're taking up valuable train space.  Jack. 

LOL JACK, agree.  I even thought of tunneling through the back wall.  Wife said NO.

laz57

...and the bubble is slightly to the left on your level...

If you look closely at the last picture, where is my hand?

laz57

Seemed to be thinner but not any better looking.

[Anonymous]

Currently the layout is in our den.  Basicly it's a shelf layout about 16" off the ceiling of the 12' X 15' room.  Although I'm pleased with the results so far, especially the fact that nothing has tumbled to the floor, it is difficult to view something this high correctly.

So plans are underway for an attic layout.  I really opened up the proverbial can of worms by already constructing stairs up to this otherwise inaccessable and unuseable space.  Next thing will be adding joists to support an attic floor and all the related wall studding that turns a triangular space into something resembling a normal room.  The finished area will be T shaped, roughly 24' X 35' and 10' wide at any point.  Since I won't have much head room the layout will be located around the walls with central isles.  Layout height will be low, viewed best when sitting in rolling office chairs.  I don't expect this to be up and running next month .  Lofty plans indeed... in more ways than one.

Bruce Webster

[fifedog]

"lofty plans"....Hey, I got that one.

[envfocus]

Great thread.  Really interesting to know and see where others have built their layouts.  Mine is in the basement (4.5' x 8.5').  Its on "wheels" so I can slide it out to get to the water stop.  I hope to build a second in our detached garage. 

[palallin]

envfocus, I love that layout!  Oh, how I wish I had the room to duplicate it in Standard Gauge!  I'd have to enlarge one of those dog-bone ears for a turntable, but you've captured the prewar look so well!

[Anonymous]

I built a 26 x 40 foot garage with a second story for the trains. I collect prewar Lionel, std and O as well as N gauge arnold rapido. Have shelves now, and hope to have a layout for the N-gauge (european models). I also repair and restore the Lionel Prewar and Ives transition pieces.

[ezmike]

Mine is in the spare bedroom, 10' 9" x 13' 2", next to the family room down in the basement of a 60"s raised ranch style house so it is about half below ground but still has 30" windows. Just drew the plans for the benchwork which will be a "horseshoe" 10' x 10' 6"x 12' (or 13', I haven't decided yet). There will be two 4' x 4' sections at the end of the legs of the horseshoe and in the corners, I know there are "reach" issues I'll have to deal with. This just seemed like the best use of the space. I'll post photos as soon as I can.

How I acquired this space is interesting, either my wife really cares that I have a hobby I enjoy or I was conned into re-doing 2 rooms in the process. I'm hoping it is the former.

Mike