How many layouts have you built and what did you learn from them?

[IRONROOSTER]

When I last posted on this thread 3 years ago I was on my 5th layout.  I have now started my 6th.  What changed. Well, I have most of the basement available now and there is no way to really expand the old layout that makes sense to me.  Also, the double track oval layout was a compromise based on the space available and isn't what I'd like to have.  The trouble with ovals is they get boring, at least the smaller ones.  The 2 ft aisle wasn't enough and the 2 1/2 ft aisle seemed a little skimpy.  The new layout will have aisles of 3+ ft except for the aisles on either side of a 180 degree curve where it'll be 2 1/2 ft The new layout will be a shortline based (loosely) on the Ma&Pa and have a mainline of about 115 feet.  This will allow me to actually run 2+ trains and have meets. It will also be built for DCC.

Enjoy

Paul 

[ARTHILL]

Thanks Aggro. I am on number 5, but this is the first one that runs. I have learned:

1. Get the track work working.

2. Plan for changes because I do change my mind

3. Design it so I spend the most time on what I like to do the most, scenery

[AggroJones]

Bump

 

[MisterBeasley]

This is an update from almost a year ago, when I was days away from starting the benchwork. I've now got my 5x12 foot HO layout up and running, almost all the track layed, and some scenery done.

1. Don't re-use old brass track. I tried to use one old Shinohara 3-way turnout in my yard, figuring well, it's just in the yard, and new NS ones are very expensive. Nothing but problems, and now it's been replaced by a Peco which works much better.

2. Plan thoroughly, but don't be afraid to change the plans once you get started.

3. Be patient. Do NOT set timetables and deadlines. Instead, take as long as you need to do things. If it takes a month to build that engine house kit the way you want it to look, then it takes a month.

4. Take progress pictures all the way through. The temptation is to take pictures only of the finished project, but the journey is interesting in itself.

5. Don't buy too much stuff until you are really ready for it. I've got a lot of building kits now that I may not really have room for. Actually, I will probably make room for them, but things will end up more crowded than I would like.

6. The room is never big enough.

[SMassey]

Im on #2. You can see al of my first one and how I did it on my website listed in my sig. I learned alot from that one. I found that while Woodland Scenics has great products and the foam riser system is pretty good, I dont really like using it for large areas. By the time I got to the end of the layout I found other methods that I liked using much better and started using the pink foam. The next thing I learned was I needed to plan everything before I started. When I layed the track plan I didnt consider operations. I didnt know what industries I wanted (other than I wanted an intermodal yard), where to put them, nor what their purpose was going to be. I planned the trackwork for contunous running and that turned out great but.... What I would (and did) do the second time around:
1. make sure that there is a purpose for your industries it makes for more fun in the operations.
2. If continous running is a must (it usualy is for me), make sure that the trains have something to do other than run in circles, it helps keep you from getting bored.
3. some type of a yard is a great Idea. It provides a place to store a few Locos/cars you may not want to run right now and answers item #2.
4 make a list of things you want out of the layout. Make the list in order of importance to you before yo ustart planning the layout. This will help make sure that you end up getting what you want in the end and that helps keep the number of layouts you build down.

So that being said here is what I applied to my second layout.
My list of wants in no particular order.
1. small enough to share the room with my son. (#1 must 4x8 was just the right size)
2. continous running of 2 trains at same time
3. interesting operations with purpose
4. some type of yard
5. make the layout portable (I am in the military I dont plan on being moved till around 2009 but you never know)
6. make it expandable.

Out of the parts of my list that I have the only one that I was not able to make come true smoothly was the last one. I can build onto this layout but not without tearing out some major tracks. I think I may just leave this as a stand-alone and update the details as my skills grow. Soon I will have the new layout on my website I have made sure to take pics of it as I built it. It took less than 2 weeks from the time I started building the benchwork till I was able to run a train. I am far from finished my trains are running through a wonder land of pink snow right now but they are running. It sure helps to have all the stuff you need to build, lay track, paint and glue before you start that saves alot of time and money. I hope that by the time I move to layout #3 it will be even better than the others I have built. (it should be #3 is not going to happen till I get a house after my navy stuff is done)

[conagher]

I've built 9 or 10 layouts in N, HO & O scale and I've learned many things over the past 60 years. Here are a few:

First: don't suffer from paralysis through analysis...get started instead of daydreaming for years trying to design the perfect layout. Something is better than nothing.

Second: if possible, get a minimal amount of track down so when you get tired of building sidings, branch lines or scenery, you can run a train for awhile before leaving the room.

Third: don't worry what other people will say when they see your layout. What suits you is all that matters. It's YOUR railroad.

Fourth: don't be afraid to ask for help. Join a local club, visit forums such as this and read the many How-To books available until you find your answers. Digging for information can be lots of fun.

Fifth: and remember, this is supposed to be fun. If you get frustrated, walk away and come back when you're in a better mood. Like other guys have said, this is a hobby.

[tomikawaTT]

In addition to the five club layouts I got actively involved in, I've gotten started on a dozen of my own, about half of which reached semioperational status before succumbing to a move. (One module, originally built in 1980, survived three such calamities and is now, finally, scheduled to become part of a layout that should have a half-life longer than Francium.)

At the moment I'm hard at work on a layout that promises to outlast me. No more moves!

What I have learned can be boiled down into a few simple observations:

1. Operation is addictive. As soon as wheels begin to roll, construction slows dramatically. (I've reached that phase now.)

2. Try new ideas. Some of them actually work.

3. If you are unsure of what to do, don't hesitate to ask an expert.

4. "Good enough" isn't. No prototype railroad would tolerate repeated derailments or permanent slow orders, and model railroaders shouldn't either.

5. Superior operational qualities are more important than superior appearance.

6. It's your railroad. Run it the way you wish, whether that be absolute adherence to a prototype or a wild feat of imagineering. (I've been guilty of both.)

7. Above all, this is a hobby, not a job. Have fun.

[Icefoot]

#1 Lesson Learned from ALL layouts: A man's GOTTA have a hobby and this one has the MOST variety to hold your interest!

Currently working on layout #5 (if you count the one that never got past benchwork). The current on is my first foray into HO scale. All the others were N scale mostly due to space limitations and later because of all the N scale stuff I had laying around (didn't have to buy much of anything to build them). Here is how they went:

1. Somewhere around age 14, my brothes and I built a 4' x 4' figure-8 N scale layout from a trackplan in an old Atlas trackplan book. Never got it past running some trains. Matter of fact, I don't remember even finishing the tracklaying! But was a good intro to the hobby. Learned innovative ways to utilize limited space (plywood base was hinged to swing up and latch against a wall when not in use).

2. Got permission from parents (was about 16 at the time) to use my dad's old darkroom since it had not been used for photography in many years. Started building an L shaped layout about 4' x 9' in total size with a totally freelanced trackplan. Didn't get past laying the doubletrack mainline. Learned the importance of planning (or at least having a clear vision of what you want) BEFORE you start work. Also learned the importance of good benchwork.

3. <<<time warp>>> After graduating high school and spending nearly 10 years in military service (GO USAF!), unpacked old N scale stuff to get back into hobby. Started building a layout in a 10' x 12' area of my new house's basement. Found out I didn't learn the lesson of layout #2 so well in regards to having a plan before staring construction. Layout didn't progress beyond a couple of L-girder sections with no subroadbed or track installed.

4. During the same time as layout #3, MRR issue arrived with a trackplan for building an N scale layout on a hollow core door. Had everything needed to do it, so stopped work on layout #3 and started #4. Became a HUGE fan of hollow core door benchwork for portable layouts! Got the tracklaying completed and trains running. Then had to move and everything went back into mothballs. This one saw a brief ressurection at the new house about a year later, but the old locos (all bought for layout #1) broke and I didn't fix them, work ate up too much time, and the layout was dismantled for good.

5. About three years ago, my wife gave me an HO scale 0-6-0 switcher as a birthday gift after I mentioned wanting to get back into the hobby and try HO this time (got tired of working on the tiny parts in N scale). I took the planning lesson to heart this time and didn't start a THING until I had a workable trackplan and vision. Became a HUGE fan of hollow core door benchwork for SHELF layouts! Just about to install rocks/cliffs and the rest of the scenery on this one.

All in all, these layout taught me several things:

A) Have a plan before starting. Even if it is only in your head. But have a plan. Otherwise, you will spend money and time doing things that won't work in the end. And get frustrated because you can't figure out what to do next. And sell all your railroad stuff on eBay and violate Lesson #1 (Man's gotta have a hobby). A plan will keep you focused on what to do next and keep the hobby interesting.

B) Be a perfectionist with trackwork. This is one area where it is ok. Without GOOD benchwork and tracklaying, the rest isn't work doing. Take your time with the track. Make sure it is as flawless as humanly possible before moving on to scenery. Extra time spent in this stage will pay enormous dividends in enjoyment later. Remember, you can still run trains in an operating session without scenery. Just put paper labels (or footprint cutouts of structures made from old phone book pages [:)] ) to designate industries, towns, stations, etc. Then after testing your track and fixing any problems revealed by operations, start installing the scenery.

C) HAVE FUN! If you don't like some aspect of the hobby, don't feel pressured to do it by others who do like that aspect. Do what you find fun. If there is an aspect of the hobby you don't really like that is critical to the model (like benchwork construction, tracklaying, or wiring), find a friend who is good at it and willing to get you past this stage.

[:D] I LOVE this hobby....

[nbrodar]

I've built 7 layouts. Some things I've learned:

1.) Build it to move - 4 of the 7 layouts were lost to moves.

2.) Bigger isn't better - I attempted to build 20x20, 12x20, and 16 x16 layouts, none got much beyond benchwork and track (the 20x20 never even had the track finished). My current 10x12 is operational, and the scenery is well underway.

3.) Work in stages - so you won't get burned out on one aspect of the hobby. Lay some track, do some scenery, build a building, fine tune some rolling stock.

4.) Make friends with the owner of the your LHS - they can offer advice, turn you on to special runs, or order things with you in mind.

5.) Don't be afraid to change your plans - while you are building, you may get a better idea, or see something in a book, magazine, or on another layout.

6.) Think about scenery during the intial planning - while not set in stone, a rough idea of the scenery, can help with track planning, and benchwork construction.

Nick

[dickencr]

This is my second, my first in N Scale.

Planning never ends. It starts with a good idea and evolves into what you put into hard-form.

Experimentation is important. Don't be affraid to try something new and different. You never know.

If you don't know, ASK some one. If they don't know ask for a referral. Keep digging. I find out more than I ever though possible the more I dig into it.

Have fun and relax. That's the whole point of this anyway.

[Medina1128]

I am working on my second layout and I've learned about the flexibility of open grid and L-girder over a flat top on a sheet of plywood. I'm also learning the fun and ease of using foam in making scenery.
The biggest thing I've learned is that less is more. I've toned down the colors in my scenery. Subtle looks more realistic.

[HarryHotspur]

I've built two layouts, excluding the ones I built as a kid.

I have learned that:

1. I really enjoy working with tight curves and steep grades, both operationally and scenically, and

2. The conventional wisdom does not always work best for me.

[selector]

So much has already been said, I hesitate to add my experience. Still, you have asked, so I will answer.

I have my first layout, at 11' X 8', nearly completed. I am just adding trees and a few other details.

What I have learned:

a. A 52 year old man should be able to pick up new hands-on skills. I had never soldered (still can't, but the trains run on what I've done), never built a table, pony walls, never carved foam, etc. I just tried to have courage and faith in my innate intelligence and determination, and I dove into it.

b. If you want something badly enough, you'll find a way to make it happen. I wanted a big layout, and by gosh I'm nearly there! Where did the last seven weeks go?

c. Read lots, plan lots, and take small steps to ensure you don't make a catastrophic error. I found that if I took some time the previous evening to read about, say, soldering, in this forum, I was at least mentally ready to tackle it the next morning.

d. Safety is as important on this 'jobsite' as it is anywhere else. Treading on extension cords, placing hot soldering irons on foam, leaving drills with bits under foot, and other breaches of basic safety just because you are having fun and in a rhythm is as wrong at that time as it woould be on a construction site. THINK SAFETY!!!

e. I'll echo the curve issue...use the largest radius you can, at or over 22". The minimum for the sakes of both you and any loco is about 22", but go higher if you can manage it. Honestly, apart from looking better , especially with the larger locomotives and pax cars, it just runs better...period.

f. Find a way, during your initial planning, to facilitate easy access to every inch of your track. If you have hidden track, you'll have unreachable problems. The most highly proficient layer of track has a 99.99% probability of eventual problems somewhere on his/her layout. To ensure that you can get to the problem, even if it's as bizarre as a swing-up mountain, do it.

g. Lastly, if you are certain that you have done a fairly decent job of laying your track (gauged it, filed it, relaid it, resoldered it, etc), and a certain piece of rolling stock derails consistently at a given point, try adding weight to that item. I had balky ore cars, so I added real ore-like rocks to them, and they now run just fine. Most manufacturers make their rolling stock too light.

When you have more time and patience, though, go back over that place on the track, using your finger nail to run where the wheel flanges rub, and use a magnifiying glass. You may actually discover the problem really was with the track, particularly at a join.

[Anonymous]

"2" layouts

1) age 15, built the bench, drew the 6x12 plans, made lots of buildings, weathered cars and superdetailed blue box diesels. Never laid a piece of track, due to puberty, cars, school, etc.

2)21 years later, after race cars, mtn bikes, gunsmithing, marriage, I am back to making layout #2. I have built an L-girder bench, 2" foam base, simple 8x8 plan, dozens of superdetailed diesels. Want to attempt DCC and foam scenery.

My lessons - don't make it too complicated. What looks great on paper may be impossible to build, and look totally unrealistic in real life. Buy top quality lumber - everything starts from there, using cheap warped stuff will only lead to unnecessary and insurmountable frustration.

[Anonymous]

This is my second but it is still in the planing stages.

The first was 30 + years ago with my younger brothers. I learned that we worked together better when we were not together.

[MisterBeasley]

This will be my third, spanning half a century of people-years.

The first was my 3-rail O-guage Lionel set. I remember getting the operating Milk Car as compensation for my tonsillectomy while still in elementary school. I built it up to a pair of 4x8's in an L. Eventually, I'd filled all available space with track and accesories, and I made the jump to HO.

That took me through high school. Again, it was mostly 2 4x8's in a L, with an addition for a yard that made more of a J out of the layout. I learned a lot about wiring and electricity just from the trains. I think the constant immersion in the technology and engineering disciplines helped push me into MIT. After graduation, I was in apartments a long way from my parents, so the trains went into boxes in their basement, and finally made it to my own attic, still boxed, when I bought my own home 25 years ago.

A short time ago, I pulled out all of the boxes and unpacked the whole set. Since then, I've been surfing the web and visiting shops and shows. Two weeks ago I went to Home Depot for the benchwork wood, and now it's time to start. I've invested a lot of time in planning and preparation, most of it reading in this forum. Okay, okay, okay, enough already! I promise I will NOT re-use all of my old brass track. You've convinced me! Construction starts in 2 days.

[West Coast S]

I completed two HO layouts before drifting away from the hobby in prusuit of family and career. The last one was around the wall design,no backdrop, open grid setup so wide that it was impossible to work on while standing on the floor and duckunders, no industries to be switched and a massive, confusing yard that dominated the entire layout.

Lessons learned upon my return:

1. No duckunders, even at the cost of operation
2. Eliminate all yards and engine terminals and replace with accessible stagging yards
3. Choose a prototype to mimic for industries and operations and location, even if you
freelance.
4. Simple, single track design without excessive use of passing sidings
5. point-to-point design
6. Vary the distance between switching districts, whenever possible
7. DCC
8. Build it in S scale

[Anonymous]

sorry the link didnt come come up right

www.yodogn.com

[Anonymous]

i'm currently working on a n-scale layout. i guess it my second layout. my first was a ho lay built by a family freind for me as a x-mas gift when i was younger. even though i didnt build it a i tried to add to it. that was a bad idea. all i did was break it. but i did learn some from it.

for me working with ho didn't give me the room too do much more than a simple oval. so going to n-scale was great. also i realized that mistakes will be made so i should be prepared to take as many stabs at each phase untill im satisfied. and the most important thing i learned was no matter how elaborate your track plans are .. if you dont keep in mind the scenery and plan for it .. you won't have a convicing layout

i know these sound like no brainers but you have to remimber i completly destroied my last on.
i am now 21 and have taken another shot at it and i am very happy so far.i started my layout based on a specific lay for a book with steps by step instructions to get my skills back and to see if i had the skill worth putting time into my own well planned layout. i will convert this layout to extend to an around the room layout. wile im waiting for my next kit to come in i have been planing the rest of the layout so when i get their i should have an idea of what i want to do.

from this layout i found that taking the time to setup smaller scenes inside a larger scene using fine detailing i realy what makes it come to life. i am very carfull not to jump the gun and move to the next scene untill my pics of the dont look empty.

i still havent attempted a back drop for the layout but i have setup a website to display my work. www. yodogn.com

please email me at [e-mail] with any sugestions you might have for my layout... im still new at this any feedback realy helps thanks

[MAbruce]

Okay, I’ve been seeing this topic for a while now and have some time to detail my layout history.

MY HISTORY OF LAYOUTS

Layout #1. Age 10? My parents brought home a 4x8 N-scale layout they picked up at a garage sale. It was not a masterpiece, but a complete layout with a fairly simple track plan. I was not a serious modeler back then (what 10 year old is?), so I was more interested in train wreaks and army men battles. Let’s just say that layout experienced more disasters than any country on earth! The layout was eventually nuked.

Layout #2: Age 15. Inspired by some issues of MR, I wanted to become a more serious modeler and was looking to build my own N-scale RR empire. I took over a section of our attic and proceeded to set up the bench work and lay some track. But my young teen attention span got the best of me and it eventually died of neglect. It was later disassembled and some parts were salvaged for layout #3.

Layout #3: Age 17. I took over a different part of the attic and planed a layout that was a little more practical. The bench work was finished, track laid, and scenery started. But I abruptly changed gears and went with a “winter” scene as it was easier to model. Looked good but it has no long term possibility as I used laundry detergent for snow! It was soon abandoned and dissembled as the attic was to be remodeled for bedroom space.

Layout #4: Age 20. I took over a part of the basement this time. Bench work was set up and part of the track was laid. Then my social life took over and I quickly abandoned model railroading. Everything was packed up and it would not see the light of day for many years.

Layout #5: Age 37. Married with two boys. My oldest find the MRR boxes and proceeds to unpack them with great interest. This sparks a renewed interest in the hobby. So I go to the internet to find some MRR resources, and quickly find some forums. I do my research and carefully plan a layout using mostly the materials salvaged from my previous layout attempts. This layout goes much further than anything I’ve ever attempted before. Here are some current pictures of it (two years later):









Sorry, I’m acting like a grandparent showing off his grandkids, but considering my history with layouts, I’m still in shock that I took something this far!

The key lessons I learned from all of this? START SMALL AND WORK UP. Keep your goals realistic and do your homework.

[Anonymous]

Counting 2 HO layouts I built as a teenager, I am on my 4th.
The last one was in N. This new one I am building now, in the same
11' x 14' room, is also in N.

I learned a LOT from the first one. Here's a list.

1) LESS IS MORE. My last layout had double-track mainline where the secondary main curved and pitched up into mountains with sharp curves. PHOOEY. It doesn't leave enough room for decent trackwork and scenery. I was keen to avoid ridiculous pathways and spaghetti-bowl trackwork, but it was still too much. This time, single-track main with some industrial sidings and a large staging yard (which I didn't have room for in the previous layout because of all the extra mainline track).

1a) (Slipped this in after I finished writing this!) NO WIDE BENCHWORK SECTIONS. Yikes! I had 4-foot-wide benchwork on my last layout. What a pain to reach. What a pain to build. What a pain to clean. Now, it's 24" or less, except where there is a turn-around in the trackwork. Given my religious devotion to an 18" minimum radius now (see below), this means you've GOT to have 2x18=36, plus 4 for 2" of clearance on each side = a 40" section. But there will be access panels in the center of this to make sure I can always get close without too much hassle.

1b) No NARROW ISLES. I had some that were 18" or even 16" on the last layout. Once you bow down to the "less is more" theory, you can stick to 28" or even 32" aisles.


2) No more animated accessories. I did a lot of these, and I thought I was quite clever with all the motorized, lighted, moving, or otherwise ingenious doo-dads I managed to engineer down to N-Scale. But... once they are built, they're just a nuisance, and they aren't that much fun after you've seen them 100 times. They are just another thing to keep maintaining.

3) NO MORE SHARP CURVES. The last layout started in 1985, and I kept to a minimum of a 12" radius. No way. The new layout minimum is 18". So many derailment, clearance, and other problems just go away if the curves are broad, it's really worth it. And getting rid of all that extra trackwork leaves room for the broad curves.

4) No more steep grades. By "steep", I mean anything over 2 percent. My last layout had a few 5% killers. On the new layout, I was going to limit myself to 3%. I quickly found out that isn't good enough. I run steam, and want to pull 10-12 car trains. 3% grades are TOO MUCH. In fact, the worst spot was a 3% helix, and it's now 1.5%. I just made it go around another time to gain the same height, and it sure does pay off.

I cannot emphasize this enough. I (3) and (4) there can be no compromise. No prisoners. I will give up scenic elements and remove a siding if I have to, to stick to my 18", 1.5% rule.

5) No remote-control turnouts. Silly, really, unless you have one where you just can't reach it with your hand. Just a ton of wire, expensive machines, stress on the track... Now it'll be all ground-throws.

6) All Micro-Engineering Track. Now, when I built the last layout, this didn't exist, so I don't beat myself up too bad on this one. No more Atlas huge-tie-spacing, huge-rail-head code 80 track. ME code 55. I tried Atlas code 55, but as everyone knows by now, virtually nothing runs on because of the low rail height. I don't mind switching out all the freight and passenger car wheelsets, but what do they expect people to do with locomotives, machine all the flanges down? How about the arsenal of steam locomotives I've collected and semi-scratch-nuilt over the past 15 years?

7) No walk-around throttles, no cab-control-block wiring, no DCC. "What's left?", you ask. Well, I've decided to simply construct 5 or 6 small control panels, stationed conveniently around the layout. Each one has a control button you depress to "take control" at that panel. Each has direction and speed controls on it, and NOTHING ELSE. So now, you can "walk around" all you want, but you don't have to carry anything.

8) Power-routing with microswitches at every turnout. No more depending on
the power-routing built in to the turnout. This works, but the rail joints eventually clutter up, or the point rails don't contact well enough, and you have dead rail sections. I like power-routing through turnouts; I just want to depend on a microswitch, not the turnout itself. It's easy to mount a small microswitch right
under the ground throw and control it that way - you don't have to have a maze of agonizing linkages through the table to control the microswitch.

9 HEAVY WIRE for track power. Even in N, even with only about 1/4 amp per locomotive, this matters. The starting current often jumps to about 1/2 amp, and with a longer train, even good Sagami-motored engines pull more than that 1/4 amp. I had plenty of odd places where some long distances caused slight but perceptable voltage drops on the old layout. Now, it's 16-guage or nothing.

------------
What did I do right on the first layout?

a) Stick to those NMRA standards. Check every wheelset, every turnout frog, etc. And fix or shim whatever you have to. This really gets rid of a lot of problems.

b) High table height (well, high for me, anyway). My teenage layouts stood at about 30". My last one was 45". This new one will have a low point of 45", and some higher sections at 54". The realism is keen.

[n2mopac]

Second layout in progress for me. The first one was small and was an intentional learning experience. I built my first several scratchbuilt structures, first water madeling, and even a little league ball diamond with game in progress. I could write a book on all I did and learned, but here are just a few highlights.

1. Solder the track joints. I used all Atlas snap track, as many newbies do, for this first layout. I would certainly go with flextrack now, as I am on the new layout, but more importantly solder those track joints. I tried to rely on joiners to do the trick and electrically this is a nightmare.

2. Reliable turnouts. I used Atlas trunouts, with their riveted points. These things are pure junk in my personal estimation. None of the turnouts are what I would call truly reliable, all of them cause derailments when diverging, and two of them will derail cars 75% of the time. Use high quality turnouts.

3. Plan for operations before you begin. I was inexperienced and did not truly know how to do this before. I tried to design the layout for operations, but I suppose this ability comes with experience. I ended up with industrial tracks off of passing sidings that were too close to the end of the siding so that switching could not be accomplished without tieing up the main. This is just one example, but I recommend you do some reading on layout planning for operations before you begin building.

4. No passing siding is long enough. Make passing sidings as long as possible, even if you think it is too long at first. Truth is your train lengths are limited by the capacity of thses sidings and eventually you will have a train that won't fit.

5. Details, details, details. You are better off with less major features and more details if you want a good looking overall effect. Spend less on large numbers of structures and more on figures, detail parts, autos, etc that draw people into the scenes that you create. This is true in any scale, but especially in the smaller scales.

Hope some of these ideas help.
Ron

[dano99a]

2

First one was a disaster, I was young then.

This one though is turning out quite nice though, 4 years in art college really helped, especially after a year of 3D illustration during that.

[:)]

[jfugate]

I've built five, but I have also worked on two club layouts quite a bit, so I count them as well.

As a matter of fact, working on a club layout is a great way to pick up skills and get an idea what you like and don't like.

The first layout I built was when I was in Junior High and never got down more than a few feet of track and a bit of scenery. The layout was 10 x 15' but I never got more than the first few feet of benchwork up using scrap lumber. I experimented with handlaying track and zip texturing, and had a blast doing it. Used brass track and learned quickly that nickel silver was the way to go, period.

The second layout was when I was in High School and did it with a friend. Again, never got more than a bit of it finished, but tried handlaying switches this time, including a double slip switch, that worked, believe it or not. Learned about Kadee couplers during this time and experimented with them to learn how to properly mount them on all kinds of equipment.

The third layout was when I was in college and was much more refined, and had an operating turntable. I perfected my turnout laying skills on this layout, and started scratchbuilding bridges. Plus I used L-Girder benchwork on this one.

The fourth layout was as a young married, and was intended from the start to just be a test bed for ideas. I scratchbuilt a #10 crossover between doubletrack, and experimented with long wheelbase steam power, and techniques for doing water since I wanted to do some track running along a body of water or seacoast.

During layouts 3 and 4, I also experimented a lot with "dream layout" plans in various room configurations since by this time I had also been a part of two clubs and was forming my ideas on what kind or layout I wanted. I determined that I love switching, especially yard switching when you have a nice running yard switcher.

I also started operating on other layouts I admired to get an idea of what kind of operation I liked. By this time it was the late 1980s and I realized that I really like the SP Siskiyou Line, which is where I grew up as a kid. I also joined the Layout Design Special Interest Group of the NMRA, which was the best thing I ever did in the hobby to learn how to design a satisfying layout.

Layout number 5, the Siskiyou Line, is my dream pike, and is now 13 years old. It uses a mushroom configuration and models the prototype Southern Pacific Siskiyou Line in the 1980s. It uses wireless DCC and we hold regular op sessions following prototype practices.

Because of all the experimenting that I did on earlier layouts, I learned how important good trackwork is, and became fanatical about runing a wire feeder to each piece of rail. I also learned that the wonder material for scratchbuilding is styrene and I use it for nearly everything I can, except where brass or some other metal makes sense.

Because of all the experimenting and refining of my skills and ideas along the way, the Siskiyou Line has become a layout I truely enjoy and going into the basement is like going on a vacation! You can learn more about my current layout on my web site.

[Anonymous]

I am on my third layout (I didn't build it myself. I bought it for $50 including the table, trees and Atlas code 83 truetrack {a $200 value by itself}). Anyways, I learned 3 things with those layouts. 1) Keep track joints tight 2) Don't use brass track in visible areas (looks like ****) 3) keep your jelous sister out of the "train room"

[GerFust]

Gary:

I''ve tried a couple using the typical 4x8 (or smaller) plywood approach. None worked well. Here is what I have learned.

1. Start simple and let your skills build.


2. Plan, plan, plan, then be ready to change it


3. To that end, don't add grades on your first layout unless you really have space to make them smooth. I tried to cram an overpass into a 4x8 in HO, and it just doesn't add anything.


4. Benchwork needs to be steady.


5. #6 or larger switches really make a difference


6. Keep radii as large as you can.


7. Make sure cars are properly weighted.


8. Don't ru***rack laying, and solder the rail joints


9. Break up the layout into scenes for visual interest, with viewblocks if possible


10. Not all rail needs to be visible, which reinforces the point above. Let the imagination wander.


11. Operations are important. Once I figured out that you don't accelerate on a curve life became a little easier.


12. Have something for the trains to actually do. I like watching them run in circles, but that only holds my interest for so long (then again, everyone is unique here).



Good luck,
Jer

[randybc2003]

I learned I like continuious running - kind of like "railfaning".. I like my trains as "actors". Decide what type of trains and scenes you like, and then design track plan accordingly. Provide run-around and passing sidings. More operation interest w/ spurs in both directions. Single Track forces "meets". Watch reverse curves - especially in cross-overs, w/ long passenger equ. Use K-D couplers. Keep perm. magnets off main line. Use Nickle-silver rail. Simplicity is golden.
AND ENJOY THE RAILROAD!

[Anonymous]

I like the collection of wisdom here; a distillation of this thread might make for a decent magazine article.

Rather than echo so much of the above, I'll just say this: one thing I have learned is that less can be so much more.

I used to crave having a layout with switches all over the place, loops and lines and bridges aplenty, as many continuous-run mainlines as possible, and giant sprawling rail yards. Nowadays, I find that a simple straight run of single-track mainline can be just as satisfying, even moreso because of the operational challenge it presents. As an experiment, I have built a "layout" (what most would call a diorama) which is just one single piece of Kato Unitrack, dressed up with six inches of scenery (three inches either side), only twelve inches in length. The thought was that by creating a series of these, I can make a sectional layout which comes apart as easily as Unitrack does, and along the way I get all the thrill of full-blown layout modeling. I wish now that I had thought of this before I got my 200-square-foot layout going, because it is surprisingly fulfilling.

[skir4d]

2 semi finsihed, working on the third. All N Scale

First when I was in High School... we won't say how long ago.

Second 5 years ago. actually designed to move and moved well... had a helix and everything. However, scenery never completed because I met my wife. moved into a new house, and have been busy with that.

Just started the third. Things I have learned...

Make sure the roadbed is firm enough.. this doesn't mean that it actually has to be really thick plywood ( I swear that some of the N scale pictures I've seen look like their built on 3/4" plywood with supports every 2 feet... come on guys, our models aren't that heavy) but it does mean that it should not flex under the expected load (which includes scenery, etc).

Vertical easements are a necessity, not a luxury.

Solder all rail except where you want isolation.

And always be ablt to laugh at yourself.... it comes in handy quite often..

JW

[ndbprr]

Al least six in five different houses and what I have learned is that I cna find new ways to screw it up somehow.