Had a huge room HO layout, DCC Spent a couple of years designing, Building bench work, laying track, switches, Big yard, turn table, mountians , beautiful bridges, all hand built, ran perfect, am a nut for smooth operation. soldered all the track, enjoyed every minute of it but never came close to finishing it.
My next layout was a 8 X 12, same deal. Had a ball building it. Operated smooth as pie! and never came close to finishing it. Still too overwellming!
Now I am down to a 2' X 8' shelf switching layout (point to point) and while its not yet finished, I can someday see the end. I like scratching building and super detailing which I never got to. Maybe I like building better than running the trains. I don't know. But I never saw that much progress to that point.
I also never had sound which I now have and love . With the smaller layout, I now have new goals besides more scatching building and super detailing and that is more sound and pin hole cameras in the engines hooked up to a tv screen and run the engines and layout from the prospective of the on board engineers. Operate the trains from the tv Screen and see what the engineers see. I think that would get me back to running trains in an exciting way.
While the layout is not yet completed, I hope to post some pictures soon of what has been done which should give a flavor to what I am trying to do.
Cheers, DON
The modules I am working on will go thru phases, I will prolly detail finish one, like my Michigan City module, its the most ready for scenery, then let the rest float unscenicked while I work, build, etc.
Right now I have test loops to work on equipment, before I carry on further layout building, I am bringing my equipment up to snuff.
Don,
It's always a wise man who sets tangible and reachable goals so that he can meet them and enjoy the feeling of accomplishment. Sometimes big goals are just made up of little goals (milestones) that spur us along and challenge us to become better at what we do and enjoy.
However, it's a wiser man who knows his limits and sets his goal(s) accordingly, so that he can complete the task in a reasonable period of time. That's not always an easy thing to do.
Currently, I have a 4 x 8 layout. I would love to have a larger around-the-wall layout. (Preferably in another house.) But, you know what? I'm learning quite a bit with the 32 sq. ft that has been alloted me.
Since this is my first layout, a lot of things are new for me. So, even though I'm trying to do the best I can planning and designing and building and wiring and such, I look at this layout as a big learning experience. And I'm grateful to NOT have a larger layout at the moment.
Keep up the good work, Don! I look forward to seeing pics of your layout, when you have a chance to post them.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
You are so right TOM. Everything you have in a large layout, you still have in a smaller layout like you said planning, designing, benchwork, wiring laying track etc etc but in a smaller layout, you can get it done and have that feeling of accomplishment instead of frustration.
And you know what the beauty of it is, you can always make that small layout a part of a bigger layout if the desire is there to expand, like the famous John Allen did with his layout.
DONFLA wrote:You are so right TOM. Everything you have in a large layout, you still have in a smaller layout like you said planning, designing, benchwork, wiring laying track etc etc but in a smaller layout, you can get it done and have that feeling of accomplishment instead of frustration.And you know what the beauty of it is, you can always make that small layout a part of a bigger layout if the desire is there to expand, like the famous John Allen did with his layout. Cheers, DON
de N2MPU Jack
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Modeling the NYC/NYNH&H in HO and CPRail/D&H in N