Yes, it made me cringe too. I admit, I never really planned on taking my layout with me when I moved into my new apartment, but as luck would have it, the "family room" was the exact size of my old room. It would be a drop in fit. Just had to get it there.... oh boy. Originally, I built my layout on the super fast and and super cheap. Supposed to last a year. Glue two sections of foam to a strip of angle wood and call it good. Who knew it last this long. Well... Moving day came....
And moving day went well. I had to drive about 8 miles, timed it for Sunday night when traffic was light and hit the blinkers. My resources were short so I had to improvise. Cardboard from a waterheater box, some foam, straps and a easy foot.. I made it.. This is the layout now resting in my apartment. Its small at only 460 square feet so the arrangement of it over the desk and TV/Stero is nice as I am not losing any space to the layout. I have a new desk and all of my train stuff collected together.
A few years ago I had to down size from my divorce. With that a short term living arrangement meant that most of my stuff stayed packed and out of the way. Mow, everything is sorted and postioned so I can walk over and change out the cars I want, pull some kits out and work on them or tinker with wheels, weathering, etc. All in all, came out well. Ahh.. back on track!
Thanks for looking
Best Regards, Big John
Kiva Valley Railway- Freelanced road in central Arizona. Visit the link to see my MR forum thread on The Building of the Whitton Branch on the Kiva Valley Railway
I am glad your move went well!
I am just back into active MRRing, building 6" by 12" mini-modules, based on the T-Trak design. Assembling or disassembling the layout is a matter of minutes, moving them no issue at all!
Have fun!
Good job John, an awful lot can go wrong in that situation!
Dave Nelson
You're were right. I cringed. Glad you got it moved without a mishap.
Dr. Frankendiesel aka Scott Running BearSpace Mouse for president!15 year veteran fire fighterCollector of Apple //e'sRunning Bear EnterprisesHistory Channel Club life member.beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam
Good for you.
I am glad things went well.
Elmer.
The above is my opinion, from an active and experienced Model Railroader in N scale and HO since 1961.
(Modeling Freelance, Eastern US, HO scale, in 1962, with NCE DCC for locomotive control and a stand alone LocoNet for block detection and signals.) http://waynes-trains.com/ at home, and N scale at the Club.
Thanks guys. I am glad I got to keep it as I have been very happy with how I ended up designing this. It was my crack at a shelf layout. Somethign else, its made the rumor mill. I had the maintence guys in as they were some last minute touch ups and both of them were both.. "Whoa, look at that!" So started 20 minutes of questions about it all. And now I have a had a few tenats ask about it. Nice thing is, there is a good amount of retired folks who havebeen aroudn long enough to remember Steam. I think I migth end up putting together a "Steam Speacial" operation session for some of them. ;)
Spreadein' the hobby
I was prepared for the "before" and "after" pix where you got rear-ended, it fell out onto the road, or you got caught in a cloudburst.
I'm glad it went well, but I wouldn't count on it again. Mr. Murphy may have been on vacation, or fortune favored the foolish.
Either way, glad you still have a layout.
Connecticut Valley Railroad A Branch of the New York, New Haven, and Hartford
"If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right." -- Henry Ford
The pic did NOT make me cringe. I had faith it would have a happy ending.
Even happier is that it fits your new place like a glove. Better to save than to have to rebuild if you can!
I admire your shelving unit all neat an purdy-fied or orderly. If only I were that orderly. You have given me food for thought. It sure would beat storing stuff all over the room and in two odd dressers and those square shelf thingys that are cheap and snap together.
I designed my small layout with extruded foam over an open grid of High quality first rate 1x2s with a 1x4 boarder frame and in a small manageable size as I knew someday we would be moving and wanted to be lightweight to carry. It won't be handled by the movers though. I shall take in my minivan!
-G .
Just my thoughts, ideas, opinions and experiences. Others may vary.
HO and N Scale.
After long and careful thought, they have convinced me. I have come to the conclusion that they are right. The aliens did it.
Galaxy, good move.
For years now, I have been running on two layouts made out of foam. (I have easy access to the whited beaded kind, I prefer it) I have had great luck. Its lightweight, strong and stands up to a fair amount of abuse. Plus, mounting track, trees,, fencesm, or what ever else, is super easy as I just attach pins and stick it to the layout... where ever I need them. It was a saving grace when ti came time to move as I just "unstuck" everything and cleared it off.
Thank you for the comments about the shelves. I admit, I am rather proud of that. Between sorting and finding creative ways to store everything, it was a huge project all by itself. Here in a awhile I will post up a thread on it, came up with some great ideas.
Now, if I could only fins my NCE Powercab, I could start running trains. Its MIA and NO idea where it went..
I didn't cringe either, I've moved with the Army! You did good and the layout is now in a safe new home, keep up the good work and keep posting.
Ed in Kentucky
canazar Now, if I could only fins my NCE Powercab, I could start running trains. Its MIA and NO idea where it went..
It's NOT in my car, John.
Ed,
Thanks for the faith. Thank you for the service,
Dave,
(To fill in the inside joke with Dave, I went to Milwaukee on business trip and got to spend a few days with Dave. We met on the board. After spending a day getting tour of the town and rail history, I left my hat in his car and after almost two years I finally mailed to me. He was holding it ransom trying to get me to come back, One of these days Dave!)
Still no idea where the power cab. I honestly have to think at this point, it must have gotten thrown away by accident or fell off the truck during the move, maybe stolen by aliens. Straight up gone.
On the good side though my lovely girlfriend bought me a new PowerCab on Monday as a early Father's Day present. I love it as my old one was the first version and from what i read and saw last night, this one has a bit more power. I was running engines and cranking up the power on engines that have been in a boxes for almost 2 years. Felt so darn GOOD!
Wow, that had to be the longest 8 miles of your life. Glad everything worked out with the move. I love how you utilized the space in your apartment. You can sit back and watch something better than the TV :)
Edward Davis
Contributor @ Model Train Hobbyist Blog
edavis Wow, that had to be the longest 8 miles of your life.
Wow, that had to be the longest 8 miles of your life.
Oh yes it was. My biggest practical fear (versus getting rear ended or morbid) was the back end of the layout, the part hanging out, snapping off after I went over a bug bump. That 1/2 ton truck with the suspension lift, isnt exactly the smoothest thing on the road. I was worried about hitting a gutter, bump, and ironically enough, going over the real road crossing.
I made a lot of trips back and forth from where I was moving to the new place and had picked, while a slightly longer route it was the smoothest I could find. I also timed it for late Sunday evening knowing the roads would be pretty close to as quiet as you could get and could do 30 without raising a fuss.