When is finished---"Finished?"

[blownout cylinder]

Midnight Railroader

blownout cylinder

What I'm asking is --where do you draw the line and when do you call your layout finished?

 

 I don't. I never have finished one.

There is a point in your statement that sounded like the exact comment a certain painter that we had as an artist in residence said: His comment came down to the question of the ouevre, or rather, the collection of works, that an artist ha, and how each piece relates to the overall collection. We seem to think in terms of discrete pieces rather than an overall schema. If one is more into the process then maybe the 'idea'--"finished"--really has no relevence.

Where would you place process in your endeavour, then? Oh BTW--this question is open to all as it is part of the overall theme---of finishedness---

[IVRW]

tatans

Finished is finished or maybe it is never finished, all up to the individual.  But I must wonder if there is actually someone who has built a layout (finished it) and never did any more work on the system again, just rolls down to the basement with a mr. pibb in one hand and sat down and "played with trains" Is it possible????

What you said brings up an interesting controversy. When you said

tatans

"played with trains"

you reminded me of a wonderful book I read. Here is the story. For many years, whenever I have gone to the MRR section in my local Library, I have always encountered this book: Playing with Trains: A Passion Beyond Scale by Sam Posey I always wanted to read it but was afraid that it would be a technical book, or have nothing to do with MRRing. One day, when I had to finish a certain number of reading hours for a summer reading program, I decided to take a chance and read it. It turned out to be the best book I have ever read. Sam Posey takes you on an epic adventure through the beginning of his MRRing career, to his quest to find what makes MRRs tick. Through the first part of the book, you can find a lot of controversial material that provides evidence of when a layout is finished. I highly recommend this book.

[Phoebe Vet]

The grandchildren really enjoy the train, so I hope that it will live on when I am gone.

[tomikawaTT]

Speaking only for myself, there are several degrees of 'finished' applicable to my 'last in this lifetime' layout.

1. Finished to the point of being able to operate a few trains - happens fairly on in the Plywood Pacific or Pink Plastic Prairie mode.
2. Finished enough to operate the full schedule.  Considerably farther along, since all of the benchwork, staging, main track and critical secondary trackage has to be in and operational.  Ditto for the electricals.  There may or may not be patches of ground cover or scenic terrain.
3. Finished enough to not look positively ugly.  This requires appopriately contoured and colored terrain, some buildings, some "folks" doing natural-looking things, and vehicles that don't roll on steel rails.
4. Finished enough to be comfortably satisfying.  All trackwork and adjacent buildings finished, scenery contours and cover adequate, logs on the dry storage area, control system complete, car card/waybill system up to speed...
5. Finished - done - no more to be added or changed, ever --- a couple of minutes before somebody calls the coroner to come check out the no-longer-occupied body on the layout room floor.

1 is long past, 2 is still in the future, 3 more so, 4 a decade (or more) down the line.  As for 5 - when that cat with the black cloak and scythe shows up, he'd better bring help.  I won't be going peacefully!.

Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - for the forseeable future)

[loathar]

Phoebe Vet

Lothar:

I agree that is one.

The other is when 6 of your best friends are carrying you by the handles and the family left behind has a yard sale.

No doubt! When your next of kin sell it off and say Glad THAT'S over with!

That brings up a new topic. Modeling coffin sized layouts!

[Packers#1]

 My layout will be done when I look at it and think "there is not one more thing I can add or take away, and not one more different operating scenario I can play." That is when I will consider my layout done.

When will my layout be where I can say "ok, now it's ready to be unveiled"? When I've gotten track down, basic scenery, figures, vehicles, and the thing is operating smoothly.

[Midnight Railroader]

blownout cylinder

What I'm asking is --where do you draw the line and when do you call your layout finished?

 

 I don't. I never have finished one.

[chatanuga]

In my opinion, a layout is never truly "finished".  Even if you finish the scenery and everything looks done, there's always the possibility of wanting to make changes or improvements.  Also, maintaining track, wiring, and rolling stock is never "finished".

Kevin

[BRAKIE]

Finished is finished or maybe it is never finished, all up to the individual.  But I must wonder if there is actually someone who has built a layout (finished it) and never did any more work on the system again, just rolls down to the basement with a mr. pibb in one hand and sat down and "played with trains" Is it possible????

---------------------

Actualy over the years I have finished several ISLs.My late wife and I finished a 36"x80" HC door layout and I proceeded to use that layout from 1980-1987...During that 7 year span I didn't add or remove anything simply because there was nothing left to do..We also displayed this layout several times at various train shows.

 

Is a layout finish? Again that's up to the modeler..One doesn't need to keep changing things once the layout has reached its operational goal* and detail level.

 

 

 

*The operational goal should include 100% derailment free operation..This can be obtain by smooth track work.

[Phoebe Vet]

Lothar:

I agree that is one.

The other is when 6 of your best friends are carrying you by the handles and the family left behind has a yard sale.

[yougottawanta]

loathar

When you tear it down to start on the next one.

Well said Loather !

[tatans]

The responses above seem to make some sense, done when done, my question is from reading many replies to various forums is, just what some of the MR's to do with the immense amount of model railroading equipment they seem to have(and still are) accumulating by the hundreds stashed away never to be used in their lifetime, they could never build other or new layouts and hope to use up any amount of "stuff" they have accumulated.  Buildings, kits, cars (300? 500?) engines, track, tools, paints, etc. etc. etc. just how long do they think they will live?  Most couldn't use up all their stuff in 4 lifetimes.

Finished is finished or maybe it is never finished, all up to the individual.  But I must wonder if there is actually someone who has built a layout (finished it) and never did any more work on the system again, just rolls down to the basement with a mr. pibb in one hand and sat down and "played with trains" Is it possible????

[Robby P.]

First I agree with Larry, then Loathers comment was just as good.  So I like both of those comments!!

I think its done, if you have no more room.  As far as track, mountains, buildings, etc.   I don't count little stuff like trees, telephone poles, or misc. pieces.   Right now my layout is about 45% done.  All the track is done, and all of the mountains are done.  Now its just mainly detail stuff, trees, grass, etc

 

[mononguy63]

I suspect that very few layouts are ever truly finished, even using the definition of having met the builder's goals. I have scenery on less than 20% my layout, and have already identified areas that I will return to later to modify and improve. And my layout's not even very big.

Maybe something is finished when there's just no more enjoyment to be derived from working on it any more. This hobby is supposed to be fun anyway, isn't it?

 Jim

 

[markpierce]

loathar

When you tear it down to start on the next one.

Loather, you almost took the words out of my mouth.  I was just about to say "when one decides to start the next layouot."

Mark

[loathar]

When you tear it down to start on the next one.

[Harley-Davidson]

My layout will be finished when it will not have any space to put something in. In my case, I streeeeeeeeeeeeeeecht that moment !!!!

[selector]

I think that is well said, Larry...when the builder's goals have been met, the layout is finished.

[BRAKIE]

Barry,Good question with many answers..Having "finished" several ISLs I would say the layout is "finish" whenever the builder reaches his/her goal.You see and IMHO one can only detail or rework a layout to a certain degree and if the layout was planned well there should be no need to revamp the layout's oridginal design...

 

As far as thought old worn out thought "A layout is never finish" is IMHO pure horse hocky..I just can't see that because I seen many finish layouts based on the builder's goal...After all there is a stopping point.

[selector]

My layout is finished when the initial rate of construction is reduced commensurate with the amount of time I turn to things not related to construction.  I tend to go hard and short for several months until I have the ground foam glued, some trees pressed into the surface, structures placed, some human figures here and there, and the track is ballasted and weathered.  I turn to playing with my trains wholesale at that point.  I continue to make the odd tree, move things, repair some track, add a new bit of track, add a detail, but by that time my layout is finished.  I am usually more interested in the next one by that time.  So far, I have been interested in building the next one for about a year now.  It is unlikely to happen any time soon, so I keep adding a tree or a detail.....

-Crandell

[blownout cylinder]

Here we go people. This is one of those questions that, when asked in a visual arts dept at a university or college, tends to make one go ---HHMMMM--as they stroke the chin. I think it has to do with the degree of detailing one throws onto the benchwork--maybe not exactly throw but place--Now, some think that it also has to do with operatability, or whether there is night time operations or--well--you get the picture. What I'm asking is --where do you draw the line and when do you call your layout finished?