Looking at where to put a layout in my apartment so I can start planning the benchwork, I am left with two choices, (a corner of the living room, and a corner of the spare bedroom), and it made me wonder, "where does everyone else put there's?
I have heard of other layouts, like one of my options, being located in a spare bedroom. I have also heard of them being built in an attic room, in the basement, in the garage, and heck even in a large shed specifically built to house the layout with electricity and full HVAC.
So, I ask, where is yours?
I have a 10 feet long shelf layout along one of the walls in our living room.
Swedish Custom painter and model maker. My Website:
My Railroad
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Mine Ho regular one is in a spare Bedroom wiht a bunch of other junk- our "storage room".
The under-the-table-top-Xmas-tree layout occupies a corner of the Living Room as we are building a newer bigger one than we had and it hasn't been taken down yet. {the tree has}
If you are in an apartment, pick a spot you don't seem to use that isn't in the way and locate it there.
-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.
Mine is in a 6 1/2 by 12 1/2 room in my basement that I partitioned off from my wood working shop
Needless to say BOTH are cramped
But you deal with what you have and I don't want to give up my cabinet making hobby other wise I could have had a 12 1/2 by 18 foot room
51% share holder in the ME&O ( Wife owns the other 49% )
ME&O
I had a pole barn built for my layout, my layout is 4'x78'x24x78' it's a U shaped layout that follows the walls with a 6'x50' island in the middle. I had the barn built with total HVAC with humidifer and I keep the temp at 71 year round. I had a drop ceiling installed with indirect lighting to have a even light effect without shadows. I have a 10' wide mechanical area on one end of the building where I keep the small hot water heater, electrical panels and half bath and laundry tub installed plus this is my work shop for my equipment. I have a track that runs into a mountain and comes into my workshop so I can add or remove equipment and then run back out to the layout. When I was "retired" by the military I spent about 6 months planning my last layout and designed the building and layout with all the specs such as lights, outlets, HVAC, work shop, mechanicals and access from previous layouts I had and visited so I had a vision of what I wanted. I had the building built 5 years ago and I have the benchwork done, trackwork done, and about 2/3 of the basic scenery done: i.e. plaster of paris covering the benchwork. Plus making hundreds of trees to add to the layout later. I was going to put the layout in the basement but then realized I would have to give up things I wanted to do or have on the layout in order to fit it in my basement. So the wife got a new car and I got a new pole barn. I figured it was a good trade. My wife likes to point out to me from time to time that I spent more on the pole barn and benchwork than I did for the house when we bought it many years ago. It's nice to go out there and just turn up the tunes and work on the many kits I have to build or applying more plaster to the layout. I run the trains on my layout and sometimes the neighborhood kids will come by and watch the trains so I enjoy a few operating sessions and the kids don't care if the scenery is done. Most of the kids are 6-10 years old. Neighbor is a scout leader so the kids see the lights on in the barn they come over and check to see if the trains are running. ( gives me an excuse to run the trains ) lol.
Mine used to be in a separate structure with heat and A/C.
When I moved, I brought the layout with me and it is now in the basement studio that I share with my wife (she paints). I have about 20 X 15 feet and it's nice to not have to leave the house to go work on trains (like I did with the separate structure - sometimes wading through a foot or more snow). It also gives us time together, even though we are working on our own stuff. I just like being in the same room with her.
Phil, I'm not a rocket scientist; they are my students.
My double garage filler is in - the garage. No connecting door from the house, but the garage's personnel door is about seven feet from the front door, a straight line under cover.
The only (minor) annoyance is that, since we follow Japanese custom, I have to change shoes to go into the layout room. That and, since I have a gas water heater in the garage, it can't be climate controlled. Not a problem now, but in August the temperature is brutal!
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
Spare bedroom, actually, the bigger of the two bedrooms in my apartment. Goes around the whole room.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
That and, since I have a gas water heater in the garage, it can't be climate controlled. Not a problem now, but in August the temperature is brutal!
Chuck,
I know of a Diner that has a gas heater as well as A/C and of course fany over the cooking areas.
Their problem was solved by putting and exhaust fan in the exhaust stack of the gas heater.
It may pay to look into this.
Good luck and
Happy Railroading
Bob
Don't Ever Give Up
Mine is neatly stack awaiting construction start date.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
Mine is in my (unfortunately) unfinished basement.
Knowing the drawbacks of this arrangement, I'll gladly accept a donation of $50K to finish it, because that's kind of outside of my budget at the moment.
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
superbe That and, since I have a gas water heater in the garage, it can't be climate controlled. Not a problem now, but in August the temperature is brutal! Chuck, I know of a Diner that has a gas heater as well as A/C and of course fany over the cooking areas. Their problem was solved by putting and exhaust fan in the exhaust stack of the gas heater. It may pay to look into this. Good luck and Happy Railroading Bob
Thanks for the thought, Bob.
The real problem is that local code requires that the garage has to have open vents through the exterior wall. Can't close 'em, and no practical way to isolate the rest of the space. Putting up a wall in a garage violates local code.
Believe me, I flew several ideas past the local code enforcers - who shot all of them down.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - in a Mojave Desert garage)
This is a room off our family room. I ask the wife if I could put a layout in the corner and she said yes. She did not say how far out from the corner I could come.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
It's in the basement, the other half of the basement is the 'crew lounge'.....
Jim
Modeling BNSF and Milwaukee Road in SW Wisconsin
Mine is in my front room which is 7' 8" x 13' 5". It almost takes up the entire room.
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
Mine's in the basement./dungeon. It's at least dust free down there and air conditioned.
Springfield PA
CTValleyRR Mine is in my (unfortunately) unfinished basement. Knowing the drawbacks of this arrangement, I'll gladly accept a donation of $50K to finish it, because that's kind of outside of my budget at the moment.
Why or how could it possibly cost $50K to finish a basement to the level needed for a model railroad?
Install a drop ceiling and some good lighting, paint the walls and floor, partion off just those areas not associated with the train room (utilities, laundry, etc.)
Even in a large basement that should not cost more than $8K (or less) to do yourself or maybe $15K if you hire someone.
Sheldon
Well here in the Mid Atlantic, most of my friends layouts are in their basements, since most houses have basements, usually pretty nice ones at that.
But my layout is above my detached garage/workshop. The layout room is 24' x 40' and is heated and cooled.
I designed this building some 16 years ago as part of the restoration of our home. We have a basement, but the basements of 1901 Queen Anne houses are hardly the place you want to put a model railroad - the headroom in the basement is barely 6 feet.
In my pole barn I put the drop ceiling in myself, I rented a laser level that had a spinning laser that kept a line on the wall so I could mount the grid work. I saved about 60% of the cost to have someone install it for me. Took about 4 days to get it all done, but I wasn't in a hurry and it came out real nice. I installed the lighting at the same time and finished the duct work for the HVAC. I did most of the electrical after the contractor installed both electrical panels. I farmed out the HVAC and plumbing and I was able to finished the inside of the barn for just over 27k but this also included indoor/outdoor carpet on the floor too that I had installed. Biggest costs were HVAC and plumbing.
Ray
My current layout is located in my basement.
When we began planning this house (built in 1999) I figured it from the beginning to have the whole basement for my layout.
The house was custom designed and built at a Modular Plant and moved onto the basement walls in October of 1999.
With all of the utilities up in the main house - this left all of the basement with no restrictions except the posts holding up the house.
I had an Office built off the one end of the basement - separate of the 25 x 75 main basement.
The Office has the stairs coming down in it.
The basement was built with no windows and all of the walls were insulated and drywalled.
A drop ceiling was installed and all of the flourescent lights are attached to the steel frame of the house above and are plugged into outlet boxes run with conduit (8 switches control all of the room lighting)!
The wall outlets have multiple circuits (Switched and non switched) so I can shut down the layout when I leave the room.
Two years ago I added a 16 x 16 room on the back of the basement and when I finally extend the layout into my Office - will have over 2500 sq ft of layout.
I figured that I would never be satisified if i did not do for this layout room size.
One thing about it - it is taxing my modeling skills
BOB H - Clarion, PA
My little 5'8" by 8' layout is in a spare room in our small house. We dont have a basement unfortunatly. I kind of inherited the layout from a fellow modeler in the local club, he is building a much larger NKP themed layout in his basement. My layout has become the BN in the mid to late 70's on the west coast. Mike
LHS mechanic and geniune train and antique garden tractor nut case!
BerkshireSteamI am left with two choices, (a corner of the living room, and a corner of the spare bedroom)
All things being equal, the spare bedroom space, is most likely easier to justify, for model railroading as so much today tends to be influenced by "HGTV fixer-uppers" => All within a $2,500 budget only taking 30 minutes to construct (minus commercials).
CR&T is reserved for a 5'x9' N Scale layout space in an obscure area of one of those newly remodeled "spare rooms" in the lower living area of a split-entry home. The other half of the layout room is now a library.
Conemaugh Road & Traction circa 1956
If you do much of the work yourself, get some friends to help, buy products on sale or discount, do some scrounging, some patience etc... You can finish your basement off for a lot less. I finished my basement off my self. Total cost around $8000. for 1000 sqaure feet. The basement has walls built 16inches on center, 1/2 drywall, recesses lights (20) , full bathroom with ceramic tile floor, tub with full wall of tile, Kohler bath fixtures, 3 piece crown system , 2 piece chair rail, kitchenette with bar sink , granite counter tops, small built in book shelves, carpet through out, we also remove some columns to open up the floor plan and strngthened the beam to make the span greater, relocated the HTW, Cut in a door and window in a concrete wall and installed the door and window, Added extra supply vents and painted surround system and large flat screen tv.
My Basement off-course, However, I would prefer much more natural light,more large windows,which would be the whole upstairs of my house. honestly, Ive often thought a Hospital operating room would be ideal,great lighting,very clean,nurses...... no..... im off topic again,not a Mental Hospital either,but my Girl-freind disagrees.
My layout is approx 8' x 12 and is located in my family room which is 14' x 20' .
As my house is a rancher it has no basement so the alternative would have been on of the bedrooms.
However, as I am single there is no need for both a living room and a family room, besides the family room is larger than either of the two spare bedrooms.
The garage is unheated, so that was never an option. Too cold in winter and too hot in summer.
After my daughter got married and moved out of her 10.5' x 13' bedroom, I started construction of my 10.5' x 8' HO layout about 30 seconds after she left. It didn't take her long to figure out what the gallon of primer paint and the two gallons of "sky blue" paint were for the day she moved out.
My house is a split level, I get the 30ft by 33ft part for my layout, which is three decks and works it's way through two partitioned rooms. The other rooml is a bathroom, no trains in there. Just a "rack" of railroad magazines.
The layout is in a friend's finshied basement. We took over the bedroom then knocked down the laundry partition wall and even ventured as far as the garage... The actual layout is a U-shaped shelf in the old basement bedroom (11' x 15'), the expansion fill the main room (14' x 18') with shelves on 3 walls and a peninsula.
My personnal layout (Harlem Station) is located in my 26' x 36' unfinished and hard to heat basement. I will probably move it in a spare room when the benchwork will be finished.
Matt
Proudly modelling the Quebec Railway Light & Power Co since 1997.
http://www.hedley-junction.blogspot.com
http://www.harlem-station.blogspot.com
B&O SteamDemon I had a pole barn built for my layout, my layout is 4'x78'x24x78' it's a U shaped layout that follows the walls with a 6'x50' island in the middle. I had the barn built with total HVAC with humidifer and I keep the temp at 71 year round. I had a drop ceiling installed with indirect lighting to have a even light effect without shadows. I have a 10' wide mechanical area on one end of the building where I keep the small hot water heater, electrical panels and half bath and laundry tub installed plus this is my work shop for my equipment. I have a track that runs into a mountain and comes into my workshop so I can add or remove equipment and then run back out to the layout. When I was "retired" by the military I spent about 6 months planning my last layout and designed the building and layout with all the specs such as lights, outlets, HVAC, work shop, mechanicals and access from previous layouts I had and visited so I had a vision of what I wanted. I had the building built 5 years ago and I have the benchwork done, trackwork done, and about 2/3 of the basic scenery done: i.e. plaster of paris covering the benchwork. Plus making hundreds of trees to add to the layout later. I was going to put the layout in the basement but then realized I would have to give up things I wanted to do or have on the layout in order to fit it in my basement. So the wife got a new car and I got a new pole barn. I figured it was a good trade. My wife likes to point out to me from time to time that I spent more on the pole barn and benchwork than I did for the house when we bought it many years ago. It's nice to go out there and just turn up the tunes and work on the many kits I have to build or applying more plaster to the layout. I run the trains on my layout and sometimes the neighborhood kids will come by and watch the trains so I enjoy a few operating sessions and the kids don't care if the scenery is done. Most of the kids are 6-10 years old. Neighbor is a scout leader so the kids see the lights on in the barn they come over and check to see if the trains are running. ( gives me an excuse to run the trains ) lol.
That MUST be SOOOOOOO nice! I have a small 3.5 foot x 5.1 foot HO layout in the spare room. WE live in a trailer and the BR's aren't that big. There is other "stuff" in there too, which I am trying to get rid of so I can expand my meager layout.
The closest I can come to your layout is that a good close friend of mine bought a 3 acre farm with a good sized dairy barn on it. He offered me space in the hay loft area of any size I chose. I declined due to the fact that it is NOT insulated, NOT heated, NOT a/c'd, NOT dust free, NO sink for rinsing after projects, NO hot water {no running water period}, NO half bath, Electrical service is a mere 20 AMPS run off a single ROmax wire to the barn and has only 4 4' flourescent lights for ligthing that are about 20" above any layout I could build. Oh, and it doesn't have wall-to-wall carpeting either. He is also a good 45 minute drive out to his farm and that costs time and gas, the less money I would have for a layout.
My friend would like eventually to turn half of it into a Ball room with a balcony to host parties in when they have the money after upgrading the very large farmhouse. I COULD have a layout in his basement, but is is only marginally heated, it IS naturally cool in the summer, but it is a stacked-stone foundation and very musty and dirty.
*sigh* *alas* SOme people have all the luck.