The ultimate basement

[CBQ_Guy]

For me, the bigger the better with the stairs coming down away from the walls and minimal support columns. High ceilings would also be nice because I'd be tempted to build a mushroom style layout. I'd like it to be large enough to do a humongous walk around style of layout similar to Rick Rideout's L&N or Dave Barrow's Cat Mountain & Santa Fe, rather than a spaghetti bowl configuration because my area isn't large enough. I also want a very large area just to give some walking distance between towns.

My daughter just bought a new house and I told her I lust for her basement. It meets all the criteria listed above as it's something like 30 plus by 60 plus feet and has a 9 foot ceiling! The stairs come down in the middle of the area, there's only three posts, and the furnace and HW heater are also in the center area underneath the stairs. Man, could I build a great layout there!

[Big_Boy_4005]

I designed and built a home with 4450 square foot footprint. That many squaer feet upstairs for living, and a basement to match. The train room is almost 2000 square feet, but the area for the layout is only 38 x 46. The finished ceiling will be just over 8'. I have 3 support columns in the middle, but they are no bother. I also designed in a door to my garage / workshop which allows me to bring in materials for construstion.

[orsonroy]

I lost a bid on a 10 year old ranch a few years ago while househunting. The basement was a basically empty 30x70 dream. The stairs came down the center, naturally creating two rooms. All the utilities were under the stairs, as was a half bath, and the washer/dryer/mud sink were upstairs! The basement was perfectly layout-ready (meaning it was just a concrete box!), with no posts.

Unfortunately, I didn't get that house. I actually ended up with a much nicer 100+ year old Craftsman foursquare which is much more suited to our lifestyles and tastes. Unfortunately, it only has a 32x32 basement divided into four rooms. I knocked down one wall to create my current 14x32 layout room.

To me, the "perfect basement" would be one which would allow me to have a 10-15 scale mile long mainline that would support TT/TO operations. It'd have a bathroom and crew lounge, as well as a decent workshop area (at least 10x10) and a dispatcher's office. Lighting, insulation, drywall and carpeting would give the entire space a comfortable, hospitable atmosphere. Oh, and a well-stocked mini fridge full of frosty barley pop would be mandatory!

[cmrproducts]

Tom

I was able to design my new basement 5 years ago. It was 25 x 75ft. I had the contractors add an extra row of blocks (13 rows) which gave me over 8 ft ceilings. There were no windows and no utilities. The water tank and furnace were upstairs.

There was an office/lounge (12x28) off this basement area where the water softener and stairs came down. So this left me with just the support columns and Bilco emergency exit doorway to deal with. The panelbox was set high on the one wall close to a corner.

Since then I have added a complete drop ceiling, 20 8ft 4 tube fluoresent lights, switched outlets along the walls and a layout.

The layout has, at this time about 2600ft of HO track and we run Digitrax Radio DCC.

Although the scenery is only about 10% done we have more fun operating every other Thursday night.

Bob H Clarion, PA

[tstage]

Perhaps this has been asked before in a variety of other posts. If so, forgive me. I'm somewhat new to the forum.

? Question ?
If you could construct your own basement (i.e. size, location of utiliites, furnace, and water heaters, etc.) for a new layout, how big and what shape would your basement be?

Ideas: Would it be perfectly square or rectangular? Would it be divided into two or more rooms? Accessiblitily?

The reason for asking. I went house hunting a few years ago with my wife. We looked at a ranch with a somewhat unusual 1st floor plan. The kitchen was the wrong shape so we weren't particularly interested in it.

The basement however, I wish I could have folded up and taken it with me. It went the full length of the house with only one support post right smack in the middle. Clean and dry with ample lighting. I'm guessing it was probably 24 X 48'. My mouth hit the floor. (The furnace and water heater were in the middle with the support post.)

Anyway, I've thought how much of a layout could I have had in that space. I'm not complaining. My 4 x 8 table is bringing me much enjoyment at the moment.

I'm curious to hear what some of you have to say.

Tom