Soon to be a new home owner

[justinjhnsn3]

After years of renting with most of my trains in boxes and trying to get space in my dads basement to build a layout. I am going to be a new home owner(atleast after the bank gets the paper work done). It is a small 1 story ranch but the best part is the basement. The unfinished basement is around 26ft by 40ft.

I finaly have the room to build chicago like i always wanted to. I guess i need to start the planing.

[richhotrain]

justinjhnsn3

I finaly have the room to build chicago like i always wanted to. I guess i need to start the planing.

Tell us more.

What part of Chicago are you planning to model?

Rich

[justinjhnsn3]

richhotrain

justinjhnsn3:

I finaly have the room to build chicago like i always wanted to. I guess i need to start the planing.

 

Tell us more.

What part of Chicago are you planning to model?

Rich

 

it is the same parts that i have wanted to make for a long time. If you go far enough back in the forms you will probly see me explaning it before. Before i lost the room to build it a around 2 years ago i was planing to build the ogilvie transportation center, union satation and the loop. I collected alot of stuff over the years that can be used for chicago. I was even able to find a walthers bascule bridge for only $50.00. I have figured out how to build the el system out of styreen. I also have one the famous chicago bridges in the process of being built.

 

With the room to build it the loop section will be atleast 6 ft wide if not closer to 8 foot. The ogilvie transportation section will be 3 to 4 ft wide.   

[HHPATH56]

You speak of a loop section 6-8 ft wide. How do you plan to have access reach to trains? The maximum reach is 28". Do you plan on peninsulas, lift outs, or what. I have one of my accesses to the rear of a sawmill complex as a pull-out drawer. The center of my 5 ft. wide peninsula has a lift-out. Bob Hahn

[richhotrain]

Aaaah, yes, I recall you now.

Here is the link to your earlier thread:

http://cs.trains.com/TRCCS/forums/t/199234.aspx?PageIndex=1

Rich

[galaxy]

Hi

Congrats on the new home!     

Don't be fooled just yet, though. They say when you buy a house, you don't just buy a house. Especially form renting. If all the appliances, including washer and dryer, are included you are off to a good start. But then you may need a lawn mower, a snow shovel, a snow blower, if you plan on doing any type of planting at all you will need shovels, rakes, etc. ANd then there is the furniture bill...old furniture and a futon can only go sa far...especially if you have more rooms now than you did.

Then we have the layout...The costs for a new base...especially one that will take up a lot of that wonderful basement..well you may need a pretty penny or years of budgeted financing to build your empire.

I hope it is a dry, clean, fairly climate controlled basment. You may have to invest in a dehumidifier or two...basements can be damp. You may even want to consider finishing it off before you build your layout. It will stay cleaner, though dust will still find its way onto your layout.

Not trying to discourage you, just playing  a little devil's advocate  as I look forward to the day we can own a house with a basement to build empires in to play with, but the trailer to house conversion, even with most of the stuff here already, still may mean we have to spend some dough!

And to build the "dream layout" {actually with the small space I have here and a tiny layout already, heck, I'd be happy with a 4x8!!!},,, well that may require giving up the cruise we always wanted and/or the extra trips to Hawaii...

Congrats again!   I hope you enjoy your house and build your dream Chicago layout!

 

 

[justinjhnsn3]

Yes i know a new home can add up. this time i got a steel. All the appliances are included. I am getting a my dads old lawnmower. Shovels rakes ext. until i buy them i can just go across town and bower them from my dad. As for furnature i got a new couch and bed about 1year ago. the only thing i do not have is a dinning room table but got sources for a cheep one.

The basement is in good shape. the concrete floor was pored nice and level. The walls and floors are painted and in very good shape. My dad was talking about giving me his dehumidifer. The furness is only 6 years old and the central air airconditioner is only 4 years old. So this basement is climate controlled.  This house i could of seen to go fast so i made a offer the same night i saw it. Because the owner had to move fast for her new job, i got a very good deal on it.

 

   

[justinjhnsn3]

HHPATH56

You speak of a loop section 6-8 ft wide. How do you plan to have access reach to trains? The maximum reach is 28". Do you plan on peninsulas, lift outs, or what. I have one of my accesses to the rear of a sawmill complex as a pull-out drawer. The center of my 5 ft. wide peninsula has a lift-out. Bob Hahn

down town chicago is called the loop because an upperlevel rail system goes through down town. most of this peninsula will be a large city scene with uperlevel EL trains running in a loop around the edges.  

[justinjhnsn3]

TA462

I agree with Galaxy for once.    If this is your first home then you are a year if not years away from starting that dream layout.   Just the general up keep and getting the house into the condition you want it to be in takes away from valuable hobby cash AND time.   Owning a house is a hobby all its own, lol.  Good luck with it eh,

The only work this house needs right now is a work with the down spouts. Estimated cost about $100 at home depot or menards.  This house was the dimand in the rough. I never expected to find a house in souch good shape in my price range. The asking price would have been most likely $20,000 above if not for the fact she  had a new job so she needed it to be sold fast so she could move to anouther part of the state.

[mobilman44]

Hi!

Congratulations!!!!   I'm 68 and on my 7th house, but still recall the thrill of that first one.   And, as a native Chicagoan having lived there from 1944 thru 1968, I applaud your modeling the RR center of the country.

May I give you some advice................

-  Prep the basement layout area first.  Seal the concrete and build in walls and dropped ceiling if you can.  All this will go a long way in keeping down dust.   Also, make sure you have lighting and electrical outlets in the right places.

-  In my opinion, the design phase is often rushed thru and neglected.   Everyone wants to "lay track" as soon as possilbe, but spending the up front time with paper and pencil (or pc and CAD software) will save you loads of grief later on.   Oh, when drawing out turnouts, make sure you give yourself enough room.

-  ENJOY!   Enjoy each phase of the build out - from sealing/painting the concrete to putting in that last spike.   For most of us, the building part is at least 50 percent of the enjoyment of the layout.

 

[ndbprr]

Are you married? If you are you will get the, "I can live with it. When will ot be done? Why can't we go out more often" treatment. This is followed by, "WE did this or WE did that".

[mobilman44]

Ha,

or as a very short term well to do girlfriend of mine said when she first saw my layout (1997) - "How much did you spend on this stuff?"...............

[skagitrailbird]

What fun you have awaiting you, inspite of the many obstacles you will encounter.

To expand a bit on Mobilman's comments about electrical planning, I have some suggestions:

• use 20 amp circuits if at all possible in your train room.  For the most part you won't need that much amperage but it doesn't cost much more to do it at the beginning vs nearly impossible to retrofit higher amperage circuits
• Put several outlets in the ceiling on one of more switched circuits.  I have standard overhead lighting for general room lighting but track lighting on a dimmer switch to simulate dusk or night time running.
• put in twice as many outlets around the room as you  will think you need (that will be about four times what code requires.)  Put half of them on a switched circuit.  Everything on your layout, from power (DCC or DC), lighting, turnout controls, etc., etc. should be connected to one of the switched outlets.  That way, one switch turns off EVERYTHING on the layout.  You won't need to run around remembering to turn off various items/systems.

Good luck!

[rrinker]

 See this here is a very smart man, thinking along the same lines as I am. Everyone is enamored of these big two-story houses. Not me. A much smaller ranch will have a bigger basement than that fancy two story house. I don't need a huge house to live in, and I don't want one, not after previous fiascos. And with my bad knees, a house all on one level will be a blessing someday in the not too distant future. These days, when considering potential houses, I only look at ranch-style.

                         --Randy

 

[rrboomer]

Remember to leave room to access furnace,  water heater, etc.  They will have to be replaced someday.  More than one bath?  Should wife and kids happen in future you probably will need another bathroom,  may have to be in basement,  plan now.  It will need exhauste fan,  so will you spray booth.  Washer and dryer in basement?  They are humidifiers and dust makers,  evasive action required.  Oh yes,  don't forget burst proof water supply hoses.  Check to make sure basement floor drain works,  is your AC condensate line piped (or hose) to drain there?

Do you have 200 amp electrical service?  May need to upgrade 100amp doesn't cut it any more,  even for non model rails.

 

 

 

[Medina1128]

Don't you mean a "new train room owner, with optional house attached"?

[Vancouver Island Pacific]

Where I'm from, neither 1 story houses or ranchers have basements. You lucked out. lol

Good luck with the empire!