If I had to start all over again, I might do some things differently...not because what I've done so far was wrong, but just because I'd have done it before so might try something different. I've been doing HO scale free-lance iron ore railroading for about 30 years. If I started over now from scratch, I might do something like Milwaukee Road narrow gauge in southeastern Minnesota / northeastern Iowa in On3 or On30...or New York Central's Canada Southern double track mainline in N scale.
If I were to go back to 2007 when I started the current layout and start over from then, I would probably do the same general layout, but a bit differently. Things that were unexpected in 2007 like the great recession causing kids / grandkids to move in with us, limiting space and money, caused considerable delays in building the layout. Knowing what I know now, I would have started with a smaller layout that could be added to later, rather than starting from the beginning planning and building an around-the-walls basement-sized layout.
I had started on a number of room size layouts with a large yard, turntable, roundhouse etc. but have changed my mind after reading an old article in MR years ago with only one town, but no roundhouse, turntable or large yard. it will just be a large circle with many staging tracks on the backside of the circle with through freights and passenger service and a local to switch the town, along with a short branchline to whatever industries or coal mines I want to service.
As far as era's I will choose between the transition era and the end of the PC changing out cars and locomotives as needed.
I will keep some more modern stuff to run on the club layout but all before the mega mergers of the early 90's, the current stuff is just to blah and graffitti riddeled.
Rick Jesionowski
Rule 1: This is my railroad.
Rule 2: I make the rules.
Rule 3: Illuminating discussion of prototype history, equipment and operating practices is always welcome, but in the event of visitor-perceived anacronisms, detail descrepancies or operating errors, consult RULE 1!
BRAKIE If you had to restart the hobby from ground zero knowing what you know now what would you do? Would you: A: Choose another era? All steam? All early diesel? Both? The 60s? 70s? 80s? 90s? Today? B. Downsize your "dream" layout and use the "kiss" method? C. Prototype or freelance? D. Go with how you currently model? ----------------------------------------------
If you had to restart the hobby from ground zero knowing what you know now what would you do?
Would you:
A: Choose another era? All steam? All early diesel? Both? The 60s? 70s? 80s? 90s? Today?
B. Downsize your "dream" layout and use the "kiss" method?
C. Prototype or freelance?
D. Go with how you currently model?
----------------------------------------------
1. The same era--1980s
2. Same as current layout.
3. Same--combination of both.
4. Yes
I would purchase all my track and all my turnouts right after I had a layout plan before the build.
TF
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
Hmmm? Possibly give NZ120, or more specifically, NZ TT9, a go.
Have not heard of that! Is that 3´6" gauge 1/120 scale on 9mm tracks?
Happy times!
Ulrich (aka The Tin Man)
"You´re never too old for a happy childhood!"
Hello All,
The only thing I would/could do-over would be adopting DCC immediately.
Hope this helps.
"Uhh...I didn’t know it was 'impossible' I just made it work...sorry"
jjdamnitThe only thing I would/could do-over would be adopting DCC immediately.
.
If I had to start over from scratch, and did not have the collection of locomotives I already have, I would absolutely go with DCC control.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
Thanks all for your replies.
I would change one thing...As I stated I would focus on one road name instead of having a hodge podge collection of road names.
If there is a bright side I can say my hodge podge road name collection is the roads I like.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
I took Larry's questions to mean starting over as in building a new layout, OR, making a personal choice to change scales or era, etc.
And my responses that indicated I would not change anything are based in several factors, most important being that I figured out a long time ago what interests me the most about this hobby, and therefor my purchases in the last thirty years have been focused on that set of goals.
I'm not the kind of person who jumps from one interest to another casually......
Now, at 62 years old, or even when I was 40 years old, I would not just sell it all and start over. That goes against my nature.
I don't want to sound too negative here, but if I was in the position of loosing all the items I have thru some tragety, and knowing what I know about this hobby and this industry, I'm not sure what I would do.
The idea of completely starting over would be very discouraging. Attemping to replace 50 years of accumulated models, many no longer in production for decades, in the current market, would really give me pause. Maybe a really big pause.........
As for DCC, I have said many times that if my layout concept was different, or my scale different, I would consider it based on the different factors. But to build the layout I am about to build, no amount of available funds would automaticly compel me to go DCC just because I was starting from scratch.
A big factor for me is the limited run, preorder system. I don't like it. And I don't really like the "hunt", at train shows or other means on the secondary market.
So what I consider the "spotty" supply of some products necessary for my layout concept, might really have me wondering if I would want to attemp that?
Happy I have most of the trains I want, happy with my choices, in trains and in life......
Sheldon
Starting from scratch again or not - no change. I like what I'm doing. If I wanted to model differently in any way I would, regardless of money already invested.
Mark P.
Website: http://www.thecbandqinwyoming.comVideos: https://www.youtube.com/user/mabrunton
ATLANTIC CENTRALThe idea of completely starting over would be very discouraging. Attemping to replace 50 years of accumulated models, many no longer in production for decades, in the current market, would really give me pause. Maybe a really big pause.
I am going to rethink this, and go on this hypothetical idea...
If I lost everything in a natural disaster, and my insurance company came through with a fair settlement, what would I do?
For me, this would be devastating. The custom decals I have collected over many decades, including the personal collection of Whit Towers, an orginal set of V&O decals, and many other special sets, could never be replaced.
100+ freight cars I have individually assembled, painted, decorated, and weathered also would take 2-3 years to build again.
What about 60+ old style Shinohara code 83 turnouts. Can I get those again? A dozen Troller 2.5 power packs? The tools, supplies, paint, etc... what a task that would be.
I have two 27 gallon totes full of scenery supplies. I don't even want to think of hunting all that down again. My scrap box is priceless and cannot be replaced by any means.
I am too old to completely start this STRATTON AND GILLETTE project over again from scratch.
I do not know what I would do, but it would probably be ready to run large scale, maybe 1/32, and have real sound on board.
Maybe a huge ISL or something. I just do not know.
Kevin,
Now think 800+ freight cars, some not built yet, but including vintage 50's/60's Varney and Athearn metal cars, Silver Streak and other wooden craftsman kits, etc as well as recent high end/medium end RTR.
And then think about 140 locomotives/powered units of various manufacter from 1960's brass to recent but currently out of production steam and diesels, many kitbashed and carefully custom painted and decaled.
Then consider nearly 200 passenger cars, mostly just Athearn and ConCor 72' cars, but with working American Limited diaphragms, reworked for close coupling, extra details, special trucks, some with interiors and lighting, some kitbashed into unique cars, many also custom painted and decaled, and some yet to build.
And we have not even gotten to 100 or more structures, 600-800' track, 100+ turnouts, 400 ice cube control relays, detectors, switch machines, 10 radio throttles, power supplies, etc, etc.
Money aside, starting over would just be overwhelming.....
ATLANTIC CENTRALI don't want to sound too negative here, but if I was in the position of loosing all the items I have thru some tragety, and knowing what I know about this hobby and this industry, I'm not sure what I would do.
Sheldon,If I lost everything I' not sure what I would do.. I'm 71 and in poor health.. OTOH I'm not sure I could give up the hobby that I enjoyed for 65 years.
If I lost all of my trains through a disaster of some kind, I’d do just like I did, well maybe make more of an effort to have some home layout or two. It would be a sentimental loss. Some of my stuff is 60 yrs old.
Era: 1958 to 1965 centering on 1962.
Roads: UP and SP.
Scale: I’d probably switch to S gauge 1/64.
Jim (with a nod to Mies Van Der Rohe)
If I were to start over I'd probably do a freelanced On2 line based on the SR&RL using mostly NJCB SR&RL brass equipment.
Actually my first choice would be to hope for the lottery numbers and do 1 1/2" scale live steam! I finally got the acreage to do something like that but lack the funds.
oldline1
oldline1Actually my first choice would be to hope for the lottery numbers and do 1 1/2" scale live steam!
You know, if I lost everything, I might just finish my 7 1/2" guage mikado!
If starting over I'd try to do a 5' x 9' layout so that it would be portable to the next house.
I would also go back about 25 years from now, and I would simply keep some Overland Models Alco Century diesels, instead of selling them in favor of some other things at the time. I would not have participated in the excessive trading/changing my mind and trying of new models since then. Sometimes we don't know a good thing when we have it...
If I did those two things, I'd be financially better prepared for eventual retirement, and I would have been able to afford any rolling stock I wanted (that could negotiate a 5' x 9' layout).
John