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After talking to myself about getting back into this hobby for over a year now, I've finally got a plan. As a kid, my Dad & I started 3 HO 4 x 8 layouts. I also had an N scale 2 x 4 layout. I don't think I've tallied it up before, but wow, that was 4 layouts! NONE of them made it past track, ballast, and a little bit of plaster on chicken wire. Now I'm married, with a 1st kid on the way (we're extremely excited!), and in the process of starting my own consulting business. But I STILL want to get back into this hobby! Seeing everyones layout progress on this site is killing me! If there's one thing I've learned the past few years - it's if you think you're too busy for something, it's too bad, you just have to cram it into your life anyway - you can't wait to be ready for something. Considering my shady past of finishing layouts, this time I'm going to bite of something I could fully chew, digest, and spit out. I don't want to spend a lot of time or money on it (heck, I'd love to, but can't do either). I'm going with a Timesaver - in HO scale. I've been an armchair guy for many years now, and I definately want a shelf type layout. Part of the reason my Dad and I may not have gotten past white plaster was we were very lacking in switching - in hindsight, I think he was more of a toy-train type guy - didn't care about scenery or switching or anything. He was happy with plywood & some cool assembled buildings & rolling stock. So I'm planning on a timesaver, with a main line running in front of it. I'll attach two curves at the end of the shelf, and they will loop behind the layout, or possibly in front of it (in which case they'd wrap around me. So basically, the "main line" track will be a big oval with a timesaver attached to it, with only one section of it scenicked. The "loop" section will be unscenicked, and could possibly even evolve into staging. It will also be easily detachable if I want to get the loop out of the way, and will only take seconds to set up. (taking time to setup will equal no running - I know myself too well). I figure the Timesaver will give me lots of opportunities for switching fun, and a main line running in front of it will allow me to have a 2nd train "orbiting" on the main on a seperate power pack. This will allow me to run big 6 axle diesels or whatever I want on the main. There was an article in MR 10 years or so ago about a layout being a "stage" with trains appearing on the stage, then disappearing on the other side. My timesaver & main line will be the stage. So I could do some serious railfanning as well. I could put a 20 car train on my 8ft long layout this way! Could even make the "staging" area hidden, and throw a timing circuit on there so I don't see the big train every 10 seconds. Maybe I'll have a sliding sector plate or something in the staging area. I love looking at the huge layouts in MR, but at this point in my life, they're sort of like looking at fancy cars at a car show or something - nice to look at, but outside of my reality at this time in my life. Has anyone out there built a timesaver and had fun with it? I found a few websites with track plans involving it. It looks like it could be pretty fun. I'm just looking for some inspiration here. I found one web page dedicated to bashing it (saying how unreastic it is, etc.) and I found another defending it - noting how unreastic all model railroads are, and accepting that as part of the challenge of having fun with it. I'm looking for suggestions on incorporating industries into it. A city theme seems pretty likely - lots of dense structures with track crammed into it - but with buildings low enough that I could uncouple cars in there, etc. Any industry suggestions that make use of many types of cars? I'd also like to have a dust-curtain built in, as it will be located in the garage. The loop of track could go without - will be cheap flextrack that could be cleaned up with a shop vac. Darnit, this plan totally neglects my Trolley fascination. Arrrgggghhhh!!!! OK - maybe if I'm a good boy and fini***his layout, I could add a 2nd module on an upper deck or something that will be a trolley layout... [:p]
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