Do your wife understand the need for a BIG space?

[Anonymous]

mine understands that why she keeps filling the house with furniture and other useless stuff

[Anonymous]

Why do we Guys always get the stupid Basement just enjoy our Trains. That's messed up. It's not fair. Of cource Modeling takes up alot of room. But the Basement,come on Guys. Allan.

[Anonymous]

Before we got married my future wife suggested that we move all of my stuff into the basement so that we could put in new carpet and paint. "It will be so much easier to do it now, before I move my things in." What she failed to mention at the time was that my old stuff would never come up out of the basement... ever. Sigh.

But I do count the back yard as my domain, too. After two years of drought and neglect, she said I could do anything I wanted out there. Woo hoo, 50x70 feet of railroading empire!

Bill

[Anonymous]

I get a 20 x 20 room in the basement that use to be my wood working shop that i'm converting into my layout room. The problem is trying to arrange all my wood working equipment to make room for an as big of layout as i can fit. I hate to half to sell all my stuff. It's fun collecting but hard to part with. Although I havent used it in about 2 years, LOL.

[Tom Bryant_MR]

My car never uttered a word when I backed it out of the garage on to the drive way.

Oh, my wife? One of the most understanding woman in the world. She helps me with the train stuff, giving me ideas of materials to use for this and that, colors to use etc.

[ericboone]

I've been involved with model trains constantly since I was seven. Thus there were no surprises for my wife. She knew that the "She gets the house, I get the basement" rule applied very early on before we were even engaged. Now that we finally have one, I just have to fini***he basement.

[AggroJones]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Don Gibson

SINCE A 4X8 takes up whole room to get around it (doorway's are 3' wide) you end up with a 4X8 - taking up 10'X12'. BETTER to build a 10X12 with 4X8 in the center.

Most bedroom's are 12X12. 60 years ago they were 10X10.

Well mine's 9' x 11'.

[fwright]

BWFTEX - I loved your story!

Mine goes somewhat more like this:

What are you doing opening those boxes where the trains are stored?

'Cause it's time I built a layout before the kids are too big to care.

You need to sell those trains, the boxes take up too much space. Besides you never use them (note the circular logic). Then we'd have space to do something.

Where are you going now?

Down to the basement to build my layout?

No, you're not. We never get to see you as it is. Why don't you watch a movie with us?

(said under my breath) 'Cause there's no meaningful interaction in being in the same room watching a movie. (said so she could hear) Yes dear.

Why don't you display your trains on the living room walls? You have some pretty nice models, if you knew where they were.

Great idea, honey. I'll build a long an 8 ft bookshelf with built-in lighting and track and scenery to display them on. (construction starts)

(5 minutes after tools are set up in the living room) Aren't you going to clean up that mess? I have people coming over.

OK, I can schedule an evening to make a mess so I can build the display? Especially if I promise to vacuum and dust afterwards? Besides, this way I'm close to you (while you're trying to watch your movie or TV show).

No! I never know when somebody is going to pop their head in. Besides you never clean up after yourself anyway.

(I start construction anyway while she is out shopping. She returns to see foam sitting on shelf brackets. Unutterable sounds are uttered.)

If I had any idea this is what it was going to look like, I never would have agreed to it! Besides, you PROMISED you would clean up after yourself.

I did. I vacuumed the floor and furniture, and dusted everything. All the tools are put away. And I'm close to you, not down in the basement.

Well, this can't stay the way it is. Somebody might come over and see it.

(Luckily, I had thought in advance, and spent the necessary male bonding time at Home Depot at the cost of $100 and another round of listening to how I always wasted my time and our money.)

Honey, I'll build a cover so that it will look good until the "display" is finished. Keep your friends a way for a couple of hours.

(Pull out my Home Depot piano hinge and masonite panels, and install hinged cover. Cover specially designed to fold underneath layout, and to cover at an angle to upper bookshelf so kids and I won't use it as storage shelf for remotes, etc)

Honey, what do you think now? You've got a pretty sharp husband, don't you?

Sharp, my A--! The colors clash with our furniture. Can't you carry the print design and colors from the sofa slip cover onto the shelf cover? Then it would match. A real husband would do that, you know.

Maybe I should just take the whole thing down to the basement.

Maybe you should!

(And so the world turns in my G-rated house.)

[siberianmo]

Chalk me up to the "She gets the house, I get the basement!" crowd. Now, if I only could arrange for a bigger basement! [swg]

[canazar]

Its good to hear some women out there understand. I definatly got a great one. When we moved into our new house here, she gave me the whole garage. I got a wondeful 15x18 laytout and nice area for a work space. Now her giving me the space is nice, but thats the not crticla part. It means, her car has ot sit outside in the sun during the summers where it averages 110 outside. She puts up with that so I can have my space. She says she knows how imortant it is to me Isnt she great?

John k

[jeffshultz]

When we married I wasn't an active railroader - had completely ignored it for several years actually.
Then I got recalled to active duty in 2003 and sent overseas.... by the time I got back to the states a few months later, her father had announced that he was going to start building a model railroad... two months later I was home, a month or two after that I unboxed the modules I'd had sitting around since they were shipped home from my last duty station in '98.
I totally rebuilt them into a 2x8 layout (+ a bit) and set them up behind the couch in the living room... in a 900sq ft. apartment. This is HO btw.
So when we started shopping for houses, one comment we made in any house that was a possible was, "and this could be the railroad room."

We bought a house in August. Over the next month we finished the single car garage. It's now the railroad room (+ some storage). She's just happy it's not in the living room anymore.

[cwclark]

MY wife understands that as long as i have plenty of space for trains, life will be pleasant around the house...diamonds = sq. ft.'age...chuck

[ndbprr]

Just say it is like shoes and they should get it.

[RMax1]

I have my den which is 22x18 and she has her sewing area which is 45x16. I had to build the inside of her building by sheetrocking the existing structure, put up a few walls and change the lighting but she's happy. She just made me these great cutains for the den!

RMax1

[orsonroy]

QUOTE: Originally posted by TA462

I could have had the entire basement if I wanted it.

Same here. But I'm only taking about 1/3 of the basement for layout space (14x25). Thinking ahead, I'm finishing the basement with 1/3 layout space, 1/3 utility/laundry/storage, and 1/3 family "rumpus room". That way, when I'm down in my lair, the rest of the family can be down there too and hang out with me while I "do my thing".

Is 14x25 enough for my grand vision? Well, no, but neither would a 60x120 pole barn. I'll be happy with whatever I end up with (and the staging yards will probably encroach along the walls of the other 2/3 of the basement!)

[loathar]

QUOTE: Originally posted by trainchris

My wife just deals with me I have three hobbies Trains, Cars, and woodworking. Right now all three of my hobbies are shoved into a one-car garage.The trains are flowing over into the bedroom, the saw dust is landing on the freshly painted frame and body parts, and the sparks from grinding are setting the wood on fire. SO… We will be moving to Maine this spring and she has been looking at houses for the last six months, just about every house I have said no to because there’s just no room for all three. She has given in and is now looking at bigger better places a full basement for the trains, and one big barn or two smaller ones for the car and woodworking. I have to say I love my wife and she is a definite keeper! [^]
I guess the answer to the question for me would be YES.[:D]

I hear ya!! I was doing all that grinding, cutting , sawing stuff in the train building. I got tired of cleaning it up so I built an overhang on the side of my building and moved all the dirty work out there.(I'm just in the new benchwork stage right now, so I don't have to worry too much about messing things up)

[wjstix]

I think she does. We got married in September, right now we're each still living in our own homes while looking for a townhouse. She understands that I need to find one with a big basement area for a layout, she likes the layout I have now but did see the MR article a couple issues back on the Ohio Southern and now says I have to do a two-level layout !!

[electrolove]

QUOTE: Originally posted by bwftex

Probably is a problem for some guys. But I’m lucky, she accepts it.........goes kind of like this...........

Honey what are you doing with all that wood and those tools?
Building a model railroad.

In here?
Yes.

Are you crazy?
Yes.

How much room will it take up?
All of it.

Here we go again, another stunt. What if people come over?
They can go outside.

You’re going to make a big mess in here aren’t you?
Yes.

And you’ll want me to help clean it up won't you?
Yes.

And just what else do you want me to do?
Get naked and hand me my tools.

In your dreams!
Your always in my dreams, your beautiful and I love you.

So you got me flowers didn't you?
Yes they’re on the night table.

I knew it. You knew I wouldn’t like this one bit and did it anyway and then thought you could buy me off with flowers?
No. I thought you just might get over it a little quicker that way.

I'm never going to get over it. Never!...god the things I put up with. Oh hell.........here.. let help you with that.
But you’re not naked yet.

Don’t push it buster. You’re building a model railroad in our dining room and I’m helping you. Just how many women would even put up with you and the things you do?
Only one. Only you. I’m a lucky guy.

You are really funny man [:D][:D][:D][:D][:D][:D] The naked part was the best one...

[RedGrey62]

Actually she does, she just wants me to finish a layout for once! I've already negotiated for the next layout space, 1/2 of a one car garage. During the last couple of years, my wife lives one place while I am stationed elsewhere, we've talked about a new house. Not so much for more layout space, but something more out on the country.

The key is getting her to think it was her idea, the same exact ploy they do to us!

Rick

[trainchris]

My wife just deals with me I have three hobbies Trains, Cars, and woodworking. Right now all three of my hobbies are shoved into a one-car garage.The trains are flowing over into the bedroom, the saw dust is landing on the freshly painted frame and body parts, and the sparks from grinding are setting the wood on fire. SO… We will be moving to Maine this spring and she has been looking at houses for the last six months, just about every house I have said no to because there’s just no room for all three. She has given in and is now looking at bigger better places a full basement for the trains, and one big barn or two smaller ones for the car and woodworking. I have to say I love my wife and she is a definite keeper! [^]
I guess the answer to the question for me would be YES.[:D]

[bwftex]

Probably is a problem for some guys. But I’m lucky, she accepts it.........goes kind of like this...........

Honey what are you doing with all that wood and those tools?
Building a model railroad.

In here?
Yes.

Are you crazy?
Yes.

How much room will it take up?
All of it.

Here we go again, another stunt. What if people come over?
They can go outside.

You’re going to make a big mess in here aren’t you?
Yes.

And you’ll want me to help clean it up won't you?
Yes.

And just what else do you want me to do?
Get naked and hand me my tools.

In your dreams!
Your always in my dreams, your beautiful and I love you.

So you got me flowers didn't you?
Yes they’re on the night table.

I knew it. You knew I wouldn’t like this one bit and did it anyway and then thought you could buy me off with flowers?
No. I thought you just might get over it a little quicker that way.

I'm never going to get over it. Never!...god the things I put up with. Oh hell.........here.. let help you with that.
But you’re not naked yet.

Don’t push it buster. You’re building a model railroad in our dining room and I’m helping you. Just how many women would even put up with you and the things you do?
Only one. Only you. I’m a lucky guy.

[warhammerdriver]

The garage is mine, with the only stipulation that if the Freestar needs to be brought inside there's room for it. That and shelving for the pool/hot tub supplies. And work around the wood stove. Limits me to about a 6x16 rectangle. Usable area for a layout is probably 4X13 with another 2x3 area. No complaints, tho. It's more usable space than I had before---and it's heated! (Forecast high for tomorrow is 16)

[Texas Zepher]

Yup, that is why we are looking at things like this for our next house:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=4398751418&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT
I get the gymnasium for the train layout, a classroom for exhibits, a classroom for a workshop, and a classroom for storage.

[loathar]

My wife hated trains and didn't understand. I got rid of her and kept my trains. BEST decision I ever made!!![:D][:)][:D][:)][8D][8D][8D]

[Duce]

I guess Im one of the lucky ones. I have a room for my trails and my wife has a craft room. So I dont have to war over space. I do think that as time goes on you will alway WANT more room but will you really need it is the question.

I mean lets face it if most of us could get away with it we would have trains running in every room. As far as a dream layout I would need to build a 60X60 barn with a bathroom, heat,a/c, and the whole nine yards...

Right now Im happy with what I got and it will take years to need more space

[Billba]

Dave,
Every day friend, every day!!!

[DALCruiser]

Billba

She really is a keeper!! I hope you show her how much you care about her.

Dave

[Billba]

Electrolove,

My wife located the house that we live in, looking for a basement, and a railroad near by. The CSX, old Pere Marquette, runs across the back of our property. [8D][8D][8D]

The "train room" is 26 x 19 feet. The workshop is about 14 x 20 feet. [^][^][^]

Basically, the house, the yard, and the shed are her's, the basement and garage are mine. [:p][:p][:p]

In my estimation, she is a "keeper". [:D][:D][:D]

[Anonymous]

When I was married, my wife took up the big space!