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Destruction of the HO scale Bona Vista RR
I followed your layout construction for years and loved watching all the progress you made town by town. Good luck with your new home and next layout.
Frank
I so know that feeling. I went through it at the end of March this year as we sold our home in Cottage Grove, MN in preparation for a move to Grand Rapids, MI. We close here on Tuesday, but I am already staking out a spot on the lower level and will begin redesign as soon as the movers boxes have been unpacked. Destroying isn’t very satisfying as building, but it is easier when there is a goal in site.
this video made me sad
I agree with Mark (above). Sad. Are you planning a new layout somewhere else? I surely hope that’s the case.
Yes, I had to go through that myself. Fortunately for me, the layout was much smaller than Jerry’s and it was no scenery was applied yet. My question is: How much track and benchwork lumber was recovered and able to be used on the new layout?
So sad to see the dismantling of this well-known layout; makes me think that free-standing modular designs (maybe in 4-6 foot sections?) could save a lot of time, energy & expense, and speed re-building efforts, and preserve a whole lot of previous work. Sorry to see it go, Gerry; hope it’ll be back in some form!
“and this became … this”
Turning a layout room into a family room … what a waste of a perfectly good basement.
That said, as long as there are plans afoot for an even better layout at the next home, there’s no need for mourning.
I think I’ll let my heirs do it
Sometimes I think moving just isn’t worth it!! Good luck building the next one.
Its always sad to see a layout being taken down,I have taken 3 down of my own due to moving so I can relate, but the best part is looking forward to constructing a new and better one.
I was hoping to see the layout as part of the layout tour program of the NMRA Thousand Lakes Region Convention in May. It was dismantled shortly beforehand. Hopefully, another layout to the same standard will be built by Gerry again.
Run it backwards & title it “How to build a layout in 4 days”! It must have been a tough call to demolish such a mature, “as finished as can be” layout.
I liked the vedio.
I just finished dismantling a 16x20 two deck layout (not mine) into large sections. I am now rearranging the sections (using photos) to fit my own basement. I will not be able to use all because I only want a single level. Leason: build a layout with preplan cut areas for moving, something like a modified modular format. I was only able to save the layout because of using a Dremal oscilating saw, anything els would have destroyed the layout.
This just makes me sad! Unless of course you were making space for a new model railroad. But a family room ?
I have done it twice. The first time was a total dismantle. The second layout was built in sections and they were moved intact after unhooking wires and cutting track. the new layout used most of the sections plus new sections as each layout was bigger than its predecessor. The current layout will not be moved in my lifetime
We were fortunate to visit your layout on the “last day”. Thank you, it was amazing. You are a true craftsman model maker, designer, builder, photographer and more. May a new Bona Vista be built in some new form. GBH
“When one door closes, another door opens; but we so often look so long and regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us.”
Alexander Graham Bell
A bold move, but think of what may be the next incarnation of the Bona Vista… Best wishes for the new layout Gerry.
Oh the horror. 8 minutes was all it took. Wonder how long a vidoe made in the same way would would take to show building such a fine layout. Thankyou for taking the time to show us something we dont get to see that often.
Cried. Vowed to keep the modular approach active on my layout.