Hello from Wagoner Switch, OK, once the cross roads of the MKT & MoPAC lines. Now, we’re just a simple UP town, with about 20 trains a day rumbling through town. We see tons of coal porters heading south towards Dallas; articulated car haulers going north; old, old Canadian grain hoppers heading both ways. Most of these are pulled by several big dash-8 type engines with an engine at the rear. Well over 100 cars each. It’s an interesting town to live and watch trains in. If you need some pictures or video of trains, I can grab all you want in an afternoon.
The UP’s Challenger came through not too long ago. It was quite a sight to see, and hear. They stopped downtown and oiled her up, before taking off for Kansas and parts north. The whistle was incredible.
I’ve loved trains and model trains for years, my first layout being on a 4 x 8 that folded down from the ceiling above my bed as a child. The set was a Tyco Durango special with the spotlight car and everything.
My son and I built the Woodland Scenics foam layout in HO a few years back. Then, ripped it up and went to N for more space. Now we are moving and the trains are in boxes on the shelf, ready to move. The new place has no obvious place for a layout, so we’ll have to figure out something.
In the meantime, I have been considering doing some scratchbuilding in styrene and then possibly doing some mold making and resin casting of structures.
This is really a great site. I like how everyone is talks regardless of scale or experience level. Keep up the good work, everybody.
That sounds familiar. Just a suggestion, but if you’re still in N you could consider a layout built on a lightweight hollow core wood door. These are a standard 6’- 8" long, but vary in width, usually up to 36" wide. You can do a pretty decent N scale layout on there, and when it’s not in active use it’s easy to just lean the door/layout up against a wall. If nothing else it will allow you to keep your feet wet while you negotiate for something bigger or more permanent.
Somehow I’ve managed to have some sort of layout everywhere I’ve lived since I was a kid (I’m an old codger now of 61). In college I had a small 30" x 50" HO inverted loop layout mounted on the headboard of my bed so it swung up against the wall when not in use (just be sure to remove trains and other loose items before stowing for the night). In our first little house, with two young kiddies, I had a slightly larger HO layout about 4’ x 6’ that swiveled on a frame into an upright position. In grad school I had a neat little shelf switching layout, 1’ x 6’ that fit on the back of a couch. Eventually I had half a basement to fill - talk about heaven! Now we’ve downsized into a condo and I’m left with a 3’ x 9’ switching layout in our garage. Where’s there’s a will… I have some pix of some of these efforts at the links below.
Good luck at finding a spot and designing something to fit the space.
As I’ve said before, where there is a will there is a way,I’am 63 I’ve been in & out of H.O.for years,Just lost my room to my bother inlaw,trying to keep peace around here.So have a 34"X8’ switching lay out now,but I’am wateing for the grand kids to come over so I can rearange my master bedroom,I think I will end up with a 4’x10’ or 4’x12’ space for the new layout[:)]It will be in two parts two 4’X5’ or two 4’X6’ sections.[:P][^]Like I said where there is a will there is a way[tup]