My 5 X 7 N-scale layout was made for 1 person to operate and enjoy but I could have up to 3 people operating at a time…
My layout (soon to be dismantled because of a move), was 15x30 and even though it was built for operation by three people, it was only me, all my railroad freinds have developed medical problems even though they are much younger than me and there are no clubs close enough. Discovered I liked builoding it more than operating it as regular wiring or DCC did not do it for me, still too many restrictions and track cleaning, especialy for sound engines, was a pain but then I am very picky and thing must run perfectly. Will have a room in the new place but smaller and I will use the down time to finish up my battery powered engines.
Only the “dream house” version of the STRATTON & GILLETTE was built for multiple operators. As far as that layout got in construction, I never even could run a train over the whole thing. It was the most expensive, but least operating, layout I ever “built”.
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All other layouts have been built just for me to play with. They are my toys, built just to make me happy, and I will enjoy them all alone.
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I do not even let model railroaders into my train room any more. I just grew tired of all the same old comments everyone would make. It seems model railroaders think the only way to prove they are intelligent is to point out everything you did wrong. I would rather they point out how they did it differently, or better, not how they are going to do it someday. The fallicy of how their imaginary layout is better than my real one is comical.
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Way back when I was into street rodding, it was the same thing. “The imaginary car I am going to build someday is going to be better than that car you are driving right now.” Whatever.
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The last layout I built with a friend, at his house… A Norfolk Southern layout set in the 1980’s, we planned for 4-5 operators. It became obvious very shortly that we would never have a reliable group that large. We cut the design back for 3 operators, and still had trouble getting just one more person to show up.
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-Kevin
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And the corollary to that statement . . .
“My rod is far superior to that hunk of iron you drive. I’d kick your sorry butt any day of the week. It’s in the shop right now, but as soon as it gets out I’ll prove it.”
Robert
How true on the wanabes. Also anoying, even on the forums, are people who give advice without having done it or repeating false asumptions because someone can’t do something that others fine easy, alot of that has to due with the way it was done, not the idea. Case in point, I was doing a type of zip texturing and all was well but then I started having issues, talked to a lot of experts in that method but what it ended up being is that as the plaster got dryer and dryer over time, it needed more and more water and time to prewet the area to make it work but if Isomeone had not done it right the first time, they might be inclined to say, bad idea.
We have a two man layout. Me and the boy (and sometimes mom.) We’re mainly limited by only having two throttles.
Photographers are the same way. 99% critique 1% constructive positive remarks.
All my layouts have been one man shows. Smallest was 2x8, largest was 8x10. Currently basically an ISL small town at the end of the branch. That’s one reason I haven’t gone to DCC, no need to run more than one train. Mainly I’ve never lived anywhere with room for a large multi operator layout.
I’d love to live someplace where there were others interested modelers and have room to execute it. Something like the old original Sunset Valley track plan transplanted to the Carolina Piedmont region (think Piedmont & Northern or Carolina & Northwestern). But until that miracle happens…
jim
My 6x9 is a one-person only operation. It’s based on a prototype that was a one-track short line so there was rarely more than one train running at a time. Also is crammed into the far corner of my basement between the boiler, storage shelves and sump pump, so I couldn’t fit more then one person in there anyway. Kids have no interest, and I haven’t yet found anyone else in the neighborhood who plays with trains. The nearest club is a few towns away, and when I was a member no-one seemed all that interested in mentoring me on helping to build their layout. So in the doleful prose of Billy Joe Armstrong (Green Day), “I walk alone”.
Count me in. Every once in a while I’ll have a fellow hobbyist friend over, but it’s almost always just me alone. I designed the layout so that it could work both ways. I have two throttles and multiple jacks, and two local switching jobs that can keep 1 or 2-person crews occupied while someone else manages the mainline trains. I also kept the aisles reasonably wide and left enough space in one part of the room to accomodate a few chairs and an antique steamer trunk that serves as both coffee table and unbuilt kit storage (yeah, I have that problem). But I’ve also used DCC and some staging yard automation to make it possible to operate alone. It’s no problem for me to have up to three trains active at once. I’ll often launch a train or two on the mainline and watch them roll by while I’m working one of the switching jobs. Maybe after I retire I’ll have more time to develop modeling-oriented social relationships, but I’ll always be happy running the layout alone.
I’m a ‘lone wolf’, although I am building a basement layout that I suspect could support at least 4-5 operators if I wanted…one switching ore cars to the ore dock and back and making up ore trains, a couple of people running mainline freight or passenger trains, switching the yard / industries in Thunder Bay, and one running the logging line. But I just do it by myself, rather do one job for an hour when I get a chance than try to organize time to have a group over once a month.
[quote user=“graymatter”]
Lone wolfing hasn’t worked out as smoothly as I thought it would.
I spent a week just trying to find extruded board foam.
I have a test track, Just flex track and some turn outs and several loops.
I had a couple kids try it out but they didnt seem interested enought to return.
Nobody seems interested in model trains in my family.
WAY to many females in my family, but that say they will ‘decorate.’
They want to use live plants, Even an herb garden.
Does basil come in 1:87scale?
So I have been drawing up plans to combine trains and slot cars.
I was going to make a few modules that were independant.
Any old mining town with the 4-4-0.
A shelf moduel featureing the B&O
that connects to the AC&Y.
And the large mountianous loops of the Union Pacific running 4-6-6-4’s.
Lone Pine Canyon road. (not to be confused with lonepine ca.)
l guess ‘LONE WOLF’ got inspirati
The trucks are close to HO scale but the cars are too big. I am planning on adding slot cars back onto my layout. And by slot cars I mean Racing Rigs. I have a couple of Pepsi and Mtn Dew trucks which should work nicely once I change the chassis from magnatraction to the old non magnetic style because the magnatraction chassis can’t operate at slow speeds because the magnets are too strong.
If you don’t mind the cars being too large then slot cars could be fun. The old Aurora model motoring cars are cool, and there are some old trucks also.
And then there is the Faller system but those are all European.
My current layout will probably only support 1 or 2 two person crews. My next layout (in design process) should be able to support 3 two man crews.
I’ve built three Lionel layouts, and thay have all been fun!
As to HO, I’ve only built one, and it had 2 steamers: Ma & Pa Numbers 23 and 28. I stil have those PFM and Gem locos, plus morre Ma & Pa. I hope to build a 10 x 13 foot layout based on the Baltimore division within the next two years.
Would love to see any photos youu may have! – Bill