I’ve been considering getting my layout designed, and the Benchwork, Trackwork, and Electrical done.
It would be roughly a 10x10 layout so I think that would help keep costs down.
Does anyone have expirience with hiring out builders for your layout, if so How was it?
Its worth is as much as you are willing to pay for it.
Figure at least $20.00 an hour for labor, plus the lumber, the track and the wire. Question is how much time is the builder going to put into it.
An experienced builder can do it more quickly but will ask more per hour.
A friend or someone like that might do it for less but it will take far more hours.
Your best bet is to find a neighbor who will help you with the project.
The Route of the Broadway LION, making the simple complicated!
ROAR
There have typically been several custom layout builders that advertise in MR magazine. Some 25 years ago (give or take) MR magazine did an article on custom built layout and interviewed a company and a few customers. It was very expensive even back then in the 5 figures in cost or more. Even to have a layout designed and built up to a plywood pacific level would likely costly but you can get quotes from those companies. Most model railroaders can’t afford such services and learn to design and build layouts themselves. If you can afford the services, they are out there.
I would suggest visiting a few local clubs and train shops. They will have more knowledge of local expertise and tradesmen. Unless you go with an expensive full-service custom layout builder, you are likely to have separate people doing the design, benchwork construction, track laying and wiring.
I guess I have to ask, though, “Why?”
To me and most on this forum, building a layout is part of the hobby, and it’s the part many of us take the most pleasure and pride in. I kept track of my time, and found it took me about one month for every square foot of layout. I spent most of my time on detailed scenery, but that time includes building both structures and rolling stock from kits, tracklaying and wiring.
For the layout design part, once you have decided on your own “givens & druthers”, you can develop a plan yourself, or perhaps with help from this Forum, the Layout Design SIG, or other MRRs.
Then, with the track plan and specs for benchwork and subroadbed set, you can solicit bids from the various custom builders, which as noted earlier, is likely to be $$$. Another option would be to contact the local clubs, to see if they, or some of their individual members would be willing to submit a bid.
Jim
It is worth however much it is worth to YOU.
I just paid a pro painter $74, plus my $24 to ship an engine to him, for just a minor paint touch up on a model. But for that model, the investment is worth it to me.
I have seen layouts that were professionally designed and built. We are talking a few thousand dollars here, up to perhaps 10 grand. The owner of the layout is very happy as he has a completed, fully scenic’d layout that operates reliably to his specifications, and he didn’t have to make a lot of mistakes during the learning process.
If you really don’t think you have the time or all the skills, it is an option. Go with a reputable, referenced layout builder, or somebody you know well.
John
Since its only the design, benchwork, trackwork, and electrical, I’d think the costs would be reasonable. Start asking the builder to do scenery and structures and that would probably double the time spent, if not more.
Professional builders need lodging, or they could build your layout in sections at their shop and have it shipped. Especially with no scenery or structures to worry about.
Why? This is my first serious Layout. I want the core part of the lay out (Wiring and benchwork) done right. I don’t feel like I could do a worthy enough job. Also I do infact have a few ideas drawn down on paper for a track plan, but I’ve been drawing freehand so I’m not sure how plausible some of the stuff I am drawing done is. So I’d like someone to help tweek the plan to make it more feasible.
There are people who will cajole you into their way of thinking so don’t let them rattle your cage if you are not of the same mind. If you have the funds, there are definitely professionals out there who make a living at custom layout design builds. If you have a hard copy of MR magazine, you should be able to look them up and contact them for an estimate based on your vision of what you would like. They are pricey but if you have them build something say, unscenic’d then that would probably lower the cost somewhat.
As for drawing a layout, I’ve used the old graph paper with a scale rule and compass to design my track plans. If you do it that way, you’ll be able to see how plausible your thoughts are because it’s all to scale. I normally use 11x17’ graph paper. There is a layout I drew out on graph paper for a previous home I lived in:
It looks like each square on that plan was 6". A scale rule is a good tool so you can measure how many feet there across the plan. As you can see I drew in the boundaries of the room and the track plan was drawn to fit the area keeping in mind minimum radius (32-inches in this case).
Not to worry. Their are plenty of people on this forum who can help, and many are not shy about offering (helpful) suggestions.
Post a track plan. Even if it is rough drawn, freehand, and not to scale. See what happens.
Robert
I think you have a sound idea. The part of the layout that you’re talking about is not really a fun part of the hobby, more of a necessity. Myself, I kind of enjoy it, but I acknowledge its not for everybody.
Especially if you are uncomfortbale with track design, I think your approach makes even more sense.
Scenery, structures, and operations are the fun part.
I think it would be best to handle this in three phases.
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I say to do it in these three phases, because you can probably hire and excellent carpenter who does not know how to solder a feeder to a rail. Same for planners. Get an expert in each area.
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The planning and benchwork cn probably be handled over the phone or email. Your track and wiring person should be local.
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As for the expense, you better be ready for a shock. Skilled labor is very expensive. Figure $75.00 - $100.00 per hour for a profficient carpenter. The planning aspect I have no idea, and the track person is a wild card.
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I would guess $10,000.00 to $12,000.00 for the project.
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-Kevin
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David, don’t sell yourself short. It isn’t rocket science. Folks on this board can help you with any of the aspects of building your layout that you are unsure of. The satisfaction of completing the layout yourself, along with some new skills that you may learn along the way will be a positive. Give it a shot.
Get XTrakcad A free program and draw the layout or at least portions of it using it to test the fit of your design. It’s free.
If you don’t want to mess around with a CAD program on the computer, I got this giant pad of graph paper for $7.00 at Staples. Every square is 1". I use to draw freehand on a small pad of graph paper at work in my downtime. When I got something I liked I sat at the kitchen table and drew it out on this big pad while watching hockey.
I have architecture CAD programs that I draw house plans with so I have no problems with using Cad for MRR. For some reason I just like graph paper for the layout.
I can understand that. Design is supremely important to your long term satisfaction. Cuyama I think, does professional design, as well as offering free advice in the forum. He might have a better handle on costs.
There is a company that advertises in MR that builds benchwork. That is easier to ship than a whole RTR layout.
CMR advertises custom build railroads, and are based in Baltimore. I live 30 miles away so whatever the cost, it is easier to build a layout locally than to build it for a customer 300 miles away or 1300 miles away. Of course if there is enough money to be made in a job, anything is possible.
None of the free or paid software that helps you design a layout really teaches you how you should design your layout.
Personally I had my bench work done by a carpenter as part of a larger remodel he was doing on our house. Part of the reason for this is that I no longer have the strength to handle carpentry and part was that I wanted the bench work to look like furniture.
Can’t say what it cost as it was part of a larger project but it was worth it to allow me to concentrate on track work wiring etc. that I can do.
Over my many years in this hobby, and being a draftsman by original trade, I have designed a number of layouts for others. Some for free, some for profit…I advertised in MR about three decades ago…
I do think hiring a designer is a good idea for some people, I am not up on current fees that are being charged, and I am not able or willing to take on such projects right now.
There area number of skilled people in this business, I strongly suggest the OP get some qoutes on their services.
I suspect any actual construction will be expensive by most measures, considering that construction in general is expensive. Even in the size the OP proposes, $10,000 or more would not surprise me.
Sheldon
Golly. At that rate and a standard 5 day, 40 hour work week which is 2,000 hours per year, that’s an annual salary of $200,000.
I’d ask for $50 an hour and a time limit. Give him/her enough lead time so he can stay busy before and after your job.
Building MRR benchwork isn’t as highly skilled as most other projects they would take on, IMO, so you might get a less skilled carpenter for less.
Complain about it if you want, go ahead and kick off. There are high hourly rates for some skills. Thats why most of us can’t afford to have layouts built for us.
Move along, move along.