In my basement I am just moving from the laying it out to see if it will really work to the trying to make it nice portion of my first layout. After some looking there were a few choices I could have picked, some with more track, some more open space, some just different.
How often do you all rip it all up and start over?
I’m thinking I might run this for a year of so and only go a little into scenery then expand or try to build a new modular unit to replace one half or the other.
I usually stay with one layout until a move (or other life event) forces a change. But sometimes I just decide to do something different. Shortest was about 6 months, longest was 15 years. This is a hobby so do what you enjoy and change/restart as your interests/desires/skills change.
Enjoy
Paul
Gidday, Heck just having the time to actually start one for myself would be great.[;)]
Cheers, the Bear.
We’ve lived in our current home for almost seven years now, and in that amount of time I have gone from two versions of an HO scale layout, switched over to N scale, and have now just “finalized” my FIFTH revision of a layout in N. Each time I disassemble the benchwork (trying my best to reuse as much of the lumber as possible) and rearrange it in some new and “improved” configuration, my wife, kids and other various and sundry observers question my sanity.
If I hear “You’re not redoing it AGAIN, are you??” just one more time I think I’m going to question my dedication to my life-long hobby and take up stamp collecting. There are obviously many reasons why one would take down months of hard work and toss aside countless hours worth of “planning/daydreaming.” In my case I have found that all the research and doodling on paper doesn’t do much until you actually build something and then realize you’ve painted yourself into a corner and are forced to take drastic action. Which usually means out comes my handy-dandy cordless drill and I start filling up a coffee can with a pile of screws and one of end my basement with piles of lumber, plywood and the old concept.
But I have come to the realization that I am not getting any younger and in order to get things done and running in my lifetime, I need to go a simpler route and build an uncomplicated sectional layout which can be reworked and moved easily if need be and forget about multi-levels and handlaid trackwork. Keep it simple, start small and expand from there as time and resources permit. Just have fun and stop over-analyzing, over-planning and over-building.
That’s basically my tale of woe, and now if I can just keep all the critics in the peanut gallery at bay, I can get back to work and start on my ultimate, final and best-ever layout…
Yeah… right…
Frank B
Dorval, Canada
If this is your first layout, I suspect that you may dismantle and discard it more than once until you begin to achieve a layout that comes closer to meeting your interests and goals whatever they may be. Thereafter, you are more likely to tweak the layout rather than completely tear it down.
Most of us are unlikely to completely dismantle and discard a layout, once built, unless we decide to go in a completely different and new direction. In my case, I built smaller layouts in 2004, again in 2005, and again in 2007. My 2007 layout persists to this date, but I have added two modules to it and reconfigured a couple of sections of the track work since then.
Rich
Hi,
I built my last HO layout in a spare room (11.5 x 15 ft) in the early '90s and it stayed “as is” until I took it down in 2008. During that time I did make some major wiring and scenery changes, but the trackwork - with minor exceptions - stayed as is.
IMHO, being able to last that long was the result of some serious up front planning. As I have been playing with trains since the mid '50s, this was a given for me. For newbies, I can fully understand the absence of significant planning as I’ve certainly been there before. The desire to “build a table”, lay some track, and run some trains can be overwhelming.
I replaced the last layout with a similar one in the same room, and while it looks a bit like the last one, I was able to eliminate the “dislikes” of the previous one, and convert to DCC at the same time. I have to say, DCC has truly rejuvinated my passion for the hobby.
I suppose it depends on what you mean by “change.” My layout started over 7 years ago as a 5x12 foot table. That took 5 years to be “finished,” which I’ll define as “the end of the pink foam stage.” Then, I built more more benchwork, bought more foam and started Phase 2, which runs along one wall and connects to the original table on one end. After this, I’ll be looking at Phase 3 out the other end.
So, I haven’t torn anything up since I went away to college in the 1960s, but my layout has “changed” pretty much constantly in its current home.
In my career of nearly 50 years being a model railroader, I have built a number of different layouts, just as my interest changed - which it has indeed. That´s why I never engaged into a project that would take me half a life time to come anywhere near completion.
My current layout is built in a mini-modular way, so I can now re-arrange it within in minutes! Building a new module takes only a weekend, so the sky´s the limit for variations.
My Santa Fe in Oklahoma 1989 railroad was started in 1983/84 on the bones of an older freelance, the Mojave Western. So the Santa Fe is almost 30 years old. The basic layout has remained in tact, a few redos of some areas and I added a third deck are about all the changes to the structure. However, I redo towns, etc. off and on which can involved some changes in structures, maybe an industrial track or two changed, added or removed, everything else is cosmetic. As far as electronics, the railroad was built with an older pre-command control system that was converted over to NCE/DCC in the 1999-2000 years.
At my young age “75” I don’t anticipate any rebuilds/redos/tearing down and building a new one.
Bob
My first ‘starter’ layout was built in my parents basement. That layout laster abut 3+ years. The current HO layout was started in 1987, and I am just removing it right now. I am building a now layout in the same 20’ by 25’ area.
Many times a layout does not get completed for the following reasons:
Jim
When I was a nomad, each move resulted in a `new’ layout, usually built with track and other materials salvaged from previous work.
HOWEVER - all of those layouts attempted to capture, in one way or another, some facet of a master plan that came together in 1964 and has been unchanged ever since.
In 1980, I built a 16" x 96" module, my end of the railway' colliery, station and yard. It has been part of every layout since. Currently it operates via cassette, awaiting the day when the last in this lifetime’ layout will be built out to the point where that module can be permanently connected to the end of the Tomikawa Tani Tetsudo.
My present layout underwent a major convulsion when my franchise expanded from one stall to the entire garage. That, I am reasonably sure, will be the last change. All else will be progressive expansion as construction proceeds - to the now 48 year old master plan.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
I am working on my 6th layout since 1980. All but one were torn down because of moves. The one that was not because of a move was number 5. I built in my garage, which got very dirty, so I built a 14 X 16 foot room in the garage. That was the best one because of all I learned on the previous ones. The current one is started and is being built section by section. Right now it is an 8 X 8 L shape and 30 inches wide.
Paul
My layout is built in 8 foot modules. When I want to make a change, I replace the module or modules involved.
As an aside…
One of the best things I ever did with the layouts was to keep a running list of “what I did right”, “what I did wrong”, “likes”, and “dislikes” - all broken down into the categories of design, benchwork, track laying, wiring, structures, and scenery.
The origin of my existing notes is well over 30 years old, and were kept up since then. In building my latest layout (2008-9), they proved invaluable.
every time i deploy to Afghanistan or Iraq hahahaha
i plan while im deployed for the year or so then come home and build it. Tear it down for the next one and repeat. Now that everything is winding down, i figure each layout will last 2-3 yrs with a change of duty station.
In a way, that question doesn’t have an answer. From what I have read here and other places, some layouts are very long lived, others, here and gone.
My suggestion is to build what suits you best at this time. However, when you build, do so with the idea that your druthers may change and then you’ll change your layout. There are folks who take down whole layouts and build somethiing altogether different. Some change an area to bring in a new industry, town or yard. Some changes are made just because scenery skills or materials have improved and one wants to make the layout look better.
I think the best advice is just don’t be afraid to make a change down the road, if and when your desires change.
Good luck,
Richard .
I’ve been in my current location for a while, when we demo’ed and rebuilt the garage in '05 and I had to dismantle the layout that lived there. SInce rebuilding, I rebuilt a better layout in '06 but reprioritization of needs ment it only lasted a couple of years, it never got beyond the Plywood Pacific stage so it was a quick surgury. Since then I have had to deal with space constraints that prevented me from having a fixed layout so I used a mobile bench and built a small but highly detailed 4x6 that lasted about 2 years, I since reduced that mobile layout into a 4x3 portable hyper-detailed micro-layout that I take to shows and have as of last year started a small 9 x 12 again in a corner of the garage.
Its this current layout that bears reference to the OPs question:
This current layout is still in the Plywood Pacific stage, I have added the backdrop and a bunch of buildings. Its an urban theme this time so hill type scenery. It has been left in the Plywood Pacific stage intentionally, I HIGHLY recommend once you have your track plan down DO NOT immediatly begin doing scenery around it. Its essential that once you can begin running trains that you actually DO SO, and run them the way you envision operating the layout long term. I say this because once I had track down and started running things, I found where the flaws were, either in trackwork that needed tweeking, or actual operations issues like inabilities to reach certain things, spurs that were redundant and building/industries that actually worked better in different locations than where I initially planned them, all this ment a reworked track plan, modified industries and business locations, and modified operations goals.
I moved in 2006 and when I started the new layout I chose to use Kato Unitrack rather than flextrack, partly because it looked good and was easy to use, but also because it allowed me to try out different track ideas before making them permanent. The first part of the layout uses adjustable 16" wide shelf components, it’s going to be my staging yard but I ended up tweaking the design over time so it could function as a pretty good switching layout. There were several changes I made over time that I probably wouldn’t have made if I had to use flextrack and cork or other roadbed.
I did just make one major change. I originally was planning a two-deck layout, but by trying things out decided a single deck would be better. Moving the shelfs was easy, as the supports for them just attach to upright supports attached to the wall, but it meant that the lower level backdrop of about 12" high didn’t look right. I replaced it now with one 20" high and it looks good.
After several false starts I sat down and made a list of what it was I wanted. Then I spent more time than I care to admit working out the track plan. But it was worth it. Other then some scenic tweaks there have been to real changes in the 4 years I have been building it and I don’t see any in the future. I also am making the layout in sections so if I should ever move I won’t have to start over. That said no one knows what the future holds so…
I built several small layouts when younger. Got back into trains seriously in the mid-1980s. Bought current place because it had a nice layout sized, dry basement, which just happened to have a suitable house overhead. I have done a lot of layout planning over the years, as well as being pretty well read in the track planning literature. After several tries, I came up with a layout plan that was suitable as a “lifetime” layout, although I did make provisions so it could be cut apart and moved should that bee necessary.
I tried to cover most of the bases and was really not unhappy with it as originally designed. It worked well within its limitations. However, as I operated I did find a number of ways to improve it even as it was essentially complete. Here’s a list.
Added staging, first as stub end, then expanded it to 7-track through staging
Moved tracks in yard to squeeze in another through track and a stub track
Moved industry track closer to yard tracks to provide space for building flats
Added second siding at a busy distribution facility
Cut through wall to extend wye tail track and add industry
Extended third-rail track to facilitate switching
Moved industry tracks at several locations to fit around structures better
Those are just projects that involved track. Lots more reshaping of scenery, shuffling of structures to better locations, additions to backdrops and forced perspective scenes, etc.
Leave yourself a wide sub-roadbed at industry locations, if possible. This makes it easier to move track. Leave plenty of room for buildings. Those that are credible need plenty. Don’t make slopes too steep or that keep your track squeezed up against scenery.