I WANT AND NEED A LAYOUT BUILT FOR A 1200 SQ FT ROOM

Classic Toy Trains Forum
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i have 45000 dollars worth of o scale trains and 25000 dollars worth of n scale trains sitting in my house that is brand new still in boxes. im also getting a new house built and i need to find someone who can build a layout for me that will be a total of 1200 square feet in a room above my 3 car garage. i’ve had a quote from a guy in las vegas that i thought was kind of steep. so me being me went out and asked a couple guys that i know to see what they thought about the price and they said that i was being taking advantage of. if any of you guys out here know of someone who builds great quality layouts and are willing to give me a qoute at a price more reasonable than what i have been offered i would love to do business with them. i know this is an expensive hobby but being that i have most of the stuff already i still didnt think it would cost that much to build a layout. the layout will consist of both n and o scale intertwinded together all running at the same time. by the way i live in memphis, tn if they ask the question of where i live. hope to hear a response soon or get some help on finding someone to build or help build my dream layout for me. i also have all the software to design my layout on my computer. i have deminsions to my room and a inventory list of all my trains and equipment . cant wait to get started i know this will be a great adventure but one well worth the wait. until next time peace.

reggie

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HI REGGIE,
Welcome to the forum.
I am a wood shop teacher and if you had any shop classes when you went to school, you can build all your own bench work. If you know how to use a saw and use a drill you got it beat. Plus you’ll have all the enjoyment of saying to all who see it that you built it. The tough part is to sit down and write down the things you want in your layout. Start with the type of track you want then progress from there to how many lines, sidings structures, towns etc. If you have no knowledge of the woodworking get a book on tools and or go to the hardware store and ask about them, the people there love to talk about stuff like that. As far as the train layout, hang out at your local train shop and ask some questions or ask DA GIZ here for info, all people into trains will always help out.
The bottom line is, and this is from me, I would make my own layout and make mistakes and try different things just because it is all mine and I don’t have to please anybody but myself. Plus it IS alot o fun.
Oh if you can’t get anybody to build you one maybe me and all the OTTS ( Ohio Toy Train Summit) GIZ will come down and help you out sort of like a field trip.
laz57

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REGGIE,
One more thing go to SUNDAY PHOTO FUN and get some ideas there. Lots of different layouts featured each and every week.
laz57

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you can also pick up a copy of classic toy trains magazine, sometimes there are ads for companies that specialize in layout design… they show up, take inventory of your stock and dimensions for the room and custom design it in their work shop, after its done they ship it all to your house and set it up for you… i cant recall any specific names off the top of my head, but their ads are huge so it shouldnt be too hard for you to find… hope that helps!

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Don Cardiff, out of Geneva, Illinois makes custom layouts.

http://www.dctrains.com/index.html

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Laz 57 has it together and you too can by actively participating in all facets of your prospective layout.
Reggie most toy trian buffs will tell you the building and maintaining trains is where both the pride and enjoyment emit from.
Remember unlike so many hobby endeavors the good thing is you are never finished and thats the true fun factor ,that combined with totally controlling the amount of fun and frustration it takes to keep you forever interested.

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Basically, the old rule applies: You get what you pay for.

A custom-built layout is not cheap or, at least, a nicely done and nicely finished custom-built layout is not cheap. A whole lot of thought, labor, expense, and time goes into constructing a custom layout, and a large layout will cost some good bucks.

A lot of folks here will recommend doing it yourself, and that’s perfectly fine if you have the time to devote to the task and the patience to wait to see things actually get to a relatively finished state. Many people, for a variety of reasons (including family or work concerns), don’t wi***o, or can’t, devote all that time and effort to building a layout, and that’s perfectly okay, too.

But don’t expect to have the “layout of your dream” built on the cheap. Yes, people who have constructed their own layouts may feel that your are being “taken advantage of,” but that’s usually because they have no real idea what it costs to build a finished, custom-designed layout. Far better for you to contact others who have already had custom layouts built for them, and to gain some insights from them regarding what is involved and what you might expect to pay on a square-foot basis.

It’s YOUR hobby. If you want to have a layout built for you, that’s certainly your decision to make regardless of what anyone else may say. Just browse the ads in CTT and the other hobby magazines and you’ll find a number of folks who are experienced in this work. Contact several of them and get estimates, just as you likely would for any other major purchase.

It seems to me, though, that the real decision you need to first make is whether you want an O gauge layout, an N scale layout, or two separate layouts. I suppose you could incorporate both scales in a single layout, but that’s something is sure wouldn’t do with scales that are that disparate, even if I could make use of the concept of forced perspective in a 1200-square-foot room. There’s just too big a size di

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Do a google search on “custom model railroad layouts.” You’ll find plenty of vendors. Well known ones, not cheap no doubt, are Clark Dunham’s firm in upstate NY, SMART, in Miami and many others. Figure a minimum of $150-200 per square foot without extensive scenery, scratchbuilding, etc. So if you were quoted 200,000 dollars for your 1200 sq ft layout, it would be in the ball park.

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This is a rather interesting post that hasn’t come up too often.

I believe that charges are usually based on square footage.

Wouldn’t it be interesting to have a directory/portfolio of layout builders that includes sample photos of their work and price quotes.

The usual practice, I believe, is a face-to-face meeting with the buyer to determine exact requirements, just like a contract.

nblum’s price range sounds like the going rate. Although it sounds steep, I believe that the builders do it more out of love for the hobby than for the pay, as they don’t make that much money on projects due to the hours worked.

If you are not prepared to spend $200,000, then I suggest either building it yourself or going with a considerably smaller layout. Small isn’t necessarily bad.

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reggi,
For me, I like to work on my own thing, make it my own way. I have many friends in the hobby, but none close enough to get assistance on actually building the layout. If you have the resources ($), and not the time to put in the effort, then you will find some fantastic layout builders. Certainly go to the ones listed in CTT. One of my favorites, as I know they do good work and have a great resume’ of professional layouts including Bloomingdales and the recent Sopranos layout, is The Train Station. www.TheTrain-Station.com I do not know what the cost is per foot, but you will not find better quality. As others have stated, no matter what route you take, please keep us informed and visit the forum often.
Dennis

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I, too, agree that something in the neighborhood if $150-$200 per square foot is about right. I’m sure there’s leeway depending on the level of detail desired, but getting this kind of project professionally built is not a cheap proposition (at least for someone in my income bracket). I’m sure there are some other out there who wouldn’t bat an eye at that amount.

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For something of that magnitude I would contact the folks at the Classic Toy Trains magazine or Model Railroader. It would be possible that they would want to do an article that follows the construction from design to finish. They might also have info on builders that you don’t.

I am looking at doing something similar and $150,000 (and that’s probably wishful thinking) is about the target price. Most big (1,200 sq. ft.starts to be big) layouts take 1 or 2 people 10 years complete. I was involved years ago with a club that was 5 years under construction before the first train ran. That was 50 people working 1 or 2 nights a week. I won’t live near long enough to consider doing something that big on my own. If you are paying for that much labor it gets expensive. If you have your local mechanic build you a Hot Rod that’s one price, if you have Boyd Coddington do it, it will be over $100,000 but it will be nice.

Writing a request for proposal for something like that needs to include a scope of work and everything down on paper first, if you hope to get what you are expecting. Also, you said one guy? I would want some definitive timetables laid out.

Let us know what you end up doing.