I’ve changed my layout 3 times in the last 12 years. I’m at the point where I think I’m down to the fine details, but I’m thinking about a new double track plan I found. I’m torn between tearing it up again and building a “cover” layout to lay on top of my current one in an elevated fashion.
So my question to you all is; Is a layout ever finished?
I would think that for the overwhelming majority of us, it will never be “finished”. No doubt a lot of get close, but then…
A new product comes out…
You see something new, a cool bridge or industry and you want one…
Your skills improve from the first work you did and now you want to make it better…
Get the bug for something new, (i.e. David in GMR 2008, switching to steam)
I think there are several reasons to never be finished and they are all good ones.
As I wrote in the December 2000 issue of Model Railroader, a layout is never truly finished. Even if you don’t change any scenery, you’re always having to do maintenance (clean track, maintain rolling stock, do repairs, etc.).
Kevin
I have never finished a layout. I have never finished a scene, though I have gotten done with a scene so I can do another one. Reading these posts, it seems like some get done, but most seem to move before they finish.
I purposely built a small room size around the wall shelf layout 11X7 just so that I CAN finally complete a layout so that I can enjoy operations. Now sometime in the future will I decide to change a few things here or there. Of course! But I can say unequivocally at one time my layout was indeed complete.
I’m working on scenery right now. I’d say in about a year or so I’ll be done. Then comes operation, and then subtle scenery changes if and when I decide.
At one point I thought I was finished with my layout, about a month went by and I started changing things around. Pulling up trees, moving things around and so forth making room for something elece. I am going to build a newer larger layout with at least a 2 line main when I get the upstairs re-done. I enjoy working on the layout as much if not more than running the trains. So to sum it up in a nutshell, No I will never be completly finished until they plant me in the cemetary, Then I will be finished, maybe one of my realitives will hopefully take up where I left off. Mike
Most true model railroaders do complete their layouts (although minute alterations and minor additions may continue for years) and maintain them in such a state often for a decade or two before any replacement is even considered. Look at the bio’s of most of the guys appearing in the pages of MR, RMC, et al. and you’ll see this indicated over and over.
There is clearly a subgroup within the hobby (and there always has been) which could be characterized as “layout builders”, a distinct and separate type of hobbyist. These folks rarely ever come close to finishing their layouts before the urge to build something new and different overwhelms them and they tear everything out to start anew. Clearly, knowingly or not, their personal hobby goals are quite different from the, let me call them “classic”, model railroaders. They enjoy the construction aspect of the hobby, not the model railroading end. In my experience, layout builders rarely stick with the hobby for life, more often than not either participating for just a few years and giving up, or repeatedly coming and going at intervals over a decade or two. I suspect that this it caused by some sort of personal disappointment or burnout. It’s interesting to note that I’ve seen this very same type of subgroup in many different hobbies far beyond the scope of model railroading.
CNJ831
My layout is essentially finished. Mostly because it’s so small, it wasn’t hard to finish in a short time. It’s detailed, has working signals, and is pretty much as done as I can make it. I make periodic adjustments (such as adding or moving a structure, adding additional scenic accents) but it’s done.
In the future I am considering replacing the code 80 track with code 55. Otherwise I can’t think of anything else to do with the layout that won’t ruin it.
Now I’m focused on detailing my locomotive and rolling stock rosters to be more detailed and accurate.
Here’s a link to a photo tour of my layout:
http://kc.pennsyrr.com/layouts/dvollmer/tour/index.html
…and here’s my locomotive roster.
As admited by at least one regular here, and as I have seen in the home of the fellow who does my decoder installations, quite a few MRR types don’t actually want anything more than an elaborate bench so that they can lay elaborate trackwork on which to play trains. The fellow that I know prefers the electronics side of the hobby, and likes to build and fiddle. He actually bought a finished layout from a friend and added that to what he already had, but in a separate room. In the meantime, he has built fine and functioning lift bridges with parts from all over the place, built his own turntable, and is the type who has boxes and boxes of “stuff” in shelving throughout his basement. Building a tree just doesn’t do it for him, much less planting it.
Nope…never finished, always improvements,rearrainging and additions.
A layout is finished when:
]With any luck at all, mine will be that last one - thirty or so years from now…[:)]
Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
This one’s finished.
More like “over”.
Yep, stick a fork in it…it’s done [C=:-)]
Nope. But then that’s part of the fun. There’s always something new to try.
Enjoy
Paul
I know thats the mantra from Model Railroader magazine but I’d like to think for “practical purpose” a layout can be finished to the point which it looks more or less complete and you can run operation sessions. Thats finished enough for me! [:P]
Well there is no doubt in my mind, My layout is FINISHED. I know that everyone thinks that a layout never gets finished but it is not true. In your case you are just about finished but you are considering taking on a whole new task, a new plan. Mines is finished but if I wanted to add on it to in a month then that does not mean it was NOT finished today, just that I am expanding a finished layout
In a word…
NO
Scoot
I run on one that has been operated every week for 28 years. I’m pretty sure it’s done, unless he goes radio soon. The layout was in Model Railroad Planning 2006. And yes, that’s brass track. Not been a problem in the year I’ve been doing ops on it.
I like it, Chip. Does the layout do it for you? Is this the same place that…you know…the people…