I’m curious why Jim decided to dismantle his Ohio Southern layout. In the next to the last paragraph of the article he writes about tearing the layout down in July 2018, but didn’t say why.
Eugene L Weaver
Jim sold his house and moved, and the buyers didn’t want the layout. The way the layout was built, it couldn’t be dismantled neatly, so it had to be torn down.
In the past, I have dismantled layouts becasue I was moving.
Lesson learned. My current layout could be moved if I had to do so. Construction of my benchwork is similar to “domino” design which was in MR maybe 20 years ago.
Steve O… I think it would be smart to consider movability when designing benchwork. I don’t think movability has much consideration in most layout designs I have seen published in MR. So, I suggest MR do so in the future. … My [2c]
There was a part of the story that was just glossed-over that I am really curious about.
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It stated that a large portion of the layout had to be torn out and rebuilt due to a city publilc works project.
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How did a public works project end up in Jim’s basement?
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That is scary.
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-Kevin
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Alot of times, it’s because of new sewer and/or water laterals.
If you live in an area where you are using a private well and septic system, and the city or town decides to extend water, sewer, or both down your street, it’s usually mandatory that you connect to it, abandoning the well and septic.
This usually requires part of the basement floor to be dug up.
Mike.
Garry, you´ve got a valid point there!
I think the hobby needs to recognise, that today´s job market requires people to move more often than in previous decades. What we need to see are movable and flexible layout designs, that can “breathe”, i.e. easily be adapted to different locations by extending or making them smaller.
The project layouts we design and build are always portable. The layout-visit articles we publish are based on however the layout owner decided to build his layout. We have nothing to do with that.
There was a great article in MR in March, 1991 by Jeff Madden entitled, “come-and-go layout design”, which referred to using staging / non-scenicked return loops, and have a small portion of straighaway as the “stage” for the actors. He also talked about building the layout in sections for future moves.
That article, combined with David Barrow’s “dominoes” have sat with me / percolated in my brain since I was a teenager.
Even if one does have to get rid of the layout, the stress factor will be much less when a layout is built this way. Sections could be easily given away to friends, club members, etc.
In any case, all the best to Jim as he moves on with this next chapter of his life. His story telling abilities in the “history according to Hediger” videos are unmatched.
Here is my [2c]
I’ve built and dismantled 3 good sized layouts during the past 20 years and two of them were built in a sectional configuration with dismantling and moving in mind.
The first layout (16x19’ built in a garage) would not fit in the home I was moving to so I advertised it and I sold it to a hobbyist who lived in Kokomo IN; he came and took it away in a U-haul as it could be broken down into discreet sections and re-assembled elsewhere. Track would have to be dropped back in and connected. It was in the plywood Pacific stage so the buyer could do his scenery to his own desires but all the track was down and operational.
The 2nd layout (14x26’) was built mostly over storage shelves in the basement; the support for the other parts of the layout was simply disassembled and broken down. Nothing salvagable.
The 3rd layout was built sectional to best fit a 10x18’ room. The house I moved to had a much larger space and I naturally wanted to build a layout which was better/bigger to fit the new larger space rather than rebuild the old smaller layout.
Based on my experience moving around, I think it would be unusual to be able to, or want to, build a layout and then move it to a new house and set it back up again; why? Because most houses have very different spaces where a layout would be built.
It would be highly likely you would want to build a layout that would best make use of the new space and it would end up being very different from a previous layout that fit a different space.
Of course you could buil
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I agree 100%
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I have removed five layouts, three of which were supposed to be either expandable or portable.
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Every time I have had so many new/better ideas, and such a different space to build in, that it just makes sense to start over again.
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-Kevin
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For sure. Every place I have lived has had such a different space in terms of shape and size that it just didn’t make sense to try to move a layout in. That isn’t say it can’t happen, but it probably would be a lucky happenstance.
As it was, that 16x19’ layout I advertised for sale was a size and shape that someone could use it and set it up in a new space and drop the track back into place and then be able to run trains with a minimum of effort. Ready to scenic.
As a Free-mo guy, I’m used to modular layouts.
My home layout is really just a very large test track (double track, 48" curves, #10 switches). One section is destined to be the only scenicked element (everything else is track on white-painted wood and aluminum trim). That section will be a Free-mo module that can be removed. Not only does it allow the best part of the layout to be saved, but it can also be used in a Free-mo setup and it can be taken outside for natural light photography. When it’s done, that is.
I do like the idea of making a layout of connected scenes. The scenes being removable and salvageable, the necessarily varied connecting “bridges” done in a simple manner without fancy trackwork.
Ed
We built our new club layout benchwork in eight distinct sections so that it could be removed relatively easily. All of the sections will fit through a door. The reasoning was that, because we are renting the clubhouse, how long we will be in that location is anybody’s guess. The building is ancient and it is in a prime location in downrown Barrie so having it sold out from underneath us is a real possibility.
We have no illusions about the layout fitting perfectly in the next location. It may or may not. However, the design will allow us to vacate the premises in short order without creating a mountain of garbage should the need arise. All we have to do is remove the structures, cut the track and the wires and undo some screws. We are even building the large hills in sections so they can just be lifted out. At least, that’s the theory.[swg]
Dave
That’s the very scenario I’m in right now. My new layout space has just been built and I’ve decided that I will build a whole new track plan configuration. Granted, I do have my layout in sections and it sits in a storage unit right now, with some of the track still intact in the “plywood pacific” state. The old layout was a 20’ U-shaped, around the walls, point-to-point. On the new layout, I want continuous running, around the walls, so this will be a whole different layout all together. I am using a variation of two different published track plans (from the MR Track Plan Databse) to fit my space. The old layout was on L-girder benchwork and the sections were bolted together. I will likely still use the basic framework as well (legs, girders, etc.) and maybe some of the old plywood top, and, of course much of the track. The rest will go into the dumpster.
Due to last-minute “family considerations”, my layout, which was originally intended to use the entire 1200sq. ft. basement, ended up in a very odd shaped room…
Because it’s mostly curves and grades (often in the same places), even built in modular form, it would likely have to retain its current shape.
When I move or get removed, it’s destined for the garbage.
Wayne
Thanks Steven. I appreciate your information.
If you own your home, there usually isn’t any need to plan to move or dismantle the layout since you can build as you want it. In cases like mine where I rent my townhouse, I built my layout to be portable simply because, while I’ve lived here a while (16 years), I never know when I may need or want to move since my lease is renewed each month now until I decide to move. If I buy a house and build a new layout or adapt my current layout to it, then it would probably become more permanent. Granted, having the layout sectional came in handy three years ago when my washer and dryer decided to give out, and about half of the layout had to be moved out of the way to make it easier to the old washer and dryer out and the new ones in. While there was clearance with the layout in place, it would have been tight, and I knew the delivery guys were wanting to get them in and out as quickly and smoothly as possible.
Kevin
My current layout is a sectional “L” shaped switching layout. I built it with moving and future expansion in mind. As we age, we realize nothing is permanent. Once again I am saddened by another “famous” layout disappearing, following the V & O, Allegheny Midland, and many others.
The latest rage for building layouts that can move on one of the other magazines is “TOMA” (The One Module Approach). You are supposed to build one layout section (module) at a time, and completely finish it with scenery, etc, putting a staging yoard on one or both ends (as required) so you can operate it. Designed to be portable. Actually the concept is you build each section on the bench then install it when its complete. When you want to work on a module, you can pull it out of the layout and take it to a work bench to work on.
Most people I’ve seen that are building TOMA’s are just building sectional layouts along the lines of most other sectional layouts. They are building more than one module and operating it before completeing it, build it in place, etc.
I personally doubt the utility of being able to move an entire layout. I have built a couple layouts using sectional benchwork, moved a couple times and they never really survived the moves The new space is just different enough that it doesn’t quite fit. The other caveat with sectional layouts is you have WANT the old layout. In the times I’ve moved I have changed locales, eras, themes enough that the old layout didn’t work for the new interest. Lastly the the old layout has to be WORTH keeping. The times I’ve moved, each iterration brought an improvement in my model building skills. Even if I could use the old section, I wanted to rebuildit it to improve the details and construction. Altas flex to ME flex, ME Flex to handlaid code 83, handlaid code 83 to handlaid code 70, handlaid code 70 to code 70 and 55 with ME Micro spikes.
I once h
My layout was built to fit the room - barely as those who use my aisles will confirm. No plans to move either when started or currently. That said…
I model Colorado narrowgauge, specifically anything that connected to Durango and Silverton. The track on the layout represents something fairly fixed by the prototype that is extremely condensed. I could see getting more room and expanding it. The way I’ve built it is so that the yard could be cut in the middle and the yard tracks lengthened. This will save a bunch of wiring and trackwork - if ever needed.
The original piece of layout was a module of Red Mountain, Colorado. It couldn’t be much larger and still look right, due to the prototype’s compact design. And there are more examples. If you have a long term commitment to a specific prototype, with a little planning this apprach could work for you. I would certainly reconfigure each section recycled in this way, depending on how the overall new layout would allow improvements and require changes, but it will also save a large amount of labor and material.