Note: not all pictures are up to date.
I started the hobby about 3 years ago to have something to do with the grand kids and found I liked the building phase. At first 4’ X 12’ seemed about right, WRONG. It has been added to at least 3 times, its now over 27’ long and mostly 5’ wide. Here is the wide end, curves 22" and 24". scenery yet to be placed.
If I started over I think I would do an around the wall or a large dog bone.
Yard not planed well. should have had a more organized in and outs with access to both tracks. there have been some changes since this was taken. The reversing loop serves as a small industrial park.
The control panel is too small for the extended layout. Plan. Plan. Plan ahead!
This is the 4’ end and has an upper level curve of close to 22" if I remember correctly.Lower level is not as large maybe as much as 19"
You really need 5’ to get nice curves. Above the mountain on the left is made from foam and the one on the right is made of crumpled news paper and plaster cloth. I prefer the foam below.
I can see what you mean when you point out your “mistakes”, but I think it is pretty nice, and I can tell you had fun building it - so no mistake there.
Don’t feel bad on making mistakes. It’s part of the learning process. After 35+ years in the hobby, I still make a few myself. With that being said, I still prefer to see someone active and having fun to that of those who nit pic everything we do without ever having built a layout themselves. BTW, I like what you done so far!
Has any one been completly satisfied with their first layout, or the second or perhaps the third.
I’m on my first layout also and as time has passed I wish I had done some things ( a lot) differently also. Who hasn’t? My bet is that there are very few modlers who are 100% satisfied with their layouts.
Where you see the deficiencies in the layout I see the good planning and it’s execution. You have mountains, water, bridges, tunnels, elevated track, industries, yard, open space, etc. I’ll take some of those. Scenery can always be torn out and redone and the roads can certainly be made wider.
Personally I like the walk around. The disadvantages are that you see the scenes from all angles so you have more detailing to do and having backgrounds can be a problem.
In three years you have accomplised a lot and done it well. Keep up the good work.
After seeing all the recent newbe questions about starting out with track plans ETC. I thought my pictures might start them thinking more about the scene they want to create, and how much space that track will take up. Grand ideas need a lot of space. If you only have 4’ X 8’ for the “HO” it better be well planed. Maybe “N” scale would be better? Or, just use the small 0-4-0s, 2-6-0s in the 1800s era?
Not sure I’m making myself clear? [sigh]
