If you had to share just “one” lesson learned from your layout building what would it be?
Mine: Design for accessability. I am finding that there are sections of mine that will be very difficult to access once my scenery is in place. If I had it to do over again (or should I say “on my next layout”), I would have taken more time in the design and planning phase to ensure accessability all the way along the line.
I agree with you about accessability. However from my HO days the one lesson I learned is that however good it looks, don’t glue down ballast to your track because when not if you decide to start over, you’ll ruin your track trying to get it off.
My latest leson learned is to go with wall mount layout instead of a table in the center of the room. I had a 16x16 room. When I put an 87x7’ table (2 switches) in the middle the room there was very little room left over for desks. I took down that layout and put a 3’ wide L layout on two 16’ walls. Still had room for desks on other walls, tons of more track length and easier access to all parts of the layout. I used 031 curves on the two ends to turn around (disguised the car hang over with rock cuts). In between I used 054 to round the bend in the L. In between I have 3 parrallel tracks and one long spur. This is much more railroading than I had on a table!
Jim H
Hello: My two cents–Before you fasten the track to the board, make sure that there is enough space between parallel tracks, especially on the curves. Also check the clearance between the track and any scenic objects. Thanks for asking.
Make sure you test all tunnels and bridges with your tallest rolling stock! I have a really nice wooden truss bridge that got a bunch of its overhead girders snapped by an MTH auto carrier.
(It’s fixed now though…and the cars from the auto carrier have joined the “used car lot” at my Lionel Ford Dealership!)
For easy access, 2 things: 1st, I’m building my newest, in progress layout 46" off the floor so I can get under ther easier. I get around under there using a furniture dolly I got at the Home Depot for $20. ( I was gonna make one but the casters alone were more than $20 so…) 2nd, I made 2 trap door access hatches in hard to reach places. This idea was an article in CTT sometime last year. It’s great because it won’t disrupt the flow of the layout. I guess that’s my 4 cents.
On the latest Dream Plan Build DVD, there is a segment about building a scale model of the proposed layout using foamcore board to see how well it will fill it’s space and how people will interact with it. This is not a technique I had tried before but I will on my next layout to be built after my kid graduates college.
George
I’m not sure that I qualify to offer an opinion given that I only have a measly 14’x14’ Christmas layout, but that never stopped me before [:D]
One thing that I’ve noticed since I have been leaving my layout up a bit longer than years past is this: I get tired ot it.
I don’t know if that’s because I set up a new design each year and just lose the excitement or what. But if I ever build a permanent layout I know one rule that I will HAVE to follow: I better really enjoy its design and plan it so I won’t get tired to if for years.
Main thing I would do is build it higher. Someone else mentioned this but to me it is very important. Present layout is 32". I would go with 48" the next time for ease of working under the layout and so I could build shelves for storage along the front.
My lesson is to go with the best track system you can afford. When I rebuild my layout, I’m going with Atlas O all the way.
George
My first layout was built using all O-31 curves. My latest has a mix of O-72, 42, 31. The variations make for a more natural looking track plan. Using all O-31 looks kinda fake and predictable. Engines and rolling stock look much better too when going through larger radius turns.
If I was starting out new, I would probably go with Gargraves track and Ross switches even if they are a bit more expensive than the used Lionel 022 switches that I bought. Although, I do like the toy train like feel of O31 track and Lionel 022 switches. I like the idea of being able to customize the bends with flextrack.
If I really came into $$$ I would have a contractor lift my house and put a full basement instead of the 4 foot crawl space. The guy who built my house was disabled and used a wheelchair so he figured he had no use for a basement. I sure wish I had the full basement though.
Mitch[:D]
2 things:
1 - It’s nice to have the room for a big layout; but a the bigger the layout, the emptier it looks when you are first starting it.
2 - 2x4’s at Home Depot really measure 1.5x4…who knew? [:O]
No, actually 1.5 x 3.5.
Maybe I haven’t done enough to compare with you masters, but my lesson learned is put the operating accessories on the aisle side of the main line. It takes away from the fun of the accessory to have to be reaching over running trains. Putting the accessories near the edge makes it easier to admire them, too. The operating accessories are my biggest reason for keeping 3 rail O.
yours in accessorizing
Fred W
I would have to agree that the biggest mistake most make is accessibility.
Even amongst experienced modelers.
Sometime you’ve got to resist the urge to cram in more and to realize that less is more.
(accessibility refers to reach as well as clearance)
I think a close second might be poor trackwork that causes derailments or loss of power.
Feed power to every piece of rail and solder the joints (except a few for expansion/contraction and/or power blocks). Keep the power flowing everywhere. Doing so costs a little in wiring supplies and construction time, but the elimination of dead/weak spots is well worth it. I don’t know how many derailments I’ve had to deal with because of little power interruptions tripping e-units. (A full cure requires attention to the locos, too, but that’s another thread.)
A corollary: use long straights and, if possible, flextrack curves to keep the number of joints to a minimum. Fewer joints means smoother trackwork and fewer places where the power can be interrupted.
I would say my lesson learned is to leave room for expansion, if you haven’t planned a full layout… I’ve picked up some more track and switches, aside from new engines, buildings, scenery, etc… but I hadn’t designed my layout with an overall plan, with a feverish excitement while building my first permanent layout, I just threw track in places wherever it would fit on the plywood sheet… (in all fairness to the forum, I was not yet a member to gain from the wisdom found here!)… now that I have these new engines and track I will have to completely disassemble my current layout to encorporate the space needed to add sidings and work in the switches properly, not to mention wiring more discretely to the lighted buildings (wire snaked across the table seems to take away from the realism somehow… haha)… and sadly enough, I have not even had the time to be home long enough to run the engines, let alone begin to disassemble the layout…
Use a color coded wiring system.
Choose a size that you can manage to reasonably complete with the time you have available.