I’ve been busy this weekend, that’s for sure. After boxing up I don’t know how many cars and locos (200 or so, maybe? I need to start an inventory spreadsheet!), the Juniata Division has been denuded of anything not permanently affixed with glue. We leave for my new assignment in the Florida Panhandle (Hurlburt Field) in two weeks. This will be the third home of the Juniata Division, and my 7th Air Force assignment in 15 years.
The layout travels quite nicely in a U-Haul trailer which is how it will get to Florida.
The layout plus my workbench:
Will eventually come to rest in this 10x12 back bedroom in our new home in the Land of No Basements:
This is why PORTABILITY is the single over-arching factor in the layout’s design. This is our second tour in Florida.
Your layout has been an inspiration to me! I find myself amazed each and everytime I see pics of it. Good Luck with the move of the family and the wonderful layout Dave!
A safe arrival at your new post to you and your family. I hope your new location has sufficient space to un-box the PRR Juniata Division and get it up and running again!
Boy, you sure didn’t stay at Awful Air Force Patch very long did you? I wish you the best of everything in your new assignment.
It’s always nice to see photos of your layout, Dave; You added the yard extension during this concluding assignment; might you be considering any further modifications on this new assignment?
RT, I have some ideas, but you can see how limited my space will be. We’ll see. Been thinking about relaying the original layout with code 55; at that time I could rearrange the track such that I could move the yard into a more space-saving position like so:
Good luck on your new posting Dave. Does that new room have space for another door??? I always enjoy following along on your new projects. Good luck.[C):-)]
You know, Dr Dave, you are to be commended for recognizing–and planning for–certain liabilities of your career–you recognize that as a career active duty member of the armed forces duty is going to require frequent relocations and you have planned accordingly by keeping your layout portable. If I remember correctly you have even designed this with some sort of a cover that fits over your platform to allow it to be transported when you move. I will take it that you have done the same with the new section built since your relocation from North Carolina.
A recent post either here or over on Atlas involved dismantling and moving a layout from one location to another. The poster of this querry found himself in the predicament of wanting to salvage his existing layout when he relocated. This subject is almost certain to crop up at least once each year. Many of us have found ourself with the necessity of moving for a great variety of reasons; for me, like yourself, it was because our great Uncle frequently up and said :Go!" I’m two moves ahead of you; I relocated eleven times in 20 years and I was in the process of making my ninth PCS move when I reached when I reached my 15th service anniversary. As I have said in other postings–except for occasions where I was a member of a club–I spent the last ten years I was on active duty assembling a fleet of die-cast locomotives.
Based upon my experience I tender the following piece of sage wisdom: IF YOU THINK YOU MIGHT NEED TO MOVE A LAYOUT DESIGN AND ASSEMBLE IT IN A MANNER THAT FACILITATES DISASSEMBLY AND TRANSPORT!!!
A tribute to advance thinking, careful planning, and solid design. There is another thread on the forum along the lines of, would you ever buy someone else’s layout and move it. My experience is most layouts – even fairly small layouts – are purpose built to their space, and are not built with any thought of dismantling and moving. Even moving across the room in the same house has been death to some layouts!
Been there-----done that-----bought a T-Shirt for memories!!!
LAYOUT (START) #1 Having gone through a 3 month long professional remodeling project I settled down to build my self a 4 X 11 N-Scale version of the HO Railroad that Grows. Twelve months later I had just gotten past the point where trains were running across the Airline when my wife got a wild hair that my train room could be put to better/different utilization and I could have another room for my hobby. This new room had about 10 extra square feet so I didn’t object too strongly.
LAYOUT (START) #2 So-o-o-o-o-o-o what happened? Because the measurements were different in this new room my 4 X 11 layout could not be made to fit so had to be discarded. I was able to save most of the solid lumber I had used in benchwork construction. Five months later and with my new benchwork done and subroadbed/roadbed in place and about 25% of my mainline down and ballasted my wife got another wild hair that she wanted to put things back as they had been so down came layouit #2. I was able to salvage most of the solid lumber from this layout also. Since I was now back in the space where layout #1 had stood less than six months before, I toyed with the idea of redoing 4 X 11 HO Railroad that Grows but decided against that in lieu of a shelf layout for LAYOUT (START) #3.
I started three layouts . . . . . count’em: three . . . . . in 19 months.
Congratulations on escaping from Nebraska. I hope the Florida weather will be cooperative while you’re there.
If you can ever finagle an assignment to Nellis, most of the houses here have garages. Don’t know about base housing, though. My wife (not our favorite Uncle) choreographed our last-in-this-lifetime move to the Dessicated Desert.
As always, your modeling is an inspiration. Good luck with your new assignment.
Chuck [MSgt(ret) USAF, modeling Central Japan in September, 1964]
I like the addition of the wye. Easier to turn locomotives, and with the other track enough room to turn entire trains. Sorry for any weird typing, I use a wireless keyboard and it likes to act up.
Good luck with your move, and thank you for your service to our Country. If not for the men and women who serve our Nation, we may not be able to enjoy the lifestlye and hobbies we have.
