We’re not talking the new year, I’m talking layouts… My wife and I have decided to move once again… Good news! I can put in a new layout, bad news of course is removing the old one… It won’t happen for a couple of years but it’s tough to stay motivated, so scenery has come to a halt but I can still build structures and work on rolling stock… One problem is not knowing if we are moving in the same area we are now or are we moving to another province? I figure if we stay in the same area I will cut the layout into sections an carry them out the door, however the mountains will get a lot shorter… If we change provinces then I will do a total destruction just to make moving easier…
Any suggestions or tips from those who have had the pleasure of moving layouts?
We were going to move six years ago. Had the house sold and all. I had a permanent layout at that time and it all came out and in the trash except for buildings, details, and trees, and rolling stock and electronics of course. Then the housing bubble burst, the deal fell through, and we stayed put for another five years.
When I started a new layout, I built it in a modular type form. I made them two foot wide and seven foot long, a light weight box frame with foam on the top so one person could move them easily. A year ago we did move. I was able to take the sections apart and set them up in the new house. I did have some scenery to do over again, but for the most part, everything went back together with no problems.
My layout is movable, however the sections are designed to fit its current space. Whether or not all or part of it comes with us, depends on what the space is like in the new house. If you can wait until you know what the new place has to offer.
Nice and warm out here on the coast, some years it never hits freezing.
I built my layout in modules. When I retired and moved 4 years ago I was able to salvage most of the track and all the benchwork. The new space didn’t match the old, not even close, so I just re-arranged the sections and added some filler sections where needed for a new trackplan. I didn’t have scenery, but did have to scrape off the roadbed.
My layout was built in sections, though not cut apart, none larger than 2x8. I sliced through the track and roadbed and wires to get everythign apart, though I have no intention of setting up the same layotu again. None of it is really usable. So for now it’s all laying there stacked up in my basement, with a stack of legs in the corner. I probably can use the legs over, although they are probably too short - my old layout was in a room with sloping ceilings so I had to compromise a bit on ideal height to get enough width.
We’ve decided we don’t like starta’s as I am still capable to do everything myself for the next 15 years anyway! We winter on Vancouver island, but no layout here!