Over the last couple of months, I’ve been involved in many posts talking about the upcoming rebuild of my 14 year old 11x15 HO layout (in a spare bedroom), and a transition to DCC, etc., etc. And while I won’t start the process until after the Holidays, I am working the design for the new one, and getting educated on DCC.
But the one thing I haven’t given much thought about until recently is the demo of the existing layout. The benchwork is a full lower and main level, with an outside raised level around the perimeter. It literally fills the room, with the exception of a 4x8 open space in the center, and a triangle shaped space to allow opening of the door. The surface is 1/2 inch ply done mostly “cookie cutter” style, the legs are lots of 2x2s, and the horizontal supports are 1x2 and 1x4. The good news is everything is attached with deck or sheetrock screws. The bad news is the main level has lots of sheet cork and cork roadbed and plaster, etc., covering up the screws that attach the surface to the supports.
Anyway, it hit me that the demo is going to create a plaster coated mess if I am not especially careful. I have done this before, but it was in an unfinished basement, and not a spare, carpeted bedroom.
The existing backdrop (handpainted) will have to be painted over, and I can only hope that the new one will turn out so nice. It was a bonding moment when my oldest son (now a corporate executive at 42) and I painted it together. Actually, his painting was the ONLY thing done by someone else on the layout construction.
The other thing that hit me is the probable loss of lots of rock castings, bridge abutments, tunnel rockwork around the portals, and especially several feet of retaining walls. While much of this could be saved, very
Its tough teaaring out an old freind, but its time for a change and working on the new layout will quickly replace thoughts of the old. Just don’t make the same old mistakes. You may be able to use some of the old scenery elemants as dioramas to show off extra rolling stock. As for the carpeting. Try to clear the room of everything on the floor .Get some 6ml poly and cover the carpet. Get some appliance boxes and put them over the poly. I’ve seen remodel contractors do this and it seems to work pretty good. I stripped the carpet in my layout room and put down a linoleum simulating wood flooring. Or a laminate floor might be better than caarpet specially when it comes to plaster work… Anyways thats my 2 cents. BILL
Great minds think alike! When I built the layout, I had two layers of 4 mil “visqueen” laid on the floor. After most of the plasterwork was done, I pulled / ripped it out and put in a hand cut new carpet remnant over the existing carpet where I would be standing/working.
I’m 64, and this next layout will be my last. And the good news is that I’ve kept a running list of what I did right/wrong in the present layouts construction all the way up to detail scenery. The main reason I am rebuilding are for the three primary “what I did wrong” items. I built the upper level to provide constant running around the perimeter, but it takes up a lot of space and while it looks good, its borrrrring. I also have a reverse loop on the upper level which also takes up a lot of valuable space. The rockwork and abutments used to “shore this up” are especially nice (imho), but the loss of space is just not worth it. And lastly, I incorporated a few turnouts in the layout that are in tunnels and hidden from view. Some have underlayout solenoids, others don’t. They have caused about 90 percent of the derailments. What was I thinking when I did this???
When I demolished the first Yuba River Sub seven years ago, I found out that the first ‘rip’ is the worst. After that, it seemed to get a little easier. And I tore out EVERYTHING! Scenery, benchwork, track, wiring–you name it. All I saved were the trees and the buildings. When I finished, the garage was totally empty, and the dumpster was full. I looked around the garage for about three days, had the idea in my mind, put it on paper, then started raiding my local lumber company.
I forced myself not to look back. That’s the only way I could do it. But I’m happy I did–the present Yuba River Sub is FAR from perfect, but it’s closer to what I originally wanted in the first place.
When I had to demo my last layout because of an impending move it was very sad. I had progressed farther than I had ever gotten with a previous layout with scenery, and the layout itself was running pretty well. But the move meant a bigger, dryer, better lit space to build the next layout. Life got in the way for about 10 years, but now work is progressing on the new layout. So look forward to the new layout, but remember the mistakes of the old one, and correct them as you go.
If it’s been in there 14 years, It doesn’t sound much like a spare bedroom as much as a train room, and maybe this would be a good time to consider a new and or different floor covering…
Yes, it “was” a spare bedroom - but when the last of the kids left home, it was soon dubbed “the train room”. To those unfamiliar with the situation, I still refer to it as a spare bedroom so that they understand it is a climate controlled, finished room.
Never the less, you may want to consider putting up a dust block (plastic) over the door, do your demolition, and haul the old carpeting out with the rest of the trash. I think I’d probably paint the walls and trim as well.
No matter what you’re going to do, it’s going to make a mess of some sort.
I’d also look at those new flooring tiles like they put in Kalmbach’s HQ. They seem like a good idea, especially in an area that you might mess (ie spill) something during the reconstruction.
Mobilman,Appears we not only share the same name but also the same age. Not sure if thats signifigant or not but thought I’d share anyway. What the heck.[:)]
For whatever it’s worth, i just got done removing my 12’ x 12’ around the walls layout (long story short, water damage). I tried to save as much as I could though I know it’ll go back together differently than it came apart. I dropped all the bridges by cutting the track with a dremel on the approaches and gently prising the bridges loose from their moorings. Where there was water and the bridges lined up, I cut through the benchwork with a fine blade in my sawsall. The rest of the cuts I tried to make where there was only one track involved or at least simple trackwork cutting again with the dremel.Of course like most of us I drilled and secured the top to the frame from above so the scenery covered the screws. where I could I used the saw and cut through the screws between the plywood top and the framing. Where I had glued 2’ foam down to the plywood without screws, I simply used a large old crosscut saw (thank you grandfather) and cut the foam away from the plywood. The rest was 2" foam on 1/4" luan plywood. Underneath I cut the drops from the buss wires, the wires to the switch motors (Peco’s hidden in the 2" foam) and lifted out sections in manageable sizes. One large run 3’ x 10’ i got help and lifted out intact but it needed more help to make it out of the basement so that was futile. All in all, not too big a mess once you got past the mental anguish of having to do the job in the first place. Hope that helps and good luck with the new layout. J.R.
My first layout was a great learning experience, and I enjoyed it very much until the time came when She said, “We’re finishing the basement.” It wasn’t a question, nor did her sentence end with a rising inflection. [sigh]
When it came time to put in the carpet, at the last, there was no way the installer could cope with the layout, even though it was on large casters. So, it was a done deal…I started just after noon one day, and had it all out at the curb and the lumber that could be salvaged stacked in the shed within about 2 hours. Taking all the re-usable and valuable things off took maybe half an hour, and the rest was just shove, pry, and slash, and using the cordless driver in reverse mode.
I think I was humming the whole time though. [:-^] I think it was, “It’s a wonderful day in the neigbourhood…”
I know it can be hard starting in on the teardown of a layout, particularly one that you put much labor and care into, and it can almost seem as if you pulling the plug on a loved one. But, if you going to improve your lot, it has to be done. I’ve done it many times over the last four and a half decades. Once you get started it goes pretty quick.
Your suggestions make sense - and in fact used some during the kitchen remodeling and the complete revamp of my in-law’s house. The room itself will be completely redone, so a mess in the room is no big deal, and for the most part unavoidable. The real challenge is to get the trash stuff into the hall, down the stairs, and thru the entryway without messing up those areas. As I see it now, it would be better to cut stuff up in manageable pieces in the trainroom, and then carry manageable loads out in contractor bags.
Like the song says, the first “cut” is the deepest…
If your room has an outside window…a piece or two of plywood, cut right, can make a nice garbage chute to the outside. Just put another full sheet against the side of the house below it, just in case of pieces bouncing back, and you’re good to go. That same plywood, if it doesn’t get wet, can be recycled into the new layout.
I certainly feel your pain. As it stands every time I move my layout gets torn down and tossed. The valueable items are removed like track, buildings bridge(s) and trees and then the teardown starts. It seems that every two years there is a move in my life and there will be another coming up a few months time. Every layout has taught me an awful lot and is an improvement over the last. So actually looking forward to this rip and tear session that is coming my way. [:)] I think the next layout will include a spiral maybe even suspended in an adjoining room in mid air.[:P] Always wanted a dual level layout.
So look forward to building an improved layout with better trackwork, scenery, wiring and structures and the teardown will not be as painful.
Just wear a good mask when doing the demolition. The dust is not very healthy.