I am sure we have all been through this, but tearing down a layout, or even a portion of one, is like saying goodbye to an old friend. I am about to head to the basement and ‘deconstruct’ the oldest portion of my layout - it’s been through a couple minor changes and a major move from one house to another, but like an old friend it has stayed pretty true without hardly a hiccup or problem. But in order to make room for a new 14’ section, this one has to be replaced. So, I am heading to the basement with trash bags, a cordless drill, a hammer and whatever else to say goodbye to an old friend. Kinda gets ys right here, doesn’t it…
It is funny, Harold, but I haven’t felt that pang, pause, or regret in the two times I have torn down layouts. For me, their time had come, and I had long since identified their defects and grown tired of operating them because/in spite of those defects. What did give me a brief pause was that there was a lot of time invested in the layout during construction, a lot of materials, and a lot of memories, particularly in learning how to work a camera with some competence. But when I began to unscrew things, and use a serrated blade to cut through hardened ground goop, and side cutters to cut wires below it all, it was just a project, the same as building a layout. This time, though, in reverse, and for a different reason. Still, there is a shared one: wanting a better layout, and trying to reconstruct the excitement and happiness that comes with a new plan and operating layout. I gotta have a fun place to run my trains.
But, I do understand. [:)]
Crandell
It’s not so much an ending as a new begininng, if you are going to refill the space with a new section.
–Randy
I’m sure you’re planning to recycle everything worth salvaging, so I won’t say the obvious.
I live in a city where, every few years, a well-known landmark goes Poof! (or, more accurately Kabo-bo-bo-bo-boom) and suddenly becomes a trash pancake. Yes, we miss the old (fill in name here.) That doesn’t stop us from enjoying the amenities of the bigger, better edifice that shortly rises from those ashes.
After years of experience, I’m sure that the replacement will be better in every way than the dear departed. And there will always be that station, water tower or whatever to remind you of good times past.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
You can save the buildings, figures, track, even trees. My layout is only 6 years old or so, but a while back I had to disturb one end of it to connect to Phase 2 of construction. I lost a couple of little “scenes.”
These were just small sections of scenery that happened to come out well. One was a moose in a small pond, surrounded by trees and a rock outcropping. The other was a retaining wall made of railroad ties, with a culvert drain above it. They were simple spots that most would hardly notice, but things just came together nicely there.
I’ve got pictures, and I’ve got memories. Even better, I’ve got a bigger layout.
Went thru that about 3 years ago with an 11x15 HO layout that was 13 years old. The “first cut was the hardest” for sure, and each one with the reciprocating saw got easier.
It’s just a matter of changing from looking backward to forward. I won’t make light of it, because it can be difficult.
If you are having any hesitations or doubts, let me do it for you.
I love my current layout, but it has many faults and imperfections.
I often cannot wait to tear it down and build my Dream Layout.
Rich
I know the feeling. I love my current layout but, it was built when my fleet was mainly diesels and all I wanted to do was run trains around while I played games on my laptop. But now I have a lot more steam engines and they don;t run too well on my layout. I would also like to get into operating. So when I buy a house, it’s time to say goodbye to this layout. There will be tears in my eyes however.
As the Semisonic song “Closing Time” says, “Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.”
I look forward to starting over again at some point. Last time was about 6 years ago, but recycled what could be. It seems we always learn things that can be applied best in a do over. But for now I’m satisfied with little changes here and there.
Richard
It’s really not goodbye, more like see you later !
Very true. Between what we intend/would like to use on a new layout that can be removed intact from the old is a bonus in my view, and I know for a fact that there is a lot of off-line communications between members where they swap stuff or offer it up to someone who has a need for it. Do it myself, and have been the beneficiary a number of times from the good will of many nice people here. So, Tatans, yep, I would guess most of us see things from the last layout turn up either on our new ones or on the layouts of others to whom we have forwarded them.
What a great community we have going here. [bow]
Crandell
My self, I am looking forward to the day I can take a saws-all to my current layout! While I still enjoy running it, it has short comings. I have all so learned 2 things from it.
1 No such thing as a straight 2 X 4! Next layout I will uses 3/4 plywood ripped into 4 inch sections for the frame.
2 Layout is to wide to be against the wall!
For the next layout at first I wanted this plan.
Then a member here came up with this one for me.
Layout will be 18 x 29 feet, and has 2 main lines and a trunk line.
Cuda Ken
When I read the title of the post, “Saying Goodbye” my first thought was you were in bad health and saying goodbye to the forum.
So it was with a sigh of relief to read that you were just saying goodbye to an old layout.
As others have said the new one will make you forget all about the old one.
Bob
I have had to say good bye to two of my layouts. One, a few years, was not at my choosing and it was a bitter and sad. . But, very recently, I threw another layout, right into the trash can… as this one was my choosing. I did have a brief moment at the dumpster, but bounded back into the house as I couldn’t wait to get going on the new one.
Good luck with the new one!
Call this a ‘Saying Goodbye’ update…It’s all down and I did manage to salvage track, turnouts, buildings, switch motors, a few wires - but the rest is sawed or bagged up ready to go. Now this was originally built about 15 years ago and modified a couple of times so the plywood was full of holes and one of the L-girders had begun to warp - probably from being in storage during the move. Then as I was taking it apart I had a couple of ‘now why would I do something like that?’ moments. So it had to go…and today the new frame will be built, plywood attached and the new track plan layed out. What started all this was an article in the magazine published by the Soo Line Historical and Technical Society about the area in Michigamme, Michigan. It showed pictures of the old town and a pretty detailed map of where the DSS&A comes through the area and around the lake. Add this to the internet research I have done and it will be a perfect fit to the rest of the railroad and it’s ties to the Lake Superior Ishpeming. So this will be my new friend.
Don’t we all just love the smell of sawdust and freshly-cut wood? There’s just something very satisfyinjg about bringing that scent into our homes, for the short time it lasts.
It’s a harbinger of better things to come.
How about one last picture, just for old time’s sake?
LOL
Try to convince my wife of that.
ppffftt.
My wife loves it…because I’m working on our floors or deck or…[*-)]
I’m sort of with Crandell in the second post. Yes, that first layout was a bit hard to tear down, sort of like that first love you had in youth. However, layouts are like women, it gets easier to move on once they have had their day.
Tearing apart the third or forth layout is more of a chore than a loss as you have learned from all prior layouts the mistakes you made. (Just like with women) You are now smarter, wiser and better able to go for the “new thing” in your head which will have none of the other problems all the previous layouts had. So there is something of a whistle while you work in a later takedown.
This was especially true for me recently as I have had several HO layouts throughout my life and am now working on an HOn3 layout which required research and a bit of planning before tearing down the old layout. So I was ready for it. Still workin’ on the railroad.
Richard
I went thru that experience a few years ago with my old Iron Belt layout. Op sessions were difficult because of all the duck-unders it had. But as others have mentioned, keeping focused on the newer and better layout helped to offset much of the sense of loss.
However, erecting the new layout has taken me longer than I had planned, due to an unforeseen financial disaster that nearly obliterated my mrr budget. If I had seen this coming I probably wouldn’t have torn the old one down. At least now the benchwork, track and wiring have been completed and I can run trains on it. No scenery or structures yet, though…