I started building my 14’ x 24’ layout in the middle of August 2007. Actually the main part of the layout is 14’ x 16’rectangle with a 5 1/2’ teardrop shape island in the middle. It has a 8’ x 2’ staging area that comes off the 16’ section. So the whole layout is not a 14’ x 24’ rectangle.
I finished the benchwork in the middle of January this year. I began the trackwork in January right after completing the benchwork.
So far I have the open staging, track work completed. Problem is that it seems to be taking forever to get the main lines at least to the point where you can run a train.
The layout has two main lines. I’m about 2/3 done on one of the mains. I’m also laying track in the yard that is on the current main line I’m working on.
During the summer I did take a vacation for a couple of weeks and things on the layout slowed down due to summer obligations. However, I would have thought by this time I would have at least had one of the main lines going.
I have made a considerable amount of progress in the past two weeks but I’ve been working every night for three hours and the past weekend both days for most of the day. I am hoping to have the main lines in operation by Christmas for the grandkids.
So am I progressing slower than most or is this amount of time normal?
Always remember it’s better to do it right than do it fast. This is especially true for trackwork because it’s very difficult to go back later on and re-do it. I wouldn’t be concerned about your length of time. As long as you are working steady it will get done.
Bill,I am also moving much slower then I hope on my N Scale layout.My problem is selecting the type of industry buildings to fit my needs.[%-)]
I have three of the seven buildings built and need to order the remaining 4.I need the buildings so I can place 'em on the layout and then lay the track to them.This way there is no dreaded rework involved if they buildings don’t fit where I wanted…
I wanted this layout up and running by New Year’s Day but,at the current progress rate it may be late February or early March.[sigh]
its typical. My first layout was only 16’ X 4’ And it took forever I did like u only couple hours a night then I also had obligations… Then we decided to tear it down (my dad and I) Cause it wasnt working out right. I had the track running etc but I personally didnt like the continues loop, and hardly any switching… When I decided to build the new layout My mother was put into the hospital for almost a yr she was in more then she was out. So it came down to I hd nothing to do cause dad worked she was there and I worked day in and day out on the layout unless I went to the hospital. I kept my mind at ease with the layout. I had to she had a very bad staf infection it almost killed her… Now I’m 31 live with my parents because dad decided to work and I stay home with mom (she isnt suppose to do much). So I help around the house. Ontop of that in the last 3 yrs My grandfather passed away. Before that it was run to the hospital etc etc, then my grandmother started sliding down hill and still is. She wont move out of the house she is in, and ontop of that my health isnt 100% perfect. I finally got to a point this last month and said hey I got to get nack on the rails and work. Of course in those months my dad purchased stuff for me to build and work on the layout. And the train area was under a flood from May nothing bad happened the wood didnt even soak up water but everything in the room had to put up on the upper layer so it didnt go bad.
But to stop rambling etc to make things short layouts take time so even tho u starts in January of last yr your going at a good pace.
I started building my 5x12 foot layout in March of 2005. I thought, “This should be pretty much done by Christmas.” Well, last night I did about a square foot of scenery, and said to myself, “This should be pretty much done by Christmas.”
I looked back at pictures. A year after I’d started, it looks like most of my track was at least loosely in place. I had one small patch ballasted, maybe 2 or 3 running feet worth, with scenic cover on the surrounding ground. There was a bit of territory where the foam mountains had been covered with Gypsolite, but no turf or other ground cover was present. Everywhere else was pink.
3 1/2 years after The Beginning, I’m finally filling in that final curve. The roadbed over there is glued down, but the track is still held in place with re-structured paper clips, so that I can take it up to remove the bridge and finish the scenery beneath it. A lot of pink has disappeared in the last couple of weeks, as the stream and mill pond project has fired me up and got me putting in a lot of hours.
So, given that it will probably take longer than I expect, let’s say for the sake of argument that my 5x12 layout has taken 4 years. That’s 60 square feet in 4 years, or 15 square feet a year. How does that compare with your progress?
I figure about an 90 minutes for 3 feet of flex track and a couple of hours to install a turnout. I’m very careful to get it just right, keeping in mind that a scale inch of error (roughly .012") is enough to derail a train. I use a straightedge to keep my straight sections straight and I’m just plain picky about curves.
Even though it can be tedious to lay track, keep in mind that the work you are doing now is critical to the enjoyment of your layout later.
It does take more time. I’ve been making slow progress on just getting the benchwork up. Since I plan to retire and move in couple of years I don’t want to spend a lot of time on this layout getting to operations. It’s purpose is to see if I want my retirement layout to be a point to point. So, I decided to speed things up on the track laying and this past Sunday ordered sectional track with roadbed.
And most of rolling stock and all my locomotives are RTR (well except for couplers and wheel set changes) for the same reason. And I’ll probably use some RTR buildings as well.
Thirteenth derivative of Murphy’s Law (aka Cheops Constant):
Everything takes longer and costs more than planned.
My double-garage filler is about the same size as yours, I am an experienced model railroader and I have been working on it for about twice as long as you have. An honest appraisal of my progress?
Benchwork - 50%
Trackwork - 22% (probably an overestimate), all destined to be hidden
Control system wiring/panels - 10%
Landforms - 0%
Scenery - 0%
I can run trains - the way John Armstrong did for the first 7 years of the life of the Canandaigua Southern (back to end of track, run forward through Cattaragus to end of track, back to Cattaraugus…) I can even approximate some of my prototype’s timetable operation. My model railroad looks like the Himalayas at Disney World - before they put the outer skin on.
It will get closer to finished, eventually. In the meantime, I’m having fun.
Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - if I ever build my way out of the netherworld)
Let’s see… 8 years buying stuff and building them. 3 years of building a loop with a table. Then the last year or so final trackwork with more track and associated purchases.
At this rate I expect at least 10 more years. If the hobby shop people retire and sit on the porch, the Internet thingy with the credit card will keep things rolling to the house LOL.
Oh let’s not forget 25+ years in a wishbook, magazines and trainshows wondering what to do to get a layout started in the first place.
Do you HAVE to have a deadline? Building is part of the fun for me; I would want to take my time on it to enjoy it more and do it right (but me being a patient person…)
I dont do deadlines but I use them to stay on track. If one week I need to install feeders, then that will happen that week… may take two but those feeders will be done. Then something else next after that and so on.
No I don’t have a dedline. I did expect the layout to take several years to get it to actually look like something but was hoping to get at least one main line running before this Christmas.
Last night I finally got my Fast Tracks double crossover wired correctly to the four tortoise switch machines. That took three hours by itself. I have been working on that for more than two months trying to figure how the power would be routed. That’s a load off my back.
After reading all the responses it seems I’m not going any slower than most of us.
This is my first real layout. By real I mean, this is the first one that I have used flex track and glued down cork road bed to a bench. All the other layouts have been either on the floor or on a bench that could only be in place for a short while. So I never had structures or scenery on any.
One thing I learned a long time ago was to do it right the first time. Therefore, I make the effort to ensure the track is aligned correctly on curves and use a straight edge for the straight sections.
So far I’ve laid over 225’ of cork (now working on my 4th box) and have laid more than 35 pieces of flextrack.
Since I’ve gotten the double crossover done (that was one hurdle), I have only one more biggie to cross (the swing up bridge). Once I get the track down on that and working properly I will only have about 15’ left to go on the one main line.
Glad to hear I’m going at about the same pace as others.
I have a 13x15 HO layout that took 3 years or so to get to the “major scenery done” stage, with final placement of structures and details remaining.
Assuming you do “good work”, your progress is great! Frankly, I enjoyed the building process as much as the finished product (i.e. running trains).
Also, building a layout - to me - is just like building a house. I’ve lived in the area of building booms a lot and watched many a house being built. It seems like the land clearing, surveying, foundation pouring, framing, and brickwork/siding/roofing get done so very fast - often in 6 weeks down here in south Texas. At this point, the house looks “done”, but is just a shell, as the wiring, plumbing, sheetrock, woodwork, appliances, painting, carpeting and detail work take much longer to complete.
One last thing you might consider… I have yet to hear of a layout that was truly “finished”!!!
This is going to be no salve at all but remember that it took the Onion Specific six years to get to Promentory and the Big Four five years to crest the Sierra–and they had thousands of Irish and Chinese on their payrolls. GET YOUR MIND OFF THE CALENDAR AND GET FOCUSED ON YOUR RAILROAD!!!
First, let me extend a word of unmitigated admiration; based upon the real property specifications heralded in your first paragraph if you completed your benchwork in five months then stand tall and take a bow–there are others out there who have been struggling with less ambition for far longer than that five month period in getting their benchwork completed.
Your post indicates that you have a strong desire to run trains–me too. My layouts are far smaller than yours–I would kill for a 14’ X 24’ space–with less–and, I am sure, different-- benchwork requirements and trackwork is always the slowest and most tedious chore in building a layout. But let me assure you that careful track laying now will return king-size dividends in the future; speed all too often renders sloppiness and you will pay the price for that!
As I stated, there is not going to be an awful lot of salve here but, lacking a second set of hands–read: model railroad buddy–there may be a couple of ways you can speed things up. I’m not sure what your track plan looks like but there may be some way that you could lay some (temporary) trackwork allowing some sort of out-and-loopback operation utilizing that staging area. Don’t worry about switchwork now–they will give you enough worry and headaches in the future; instead mark where those switches are going to go and lay temporary trackage through that point. This would include switches at siding locations. Even if your layout contemplates a double track mainline you might use the second main sidetrack and link it to the first track through a pair of switches. This will allow two train operat
I’ve been building since June 3, 2001. So far I have laid close to 500 ft of track (mostly handlaid but some flex-track in staging). My benchwork is 100% done. Wiring is at 95%. Scenery is 15%, buildings 10%. I have less than 50 ft of track left to put down and then build 6 more turnouts. When I completed the benchwork I was happy that I was done, but with the trackwork, it’s more bittersweet now that it is coming to an end. I’ve enjoyed spiking all that rail over the past 7 years.