I’m with you. We just bought a basement, so I should be starting in the new year. I see my layout as a 25-year plan. Benchwork and some track for about two years, then track, scenery, structures and signals for the remaining 23!
As I model mainly passenger operations on a busy mainline, I need a long mainline run. And as I don’t have an aircraft hanger, this means double deck. I’ve calculated my usable layout space at about 800 sq. ft. including aisles, workshop, crew lounge, etc.
But the two years or more of benchwork building isn’t a problem for me, because:
I love the building process as much as I love running trains.
I have a test layout and a display layout at the office, so I do get to run trains.
Every riser I add gets me closer to my dream of a compressed Kingston Sub in my basement. I’ve wanted a model of the Kingston Sub since I was 3. As long as I keep that vision in my mind, I have no fear of getting bored. Heck - I work with model trains all day, and I’m not bored yet!
Sorry but your math is CORRECT on the size of his house. The basement was supposed to house an airplane that he was going to build, he bought one instead. He is a pilot and has the $$$$$ to do as he wants. Most of the houses in his area are that big. There is a 15,000 sq ft monster with 12 bedrooms I think over there.
Hi Chip good to see you are still around. Like your info sites!
My friend with the monster is going to hire a firm from Maryland to build this for him. He did the math like I did for mine and came up witth the fact that he may not be around to enjoy it. That was my fear but with the help of friends mine is running just fine. On to scenerty next for me.
THe cluib is going over to his place and see what we can do to get him ready for the builder. He used 3rd planet to design it. I joked and asked if he was going to have it printed 1:1 like I did. He said he may NOT take the full length of the floor may ONLY use 100 feet and leave the area over the garage for his model shop (4 car garage). I told him if he had any extra $$$ he could send it my way LOL. I blew my budget to heck a long time ago [:D]
I’d love to have a big space. I agree making it interesting is a good thing. Your prolly early on in construction and a layout is always modifyable to put more interest in.
I don’t have any layout yet, but I put up a short shelf and can test run stuff, yeh, that BLI 2-6-6-4 is great, even just sitting…heh
Ok we worked on his B&O benchwork and I put a laser to the exact room size.
Exact width of the room 42’ 6 1//2"
TOTAL length of the space 124’ 3 1/2"
Actual layout area to be used Full width by 83’-0"
His is a liner track plan with (3) bubbels into the center. Then he is going to use the 30’ x 42’ for the Baltimors docks and yards as they where in 1954. The mind blowing part is how the heck is he going to MAKE yes MAKE 1,356 trunits that 3 rd plant showes on the taker off.
As I stated to much for me to get a grasp on.
PS his estimate is $300,000.00 to build the whole thing. Since everything he has is brass and all he buys is brass maybe that is true, I do not know.
So now we have the statistics for the humongulayout - AWESOME!!!
How does he plan to operate it? Monsterprogram a computer so he can lone wolf whatever job he wants to do himself while the electronics run the rest of the railroad? Form a club of dedicated operators? Sequential operation where it takes a month to operate one timetable day? Or is he going to hire Brotherhood railroaders at Brotherhood rates? (The ultimate in prototype operation.)
At an average of a turnout a day, just hand-fabricating 1356 turnouts would take this experienced rail-bender (-filer, -solderer) four years! And that’s without doing ANYTHING else!
The thing that will hurt the most is he wants to use spline roadbed and NOBODY has ever used that in this area. Mine is the next largest to his and I used cookie cutter and risers with subroadbed. I hope he has a chance to run a train before he passes on. He is 68 now.
I am going to remember my digital camera next time to take some photos if he will allow me to.
His like mine is a private railroad and we have the money to due as we want so we build these for others to enjoy who are up in our age group and do not have the space or may not have the money for the building of these.
THATS HUGE!!! [:O] But a bit too big (maybe 50-60’ too big lengthwise to be precise) for my liking. 20’x40’ would be plenty large for me. (though if I had an option between that and 25x50 I would take the latter…) I’d be able to run a club from my house! Too bad my space is only 9x16…but it will be a modular layout, which means, there is always room for add-ons!!! But, imagine the planning for an 18’x146’ layout! (Hopefully I got the dimensions right) I’d hate to plan something that large.
If I had a layout that big, I’d hire a carpenter/trainguy. Or perhaps just hire a local kid who is interested in trains. Just keeping it clean would be a multi-hour task (one I wouldnt want to do)
My layout is 21’x13’ (well that is the size of the train). I could go for bigger though. Big is really cool…
I’ve got a 14/40 layout space, with a bed, and an unfortunaately place nearly pointless chimney. I know I can get it to work, Iv;e seen other models work in said space. I’m just not all that creative at this point.
Yes ther is all printed out at 1/2" to the foot on 11x17 paper. He used a copy of 3rd planet and just started getting all the survey and aerial photos of the routs a drew it up with the program. The problem is that he was not a CAD person and did not break it down to layers so it is very hard to trouble shoot the track plan in the computer.
I offered to do it for him but in i his own way satedt that he was having fun working on it like it is.
We are running my Nanticoke Branch on Tuesday, no scenery of any factor yet but we do have fun running. I am the Youngest KID at 60 so you get the idea. The senior is 84. Iam very happy with mine thanks to a lot of help from the forum trouble shooting the track plan when I was drawing a blank.
Those following this thread and have no clue as to 3rd planet here is my track plan as the layout was started.
To get an idea the squares are 12x12. This was phase one of three. I am not building phase 2 or 3 as of now. my total area is 22’ 8" by 68 ft 9". I just used what you see.
I started back in 2005 with N scale on the dining room table on a 4x6 platform. Realized this was not a passing fancy. Then wife started with you are going to have to find another place.
Started design on paper for an HO layout in daughters old bedroom about 10x11. Then daughter returned from college.
Kicked car out of garage and marked the four corners as mine, all mine, and keep yer stuff out.
I tend to be task orientated. Do step 1, then step 2 etc. Don Z helped me get benchwork built in a couple of weekends (he is good) or I would still be trying to figure out which end of the stick do I screw in here [D)]
One of the first things I read about MR’ing was to get trains running as soon as possible. So, cork down and some track, connect DCC, put train on and start. I tackled the mainline around the outside perimeter first.
Now, I’ve slowed down and started to scenic those areas that will be hard to reach (aka backdrop and up to perimeter trackage).
Would I want a bigger layout? You bet. I’de also like to win the lottery.
