I’ve torn out several… I’ve only had one what I would call complete layout in my life… By complete, I mean all the track in, and all the plywood covered… Looked pretty good too… That was in my parent’s house over 20 years ago and it simply had to come down… Since then there have been a maze of 4x8s, small bedroom layouts, up to my current one… The only thing that keeps me from doing a Major renovation is the fact that the track is all hand spiked. The point is, I like building them… Once built to a certain point, I get bored with some of them and they either sit unattended, or come down… The current one though, I’m pretty happy with and there’s enough to do to keep me ‘building’ for years to come (planned it that way)…
I have torn down two layouts in the last 6 months, luckily neither of them was completed except for the track! My first layout was on a 5X8 table, but I made the curves far too sharp for any longer cars to actually get around without derailing! I ripped it up and made another layout with much better curves, but then I got tired of squeezing around the table to get to my desks! So now I am building a semi-doubledecker around the wall layout tht will free up much needed space in the room! The moral of the story? PLAN PROPERLY when you are new to the hobby! But then again it isn’t like the other two layouts weren’t fun!
I had a permanent layout with scenery, etc. at my parents’ house from my early teens to college graduation. At that time they told me to tear it down. It was a sad day, but inevitable. At least I can tell you all that most of the mistakes you can make in building a layout are timeless. I made most if not all of them on that layout and never forgot.
It was 13 years later that we moved into a house that had space for a layout; I actually started it two years later. For better or worse, the finished room available to me had to be relinquished back to the family periodically. It also had doors on no less than three of the walls that required permanent clear access. In hindsight I think this was a blessing in disguise, given that we knew we had at least one more house move in our future. I devised a plan with track along two walls forming an L on two large movable sections (each about 12’ x 2 1/2’), that connected to a center island using four sections supported by (and clamped to) sawhorses that could be dis-assembled. The two-section L had nailed-down track and full scenery. I covered the various panels on the center island with high-quality green genuine felt (I considered grass mats but buying enough good-quality ones was rejected becasue of cost) and used Kato HO Uni-track (which although I didn’t realize it at the time, had been quite recently introduced). I made my own sectional roads from 1/4-inch plywood. I “planted” about 100 Heki trees by painting large fender washers dark green, gluing a tree to each one, and then flocking the washers. I had a couple of hills made of styrofoam, painted and flocked - wonderful how light and durable the styrofoam is. Several of my building clusters were placed on pieces of plywood which I painted and scenicked. I also used sectional streams which are available from suppliers of 25mm wargames terrain. The overall effect, though far from what one sees in Model Railroader, was surprisingly pleasing, and almost from the first week (well, factually, let’s say the fir
Im on my third layout in 15 years. Our home is close to 3000 square feet and we have 5 bedrooms, after all the remodel work was done up stairs my wife told me to pick a room for a layout, of coarse I took the largest one, my daughters were not happy with me at all. The room was 14 by 16 ft and I had a great looking along the wall runner that was in the shape of a “E”. I spent several years and almost got it done, then we had a fire downstairs, and we all know how the firemen have to cut holes in the roof and spray water everywhere. The fire was in the the kitchen and dinning area and started with bad electrical wires in the wall. After the smoke cleared and we came back ing the morning with the insurance man we went to the train room, I wanted to just die. Imagian using a high preasure hose to dismantal your layout. it was ruined. After the house was repaired and we moved back in I stated another layout wich is still in operation, and will never disassemble that one that is in the house. My current one is still not finished but is in my addition I put on my garage. I do changes from time to time, but I don’t want to do a tear down if I don’t have to>
I have torn down several layouts for various reasons. I currently have a layout that I am displaying in my town for Christmas. In a few days I will start the “fun” process of tearing it down. Luckly I did not invest a lot of time in it. I built the display (4’ x 36’) in 9 days and had to constantly work on it everyday for the last 6 weeks to keep it running. One thing I learn each time is what works and what doesn’t. The 2006 Christmas layout is getting to go on the drawing board. This time my layout will designed to travel and set up in a few hours. But each time I build a new one it is better than the last.
I’m planning to tear down and rebuild. More space in the basement has come available and it will allow me to have a longer mainline and use DCC. Fortunately, I’ll be able to reuse most of the benchwork and track. I’ve lost count of how many layouts I have built, but it’s around 8.
I have also built and torn down layouts.Several as a matter of fact.None got to the scenery stage as I get too involved in operations.The last two layouts have been in our current home which we rented for 4 1/2 years and recently bought.Now I’m remodeling the basement,framing the walls and insulating,then will come carpeting and new benchwork.
One thing I’ve decided that helps alot in layout construction and moving is David Barrow’s idea of layout sections which has been picked up by many as Layout Design Elements(LDE).I’ve found that 2ft by4ft layout sections constructed of 1X4 pine and a 1/2 inch plywood top,with bus wires stretched between terminal blocks to be very convienent fo me.The terminal blocks on adjoining sections are connected with jumper wires of the same color and gauge as the bus wires.I crimp on spade connectors to the ends of all wires and I use Atlas terminal joiners for feeders also connected to the terminal blocks.No soldering required.I use 2X2’s for the legs,assembled in pairs and inserted into pockets on the benchwork tops.
The idea of all this is to construct and complete each section,assemble sections with 1/4 inch bolts and wing nuts,and have the ability to change track plans or seperate sections if the layout has to be moved,or stored,and then reassembled later.
Tore out a beautiful finished layout (see pics in on the link in my signature). Took awhlie to build up the nerve. I saved a bunch of the rock carvings. Eventually threw all but one section away. The old layout wasn’t designed for operation and had too many design problems to fix. While tearing it out hurt, the promise of the new layout pulled me through it.
Brakie,
I’m experiencing age related problems such as vision and dexterity issues that comprimise my enjoyment of trains as small as HO which is my present scale. I think a switch to a larger scale such as O or maybe G will breathe new life into my hobby time.
My present model railroad is indeed the end results of many years of involvement and patience. But all the signs of a needed change are showing themselves. It will hurt to see this creation go to scrap…it not just a six month sheet of plywood with no scenery…that I could trash in a heartbeat…it’s the culmination of much planning and building and successes and failures. In the end it became that lifelong dream railroad I’d always wanted. I don’t know the right or wrong of it all, I assure you. I sit an look at it all, and try to image where I would start to destroy it, and shortly I get up and leave the room as unsure as when I entered it.