Today my wife and I looked at our future plans for moving my office into our home. We had planned the expansion in the future, but it looks like our timetable may be moved up.
Anyway, no matter how we turn it put it into the new room, it just doesn’t fit.
It is the 4 x 8 shape that is killing it.
Since I like the era a lot and have all the structures, rolling stock and motive power, I will have to build something of a different shape. In the office, it will have to be contiuous running as I see it as therapy rather than ops, which will be what the basement layout is all about.
That sucks. Hey Chip, if that’s only 4’ wide what raius are your turns? I don’t see how you got basically 3 loops to fit in 4’ ? I always liked that track plan.
They are all 18" radius turns. It all worked in the Atlas program using the Atlas Track, but I go a rude awakening when I layed the EZ Track. I had to extend it 6", so it is actually a 4.5 x 8 plan. If I get that far, I’ll be adding another 6" and a couple three staging tracks this weekend.
I have a couple years. I have room in the basement until Phase 3 of my basement project. I have 6 months left in this one and a year or two in phase 1 & 2 of the Redwood Empire. The office will be desiged with the new Rock Ridge layout in mind. (Maybe I can save Tater Mountain.
I just remembered something I saw in an ols MR. A guy had the same problem. He put a pully and rope system on the ceiling and folding legs on the layout. When not in use, he could hoist it up to the ceiling and work under it.
Well, on the bright side, I know there are things you would do differently if you were to design the Rock Ridge and Train City today. So, you might get a chance and hopefully will be able to turn it into a mixed blessing. But I can relate. You know my story.
Chip, Sorry about your layout, but sometimes rebuilding something can turnout much better than the orginal. I’ll be watching as the new layout develops. Anyway you and yours have a MERRY CHRISTMAS.
maybe not doomed , maybe more like a metamorphosis . it will be reborn and serve the purpose of being somewhere to run a train until you get the Redwood Empire up and running . and you’ll get to refine your scenery making techniques even more
CNJ, do you think so? Crazy! (well, that’s about my track record too).
I’m pretty determined to make my next layout 1) small enough that provided I always have a garage in my life, I’ll have room for it. and 2) built in small enough sections that could be easily transported.
Chip, what’s the plan? Sounds like you have a several-stage plan to get to your “real” layout, huh?
Chip life can throw rotten eggs at you once in a while but sometimes it is the driving force you need to change things, not that there is anything up with your railroad, i think it’s great. i tried a layout up the middle of the garage 17’ x 5’ , it looked great on paper but it was a pain to get round in reality so it went in the bin and i built the present one, then the builders trashed it so some of it’s come out again, but it WILL be built again, and it will be better.
The plan has always been to build a layout that runs through the Redwoods. I started the 4 x 8 to give my kids a place to run while I built the “real” layout. Well, they lost interest and I started having fun with the Hogwarts turned Rock Ridge layout.
For the last month. I’ve been building an entertainment room which was going to be storage for my wife’s art. She changed her mind and I am building a layout in its stead. Originally it was to be an N scale switching layout, but I decided instead to make it Phase 1 of the basement layout. The end of the California Western Railroad is owned by and dead ends into the Union Lumber Company–and makes a perfect switching layout. The size 11 x 30" with 6.5 foot return in L shape.
Phase 2 will happen on the other side of the basement and will be the logging camp and log loading area. It will be about 14 feet by 30 inches.
Phase 3 will be the about 9 x 16 with one end extending 16 feet. This will be the Willits Interchange yard with the Northwestern Pacific and continue north to Fort Sewart.
The Rock Ridge and Train City will have to come down before Phase 3. Phase 3 will make the layout have continuous run capability. Before that the rest of the layout is point to point.
Although I have to build the benchwork for the California Western within a month or so. It will not go further until the Rock Ridge and Train City is complete. I figure 3-6 months or more. Time to start saving for turnouts.
Regarding saving for turnouts - there’s always handlaying!
I’m determined to handlay my next layout. I’ve been thinking of ways to speed up the process - like file a bunch of switch points and frog points beforehand, etc. so that I just grab the parts & lay them.
I’ve been playing with it in my head, but haven’t gotten it on 3rd Planit yet. I’m sure it won’t all fit. There is room for this. I’m not buying the kit, rather using it as reference. I have a picture of the Union Lumber mill.
No offense chipo, but it sounds like your wasting time with this 4X8, your gonna finish it, get attached then the CaIiforina western will never get built.
