The Saga Begins, and Ends - “Taking Down the Railroad”

Model Railroader Layouts and layout building
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It’s been about a year since I posted on the Forum, and during that time I wrestled with the possibility of taking down my layout.

The first version was built in the mid ‘90s, and replaced in 2008 with a new and improved version, now operated via Digitrax DCC. The layout fills an 11x15 room, with a sizeable lower level staging area, and the setting is generic Midwest, circa 1959, with the Santa Fe sharing some trackage with the Illinois Central.

With the exception of operating signals and small details, it is has been finished for a couple of years. The track design is perfect for my needs, the trackage is flawless, and the Digitrax DCC runs flawlessly. So given all this, why the heck am I taking it down?

Well, I’m 76 and find I’m aging faster than I expected. That 4 ft wide duckunder, which allowed me to build in a decent loco terminal, is now a serious “knee buster”. And, as nicely as the trains run, I’ve come to realize I’m much more a builder, than an operator.

Lastly, my “life expectancy” just isn’t what it once was. So for the sake of my Wife and family, I need to remove the layout and dispose of the “stuff” (thank you Ebay) myself, while I’m still able to do so.

Make no mistake about it, for a guy who has been consumed with model railroading for almost 70 years, this is definitely a “big deal”, and I’d be lying if I said it was an easy decision.

I suspect that many of you will also be looking at a “layout removal” project sooner or later. And while the forum is filled with threads about layout building and all that goes with it, I thought I would chronicle the step by step demolition and removal of one.
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I will be very interested to follow your process.

I can see a day when I will be needing to take on a tear-down (a 5’ x 9’ layout) caused by planned moving and/or your situation. I would hope to build again after a move but perhaps, rather than going for a grand layout, something more simple like a modular end to end layout would be better ahead of a final teardown. If simple, it could be left up longer.

One thing on my mind is that I should learn the EBay sales process ahead of time. I have some unneeded items that I could learn with, but am hesitant to get started, having some anxiety about learning all the shipping details, etc.

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I’ll be following your progress Mobilman.

I’ll be doing this in a few years.

Mike.

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Mobileman, this will be an interesting story. I’m looking forward to it.

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As I recall, we’ve had a couple of threads about 'best design practices while building to facilitate subsequent removal (including potential reuse/resale value).

As this work progresses, please note all the places where a different construction or design when building this layout did, or did not, facilitate removal.

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It’s a very interesting topic. I am 55 and accept, as we all should, that I am closer every day to the big day, which being honest could happen to any of us at any time. I’ve often thought about creating a step by step of what to do with my locomotives in particular. One thing that this topic has prompted me into doing is numbering my locos and tenders on the chassis with the boxes similarily dealt with. Whilst it may be blindingly obvious to everyone here what would go into what for others it would be virtually impossible I’d say. Enough rambling I will be tuning in to see your progress.

Take it steadily though and thank you for your interesting thread.

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Don’t do it. The duckunder can be fixed. For now just sell off all the stuff you don’t need. If you don’t try to salvage, it can come down in a day along with patching and painting (dry times not included).

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Do you need the space? What would fill it if you destroy your improved current layout?

What would fill the void in your hobby enjoyment? Would you build something more modest that will still let you run a train now and then?

Have you grown tired of any one particular aspect other than access, and maybe the odd maintenance issue that was easier even five years ago?

Could you, as a make-work project, not do as rrebell advises? If your principle objection is the access bottleneck, why not address it creatively? Salvage all that work and what it still offers you in way of fulfillment, but fix the one glaring, or two, defects. It buys you several years yet, even with continued decline, and you won’t have to build another layout OR destroy what you have. Will save money. Even salvaging a portion of the layout, one about which you are particularly pleased and that works well…incorporate it into something more modest.

I do fully agree with maximizing one’s enjoyment in any pastime. If it really does mean destruction of this asset, then by all means have at it. Just be doubly sure that what you will end up with won’t be a disappointment or a degradation. If that’s the desired effect, then make doubly sure again that you have a firm and exciting plan for continuity’s sake. You don’t want to end up depressed, overwhelmed, or feeling guilty about a hasty decision or an unwise set of parameters.

Lastly, “Rail, rail against the dying of the light…”

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I’m with rrebell, don’t do it.

I don’t care if my wife or kids pitch it all in a dumpster when I’m gone, but until then, its mine.

Sheldon

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Well, that’s a bummer, MM. It will be an interesting, albeit sad, journey. Keep us posted.

Rich

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My brother-in-law, an avid HO scale modeler all of his adult life, passed away about 13 years ago. He had a beautiful basement layout that he left behind. It is still there.

Rich

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The emotional and financial toll you face are what we all can expect to encounter. It’s smart of you to face them now. I wish you luck in that effort and welcome any lessons learned.

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I guess I should clarify the situation…

  • the duckunder is 4x5 ft, and contains a good portion of the loco terminal, and allows for continuous running around the room on 3 tracks. In fact, there are 12 tracks that cross the area. In short, there is NO way it can be removed or altered to keep continuous running and/or the terminal.

  • the room will refitted with a treadmill, TV, etc. As I found out last month, my “ticker” has a problem(s), and a treadmill will be a major help, significantly safer than walking outside as I used to do.

  • I have no desire to burden my wife with disposing of the RR stuff. There is money in it ($3k) and I’m no stranger to Ebay, having sold MR stuff since 2003. So this is the way much of it will go - and BTW, my value estimate is low balled.

To sum up, the layout is coming down. I will still subscribe to MR and CT, and certainly continue to be interested in what goes on in the Forum.

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Your absence from the forums was noticed, and I am glad that you are back with us. I do wish it would have been under better curcumstances, but I am very happy to have heard from you again.

I am looking forward to following this thread.

As I have shared before, I have been involved with the removal of several layouts from a widow’s home after the layout builder has passed.

What you are doing is a very good thing, if it truly is time.

-Kevin

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So sorry to hear that it’s coming down. Seems like a point to point on one wall would be a great idea.

I do find it interesting that you’ve calculated how long it will take to take the layout down and repair the walls. Never seen anyone do that before.

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It’s not my place to tell you what to do, but I will say - about five months ago something got me motivated to start purging “stuff” that we had accumulated. It started with stuff in a yard shed, then progressed to stuff in the back of our basement. Then I went through a ton of books I had. Books that really weren’t worth anything. If I knew someone who might want one, I mailed it to them. Then I went through a ton of papers in a filing cabinet that were only of interest to me. I can’t believe how much I threw out (or set out for recycling). There is still more to go, but just doing that felt great! I hope you’ll feel a little unburdened too.

I can’t wait to get back to my purging but I had to take a break for medical issues.

Jim

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Okay, thanks for the clarity. It does make it rather final and firm. I also do like that you’re taking the same methodical approach to dismantling your creation that you had when you crafted it. It’s fitting, and I hope you can look back on all you have done in the hobby with a great deal of satisfaction.

If you haven’t done so already for some reason, please take a few thoughtfully composed photos of it soon. You will probably appreciate that effort in time.

Best regards,

-Crandell

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For many years I was active in a round robin modeling group here in the Bel Air, Md area. A number of the members were older than me and have passed. I have since dropped out of the group for a number of personal reasons.

One of those members now gone had become a particularly good friend, and a customer, as well as fellow modeler. About 17 years ago I designed and installed a walk around DC control system similar to what I use for his layout, which was one of the featured tour layouts when the 2006 NMRA convention was in Philly. I helped during the convention visits and many other open houses he had.

He was an exceptional craftsman and the layout is filled with outstanding scratch built and craftsman kit structures.

He passed away in 2016. Prior to that is daughter and son in law had purchased his home and added a large inlaw suite for him and his wife.

The layout is still there, under the care and guidance of his family, a living legacy to his outstanding talents and warm generous nature.

Since it appears the OP has made up his mind, I will respectfully bow out of this conversation.

Sheldon

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Before I go on, please know that I am just telling “what works for me”. We are all different and have our own varied processes, priorities, and values. What I’m doing is not an impulse thing, but something that has been mulled over for some time.

Anyway, the first few steps are now in progress.

The first is the taking of pics and videos (newbie at that). Using various angles and lighting I’m hitting each area in panarama and close up. As I finish an area, I’ve loaded the rail cars into plastic boxes (from Container Store) keeping them safe and separated with strips of cardboard. Eventually most of the 180 plus cars will be mated with their original boxes and sold, but that enormous task can wait.

What I’ve left on the layout is the various “special” cars with scratch loads and such. These will get their individual picture taken in appropriate surroundings.

Lastly are the locos…Several ATSF (4 steam, 24 power units) and a neat set of BLI Illinois Central E units. The locos will get their pics taken separately or in consist as appropriate.

Meanwhile, I’ve been removing the 1x2 lower horizontal supports. All are secured with deck screws (not a nail in the layout) and as I remove one, it allows me to slither under the layout to get to the next one(s).

I guess this would be a good time to describe the benchwork. The layout is supported by fifty 2x2 legs. They are connected a few inches from the floor by the above mentioned 1x2s. At the top end of the legs is a matrix of 1x4s, typically in “give or take” 16x24 inch rectangles. And on top of all this is 1/2 inch quality plywood, most of which has a thin cork sheeting.

The lower storage area (a winding 2 percent incline ending with 6 staging tracks) is also 1/2 inch plywood, supported by 1x2 or 2x2 horizontals. Building this was a chal

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When I tore down my old layout back in February, 2018, it was located in an unfinished basement, so I had a lot more space than you do, MM, to work on the demolition phase. I also had the luxury of space to build a temporary 4’ x 8’ table to hold all of my structures, locos, and rolling stock.

Since your space is confined to the interior of a bedroom, I do not envy your task.

Good luck!

Rich