It’s now christmas break and I have some time to work on the layout. Here’s the thing. I originally designed, with the help of pcarrell, a nice 16x9 switching layout. However, my space got shrunk to about 11’x10’. So I decided to do a little urban switching scene on one third of the layout. However, now I realize that I don’t like it after I laid the track and cork roadbed (tacked down). Do you think I should rip up the track and modify the original track plan or should I keep it and save the frustration of redoing it all. Note: If I stay with the current plan, I will have to still rip up some old brass turnouts. Thanks for your help!
Get rid of the brass, post haste. Before you complettely tear up the layout consider your desire to actually having a sceniced layout. If you don’t commit to the plan you will always be stuck in the design phase. Just do it man. Make the plan and build it. Get the trains running. Remember, sometimes a simple layout will bring much enjoyment as you progress to the next stage of layout construction.
Personally I am at the point where I need to install portals and get more detailed scenery on the layout. I am hesitant because there is a certain level of permanance when you glue everything down, but I have comitted to this layout and there will be no major changes from here on out as I would rather have it sceniced, even if I am not totaly happy with it. As long as it is convincing I will be good with it.
When you get such a significant, and therefore consequential, change to your circumstances in this hobby, you had better regroup.
Perhaps some of the guys who have seven layouts over the past 40 years can find a way to still get something like your big plan shoehorned into that reduced space, but even they would walk away with the new dimensions and design as much of the givens and druthers as they could place.
I don’t know about these brass turnouts, but it seems a shame to remove them or possibly damage them if they are currently working well for you. Still, you may have to do that in order to get a modicum of joy out of running this next iteration.
First, identify what it is that you don’t like about it. Doesn’t operate properly, sidings too long or too short, not enough run around space, not conducive to the desired scenery, or what? If you don’t know this, odds are the same thing will manifest itself in the next design.
Is there some way to modify it to correct that without ripping everything out?
Here’s the thing, I decided to scrap the big layout idea for a while and to just work on a little one to keep me busy. However, I just got the means to put this layout in a smaller space, so I decided to just rip up that track and put it on the new layout. I think I definetly want to do the original plan, I’m just not sure how to fit it.
One thing I’ve learned from watching the home improvement shows, the earlier in the process you can make changes, the less painful it will be. Obviously, it would have been better to make the changes while still on the drawing board but since you have laid the track and found it not be a very satisfying arrangement, now is the time to fix it. Track and roadbed are easy to move, especially if you’ve tacked them down rather than glueing them.
If it were me, I would go back to square one. Take a look at your new space, figure out how much of what you had in your original plan you can still put into a new design. You might even come up with some new ideas that weren’t in your original design. Also, since you’ve had some expierience with operating the layout, ask yourself what was it that you didn’t like about the arrangement you had and make sure that is removed from the new design.
As for the brass track, that’s a budgetary decision. If you can afford to replace it, do so now. If not, live with it until you can but I would make sure I didn’t ballast the brass track since I think eventually, it should go.