Yeah or nay?????

[orsonroy]

First of all, he has approximately 400 square feet of space, but the layout is much less than that, I did a quick estimate and came up with about 120 square feet. Also, while I don’t have any figures to back this up, I believe that bigger layouts tend to cost less per square foot to build. The economy of scale helps some e.g., buying flex track 100 pieces at a time instead of 10 pieces at a time, but the biggest difference is that people just don’t try to squeeze in as much stuff per square foot. While that doesn’t affect the cost of the benchwork and base scenery, it does affect the cost of the track and buildings and additional details. I also believe larger layouts tend to take less time per square foot to build, for basically the same reasons.

Robert’s right: larger layouts DO tend to be cheaper per square foot. My last layout was a triple deck monster that took up my basement, which was approximately 325 square feet including staging yards. Since I only modeled one small online yard and one large online city (and seven small ones) my cost per square foot for base benchwork was only about $2 a square foot. That included steel shelf brackets, 1/4" ply, 2x2s, 2" foam, 1.2" foam, Peco code 75 flex, caulk, latex paint, and basic ground foam base scenery. That’s “only” $650 or so for a four and a half scale mile long mainline.

It’s what you put onto a layout AFTER that that jacks the price up. If you include rolling stock, engines, structure, trees, details and lots and lots of turnouts, then the price skyrockets. I have absolutely no idea what my total cost per square foot was, but if I include my 70+ steamers (including brass) the price would probably make me choke!

But I generally DON’T include rolling stock and engines into the equation, simply because they’re not fixed to the layout. and there are ways to greatly reduce the cost per square foot. For example: switch to code 80 N scal

[SpaceMouse]

When figuring a budget for HO scale you figure between $50-100 per square foot. It will be more for N scale.

Calculate 50 hours/square foot.

You have aproximately 400 square feet so figure $40,000 and 20,000 hours. At 20 hours a week that works out to 1000 weeks or 19.25 years.

Can you do 20 hours a week for 19.25 years?

Okay, lets say you are a speed demon. What is you life going to be like in 10 years?

First of all, he has approximately 400 square feet of space, but the layout is much less than that, I did a quick estimate and came up with about 120 square feet. Also, while I don’t have any figures to back this up, I believe that bigger layouts tend to cost less per square foot to build. The economy of scale helps some e.g., buying flex track 100 pieces at a time instead of 10 pieces at a time, but the biggest difference is that people just don’t try to squeeze in as much stuff per square foot. If someone has a certain amount of space to build a layout and that space is suddenly double, the first thing many people will do is lengthen their yards and passing sidings and the distance between towns. While that doesn’t affect the cost of the benchwork and base scenery, it does affect the cost of the track and buildings and additional details. I also believe larger layouts tend to take less time per square foot to build, for basically the same reasons.

But he has three levels.

[CSX_Robert]

But he has three levels.

The staging level could be built for not much more than the cost of the track alone i.e., no scenery, no buildings, the benchwork could be built as part of the benchwork for the second level. I did, however, completely forget about the third level. If I was building this layout, while I might have a plan for the third level, I would not do any contruction on it until I had the second level operational and knew how much time and money it took to get to that point before making a final decision on a third level.

[reklein]

First off I hope my comments are not being taken as flaming but an effort to promote discussion and ideas. Sometimes I come off as brusque and sarcastic but actually I’m just socially inept.

Orsonroy has three levels and in a relatively short time. As far as cost goes Mr. SooNScaler already has a collection of rolling stock,buildings and some track from his previuos layout. He also has the experience from that layout to build on. Electrolove has a similar discussion on the general forum which parallels this one an addresses similar issues.

Its true that benchwork goes in fast, trackwork a little slower ,specially if you start changing things as you go. I can never stick to a trackplan,switches don’t fit, the sidings not long enough,etc. Basic scenery goes fairly fast and isn’t expensive if youstay away from the plaster cloth. Foam scenery is also slower than the conventional plaster towels over cardboard grid. Cardboard grid can be had for nothing. Just go to an appliance dealer and ask for a refridgerator box. Lay it out on a shet of scrap plywood and go at it with a Stanley knife til its stips and you got grid till the cows come home. Use hot glue to build the grid, anyway you get the picture. People these days think you have to buy everything. Its no big deal, just have fun.[soapbox]

[orsonroy]

If I was building this layout, while I might have a plan for the third level, I would not do any contruction on it until I had the second level operational and knew how much time and money it took to get to that point before making a final decision on a third level.

I actually went a different route with my old layout, and will be taking a similar one with my latest. I built ALL of the base benchwork first, and then drew out my basic plan on top of it (easy with a foam-based layout), and laid the mainlines (with switches off the main).

It’s the detail work, industrial trackwork and scenery that takes the most time on a layout, and building the benchwork and getting the mainline laid fast was a good way to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Having a complete mainline laid allowed me to run trains and keep my interest levels up; I could wander downstairs and either run trains or work on scenery as I liked (and usually, both at once!). Having the main in place allowed me to have an operating layout and “chew on” my town site trackplans a bit. On larger layouts, it’s sometime difficult to completely visualize how successful the final design will be, so having the bulk of it in place before it’s “finished” allows you to rethink things.

In N scale I find that long, boring mainlines without a lot of track are one of the more appealing things about the scale (the whole trains to scenery ratio thing). The builder of this layout may feel the same way after a while, and may further reduce costs by eliminating lots of trackwork (I’d personally reduce the length of the main onstage yard by 1/3 to 1/2, but I like mainlines more than yards)