Last night I began taking down the SIW for the move downstair.
Sad yes but happy I will rebuild it better than before!
I know the feeling. I recently dismantled a layout to make room for the babies’ nursery. And while the layout is in part in pieces and the rest in the trash, I know that someday I will have something better.
I can relate. From last July:
Few weeks ago I had my old layout all hauled away. I didn’t even salvage much, except the electronics, as I am using Peco track going forward.
Wasn’t quite so bad, it’s been sitting in pieces stacked up since I moved here 3 1/2 years ago. Plus having it gone means that much less stuff in the way of re-finishing my basement to make a proper layout space.
–Randy
Having trouble giving up my table layout in the middle of the room, so that I can build an around the room shelf. Procrastination!
Have fun,
Richard
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This sounds like an awesome opportunity! I find purges to be quite liberating for my creativity and enthusiasm.
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I hope you are way more happy than sad!
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-Kevin
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Alas, the bane of the model railroader! [:'(]
My track record (pun acknowledged) covers five layouts, starting with a 5’ x 9’ island in the attic in my HS years, and a 2’ x 8’ switching layout in my single, mobile-renter days.
Then, as a family-man, the next three “round the walls” layouts … built in the house I was certain I’d retire in! Well, not so for layout #'s 3 and 4, but since I’m finally retired now, maybe I’ll get to finish the current-last one.
All of which raises the question of the deciding on the basic layout design. I’ve always seen it as the fork in the road, where I had to choose between maximizing the utility of the current space, verus being able to transport “moveable” sections. At each crossroad, I could…
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build a semi-modular layout where the sections are secured to an L-guider frame. When its time to move, rebuild the frame, then re-install the sections in a new configuration, connected with new track as needed. The upside - I’d be up and running in a few weekends. The downside is, of 20 (or so) wanna-have layout features, I might achieve 10, maybe 12.
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Or I could build the best layout for the current available space, and after months of planning, finally design the layout that would achieve, maybe 17 or 18 of those elusive 20 features. But, if the relo dragon comes to visit, you salvage what you can and the rest goes in the dumpster.
Obviously, in my last three layouts, I’ve chosen door #2, with eyes wide open to the pros & cons. No regrets, but one can’t escape pondering the road not taken.
Jim
I’ve been there. I have felt your sadness too. I hope what I have to say can make you feel a little better.
I lived in my house in Prior Lake for 27 years. I remodeled every room in that house to get it just the way we wanted it to be.
We decided after a lot of thought, downsizing would be the best thing for us. Our kids had moved on with their lives and it was just the wife and I. It was a hard change for us but it was the right choice.
We lived all that and enjoyed all that. Now it can only get better. This time round it’ll be a little different. Different is new and different is better.
You are so right. Sad turns Happy.
Regards
Track Fiddler
PS. Between you and your layout and the move. It can not help but to see improvements.[:)]
Over the years I have seen many really nice train layouts that had to be cut-up (and destroyed) in order to remove them from their home place, due to either the owner’s having passed away, or his moving to another residence. Very often they are rather a custom fit in their home built environment, and thus aren’t likely candidates for a new special location. I’m even currently in possession of a very nicely detailed waterfront scene that had to be cut out of an estate sale layout, and I am hoping to incorporate it into my new layout, but I see problems on the horizon.
With these experiences in mind I decided that I would purchase a stand alone Handi-House shed, and build my new layout in there. Then if I should change residence again, I can simply load that shed onto a trailer and move the whole layout to a new location. Or if I should pass away my wife could sell the layout and shed as an entity, and the buyer could move it to his new location.
http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/11/p/2988522/reply.aspx
Maybe in your back yard rather than carport?
Just moved myself. For much the same reason but also to move closer to family and improve my income (housing in new locations costs 1/4 of old even though it is only 10 miles away). Had built a layout that could be moved but in the end the new space was too different (a room in the house vs a garage).
Where does a 10 mile move reduce cost by 3/4?
Anywhere where you are within eyesight of the ocean. Zip code 06355 vs 06339
https://www.zillow.com/homes/06355_rb/
Most expensive house: $2,339,000
https://www.zillow.com/homes/06339_rb/
Most expensive house: $660,000
Second house cost is 28% of first house, and 5.6miles away by google maps.
Also you have to figure in local taxes. Some places have lower tax rate than others etc.
This is a very simplistic comparison, but it is a good representation of the price differences.
Your right, the physical demolition of painstaking passionate work is an emotional experience. But the fond memories live on fueling the imagination, while the lessons learned stand ready to serve the next build. Ah, and the next layout, yet another exciting and joyous exercise in creativity that brims with knowledge gained and new fond memories made.
Best wishes, Peter
San Francisco bay area, just move accross the bridge. But when I lived in Baltimore, two to three blocks could double the price, at one place called North Ave. accross the street doubled in price.
Even more so than the example above, here in the older neighborhoods of the rural suburbs north of Baltimore you can find the $1,000,000 property right next door to the $300,000 property - a rather common thing around here.
But on the topic of tearing down layouts, I decided a while back that rebuilding from scratch holds no value to me anymore.
My current layout effort will be my last in the sense that it has been carefully designed in modules that will allow it to be easily moved and reconfigured if necessary in any relatively similar space.
Being self employed, owning my current home outright, and nearing retirement I at least have the luxury of shopping for my retirement destination at my leasure.
So when we “downsize” from the 4000 sq ft 1901 Queen Anne Victorian on one acre, likely to a nice rancher with a big base
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You should really try it! Starting over unleashes all the creative juices and gets excitement really into good motion.
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I have completed 8 layouts (not all were mine), and ripped out/purged 5 of my personal layouts.
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I think if I did it your way and still had remnants of previous layouts in my current project I would never have completed anything.
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I know John Allen did it, but then he was always stuck with mainline curves of a ridiculously small radius from the original layout section. He should have purged it! Then the G&D could have been even better!
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Nothing holds more promise than a blank sheet of paper.
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-Kevin
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Kevin, are you not listening? I HAVE started over a number of times in the last 50 years. It sucks.
The current layout is a better version of the last, but with the same goals. Mostly better because it can be moved and has less hidden trackage.
I have no interest in a different set of goals.
My mainline curves are 38" radius and above (mostly above), my turnouts are #6 and #8, my 30 stagging tracks handle 50 car trains, my grades are under 2%.
I have signals and CTC, radio throttles and great prototype and display operation. I can run it by myself or with a crew of eight operators when it is complete. It will display run 6 trains and fills 1000 sq ft room.
I have no engineering problems to correct.
When I retire and move it to a 2000 sq ft room I can simply add to it, extend it, reconfigure it.
That will be WAY MOR
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Your idea is a sound one.
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Many retirees around here live in manufactured homes in golf coarse communities and I have seen many nice layouts built in sheds like yours. This has been a great solution because these smaller retirement homes have no space for a layout inside, plus all the advantages you mentioned.
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Have fun!
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-Kevin
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It is not that his layout was so great compaired to todays best, but at that time, few could even come close. remember that it was over 60 years ago that the final version was started.
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I would never criticize John Allen! Those were his words, not mine. He wrote in an article about how the decision to incorporate the original G&D into the final layout ended up causing problems years down the line.
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Back then, when everything had to hand built and it took years to get anything moving along, I might have been apprehensive about a tear-down also.
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Thank heaven for flex track and mass produced turnouts!
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-Kevin
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