No , you will not win a million but have you ever thought about this? I decided to make this post as I figured maybe a few of us have gotten to the finished stage. Then it hits you. NOW WHAT. As most of you know I have been working on the ACTRR version III for about six years and all of the changes and refinements. I am now at a point where it needs only finishing touches but I am afraid to do them as it will complete the layout. Is that what we all really want? I am struggling what to do next. Do I change the scenery, move some tracks, or simply start all over again and try a new track and methods. While I am unable to do that right now it is starting to creep into my craw (whatever a craw is). All along I think most of us know it is the journey and not the destination that draws us in. I guess where all of this is going is what would you all do if your layout was finished or near finished? Thanks , Mike
I believe, as you noted, the journey is what attracts a large number of us. I do hope this layout exists for a while. I'd be a bit sad to see it torn out so soon. Although right now it may look as though there is little remaining, why not operate it for a while? Who knows what discussion might come along soon, or photos you would see, which could inspire an area re-work? I have seen my share of folks looking back, and wishing they'd waited, as they had an afterthought and 'sure wish I had done this, or that.' Or just wishing they'd kept it, feeling let down or even discouraged, as later versions did not seem to measure up.
My layout was about 98% finished when I decided to tear it down and start over. I enjoy building scenery, and I enjoy collecting locomotives. I accept that, and don't care what anybody thinks. So this new layout will be centered around a roundhouse for steam and a diesel facility for modern power. The rest of the layout will be for running long trains in endless loops. I've been planning a new layout in my head for years, and once I was done with the scenery on the last one, I started putting pen to paper. It's quite cheap to rebuild a new layout. You use Unitrak, don't you? Reusable, as are your buildings, locomotives, rolling stock, control system, benchwork, and even your trees.
Let me get this straight; you ask a million dollar question and want our $0.02 worth? Sort of over valued don't you think? But then, so is everything in this hobby of late. Okay, here's the answer. Finish the layout first then worry about it after.
Or, get involved in a FreeMo-N group, which gives you lots of build time, and keeps your home layout for when you just want to run trains. Then the only issue is storage space. One of the reasons work stalled on the JACALAR was I was beginning to have more back/neck problems when working under the layout. So, my yard is still unfinished, as is part of the town.
Mike, As you know I've finished full room layout number five or six. I'm just about ready to tear it down and start the last one. So, I guess, for any price, layouts simply come and go around my house. Don't know why? I love to build them and all that. After completion I just get bored after a couple of months so I tear them down. This was has a date with Waste Management shortly. Jim
I'll keep adding details and have fun operating... and fending off my friends who already have expansion plans laid out for me...
I've only had 2 layouts I considered complete in my life out of about 6 or 7. I work so slowly, I don't think I have to "worry" about completing the one I have now. I agree with getting yours to the point you consider complete and going from there. Who knows? Mabe you will discover a deeply buried love for just watching trains go 'round. Doug
Mike.... I have seen you do this version...from the start. I have also seen you 'change' different things on your layout in the same period of time. I remember the 'helix and staging' venture...and thought you where nuts to even try it ! BUT...you did it and it looks great. I've seen different scenery changes. I seen a drive-in go in. Ive seen the motel go in. The scrap yard. etc etc. I am at a point on mine that changing scenery or even track alignment may be in the near future. I didnt mind buildng the layout but I think changing 'scenery' on the current layout like the real world does year after year can be just as satisfing as starting over. Look around. You can seen changes where you live that have changed the very nature of and footprint of your town through the years. I dont mean the demolishion crew came in and leveled the town to start over. Someone with vision just built around what was already there. The tracks dont change so much on a railroad as much as the areas they run through do. Change eras maybe. It doesnt mean you have to start over. We have lots of buildings around here that go back the the founding days of our city. They are not all torn done. Remodeled and/or repurposed yes. New buiding being built...yes. 2015 vehicles driving past 100+ year old buildings. Maybe add a second level. A mountainious region...tunnels...mountain peaks and a gazzillion trees!!!! Maybe even snow and a snowshed. The possibilities to alter or add onto what you already have into an ever changing enviornment sounds like a perfect plan to me. I like thinking and figuring out how to change things on mine...but working around/with the railroad tracks that are there ;-) Plus...Like Doug said...I like to just watch my trains run. Its a calming and satisfying effect. Just my opinion on it all YMMV thnxs.
We each have our individual layout objectives. You really have to ponder what your own objectives are. Are you really finished adding all of the detailing and lighting that you could want? Do you have ops sessions? Or are you not as into ops? Can you add a helix and second deck? Or an extension? I know for my HCD-sized layout, it was meant to be a learning tool as I got back into the hobby around the time I turned thirty. My layout is now going on 2 1/2 years, and I'm approaching its completion. I hope to complete and sell it before next Christmas, to raise some seed funding for the next layout. However, I may wait until we buy our next house before starting another layout. I foresee wanting a L-shaped, shelf style layout. Something in between a HCD, and a small around-the-room layout. I'd also like to graduate from Unitrack to Code 55. There may be some time in between getting rid of my current layout, and buying our next house to start a new permanent layout. In which case I'll likely build a small switching layout, and/or a FreeMoN module or two. I can also focus more on super-detailing, and building up my equipment and rolling stock. Bottom line: I think we can always find stuff to tinker on in this hobby! Good luck with your decision Mike! I'd just take your time, get various opinions, and really think it through. -Noah My current little layout:
It all depends upon from which aspect(s) of the hobby you derive the most satisfaction. For me, building a layout takes a distant second place to running trains. Others enjoy being serial layout constructors. I see the urge to frequently rebuild more common among those who too tightly restrict themselves to a particular railroad and time period. Once the layout is "finished", the operation tends to become a version of 'groundhog day' with the repetition and lack of variety becoming boring. The outcome is often a wholesale change of prototype, era and even modeling scale.
My around the room layout is in its seventh year. All the basic scenery has been completed and I have plenty of fine details to add which could go on for years. Shades
The journey of the planning and basic building is a big part of the fun. Then, after the track is down, getting it all tweaked to operate well consistently are a part of the fun. Scenery! Wee! Building and detailing locomotives, steam of course! I guess that I will probably never finish the NPBH v.2 that is still in it's planning stages. Part of that planning is for it to be buildable in installments, so it always has another area to be built. My first N-scale layout got built, scenicked and running pretty quickly. But it had too tight radius curves for many pieces of rolling stock. It was a part of the journey that is well remembered by my older kids. It went away as it became problematic and in the way of other things. NPBH v.1 has been another part of the journey as a re-learning experience and practising different techniques. It's fate is undecided, as it may become part of v.2 or get sold or demoed.... Yup, it may just be that many of us enjoy the building! Or, we could follow the V&O example and change eras...........
Thanks Rick , We have no fremo groups near by and if someone did it it would have to be me and I am just way over stretched on outside things already. I will contemplate for some time I am sure. Thanks Rick, Mike
Wow did you hit the nail on the head. I have changed scales more times than I care to remember. I will sit back and relax for a bit and see where my mind leads me I guess. Mike
Thanks to ALL of you for your thoughts and ideas. I really enjoy reading the healthy ideas and view points. Thanks to all of you so much , Mike
Mike - I really like your layout and the inspiration it has provided me in my transition to using Unitrack. It would be ashamed to see your layout go, but you've documented the building process so well it will always be with us train guys. Perhaps one way for guys with finished layouts to get their building-a-layout fix is to do dioramas. -Dave
I wonder if this isn't an instance where operators and social modelers have it better than the builders and lone wolves. And by operators I mean operations as a social construct. Either all operating on your layout or round robining it. Not only does it make even the old hat seem fresh every ops session as you share with others, but ops sessions often unveil a host of changes.
My Thoughts Change Eras - A person of your talents could build modular scenery such that you could swap out the structures. It would be interesting to see your railroad evolve through decades of change into a potentially 'hyper-modern' world. Super Detailing - Rolling stock and structures. Stories - Create a 'story' on the layout of a trip taken by a 'hobo' or something. Computerize it - There is at least one program out there that will let you program train movement and DCC makes it even more powerful. Grand kids - Ask them what they would like to see. Circus - Would take years to build but be a lot of fun. Sounds - Get little sound 10 second chips and set them up around the layout activated by DCC or a control panel. or passing train. Fantasy Projects - Take a couple of olde locos / cars and bash them together just for grins. Anyway - that is what I will probably do when my layout is done.
Hey, that's the same issue with my freemo desires.... One option for you is to add a new branch line above the old lay
