room for a layout

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pikogfisse

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Am I the only one who has almost no room for a layout? A divorce cost me my basement a few years ago, remarried and the wife's home is full of her stuff.
Yesterday, I'd had enough so started on a 2X4 layout with a couple of turnouts, Two inch styrofoam underneath. Track plan from the 10/07 issue of Model Railroad mag. Today I got the main in and can run a train, first time in three years. Feels great too.
Guess I'll keep it under the bed, or in a closet and bring it out to run.
It's tough when I had a fifteen foot square room, around the walls with two islands once upon a time. This is a start though and sure feels great.
 
pikogfisse said:
Am I the only one who has almost no room for a layout? A divorce cost me my basement a few years ago, remarried and the wife's home is full of her stuff.
Yesterday, I'd had enough so started on a 2X4 layout with a couple of turnouts, Two inch styrofoam underneath. Track plan from the 10/07 issue of Model Railroad mag. Today I got the main in and can run a train, first time in three years. Feels great too.
Guess I'll keep it under the bed, or in a closet and bring it out to run.
It's tough when I had a fifteen foot square room, around the walls with two islands once upon a time. This is a start though and sure feels great.
Click to expand...

Click on my link below....I to have a small layout due to $$ flow problems!
 
Hi Vato Loco:

Nice to know I'm not alone in the small catagory. It's frustrating when I spent 30 years collecting stuff for a nice layout when I retire, and had the benchwork up and half the main line laid when the ol lady decided she didn't need a husband anymore, so I lost my basement. The up side is I at least have all my stuff so building a layout even a tiny one costs me nothing. I see you run a Kato mike, as I have a couple, and love them. When Lifelike decided to upgrade their models and came out with the GP 18 and then others that ran so well and cost a fraction of what others were going for, I bought all I could afford, and am now happy I did.
I'm collecting lumber a few pieces at a time for a big shed for a layout train room one of these days. Will take a while, but I'll have it yet. Meanwhile, my 2X4 will see a lot of running time, and I at least can build something.
 


Congratulations! You have now learned about the big advantage N scale has - the ability to build a small layout almost anywhere!

Great first step. Big enough to run trains, small enough to fit almost anywhere and a great test bed to experiment with.

Any chance of expanding sometime in the future? House full of wife's stuff? Maybe you should consider calling the "Clean House" program on Style Network. They are excellent at getting people to rid themselves of accumulated clutter. WARNING! If they agree to come to your house, HIDE ALL YOUR TRAINS off the property! They'll want to get rid of everything that doesn't fit on your small layout!

Darrell, quiet...for now
 
Howdy there Conductor; yeah, i have been running trains on my little layout. A 12X24 shed is planned, so have a stash going saving up for it. I have a ton of N scale stuff, so all I need is the shed, or train room. It'll happen sometime in the not to far fruture. This tiny layout will not be included in the next one, but at least I can run some trains for now. Thanks for listening.

Brian
 
I was on Craigslist last night and found a old travel trailer, 8x35 feet for sale for 1500 bucks. Very nice inside so am now thinking along the lines of an older, cheap trailer for my layout, should I need to move, no problem, just hook on and away I go. Something to think about anyway.
 
pikogfisse said:
I was on Craigslist last night and found a old travel trailer, 8x35 feet for sale for 1500 bucks. Very nice inside so am now thinking along the lines of an older, cheap trailer for my layout, should I need to move, no problem, just hook on and away I go. Something to think about anyway.
Click to expand...

A separate trailer for your railroad is a great idea, with one warning! Check with your local city building department. They may not allow using a trailer for that purpose.

In my locality, if I used a trailer, I would have to keep it registered for use on the highway and I'd have to insure it the same as my cars. I would probably have to have separate insurance to cover the contents of the trailer. My house insurance would not cover the trailer OR it's contents!

A trailer usually has provisions for heating and A/C, so that's a big benefit. But you may still have problems with your city building dept. if you want to keep the trailer connected to power.

A call to the building dept. may give you a definitive answer.

Darrell, quiet...for now
 
pikogfisse said:
Am I the only one who has almost no room for a layout?
Click to expand...

No, you're not. Being an HO guy my problem is twice as big, or is it half as small, or is it half as big, or...:confused:

Anyways, Free-mo has been great for me. I've got the room to keep two of my three modules up in the garage for work so I've always got something to work on.
 


to dgwinup---Where the trailer will go is in a tiny community of 199 people, an unincorperated community, no rules, no home owner associations, freedom. We all have our own wells and septic systems, so the deal of permits is not important. Thank heavens.
 
Where the trailer layout is going there is an unincorporated town of some 199 souls, no city ordinances, no home owners associations, or I wouldnt have bought a place there. I bought there because of the freedom to do as I wish, so a trailer is no problem, just put a new paint job on it so it looks nice, jack it up on blocks, and I can go for it. No more losing stuff if I were to get divorced again, just hook on and away I go. Gotta love it.
 
Chris,

I checked out the link to your layout photos...that's a great design, using all the backdrop/viewblocks! You've greatly expanded the "virtual" size of the layout by designing it that way! Great work!

If anyone is interested, here's a website that's dedicated to the "micro layout"...it's pretty interesting stuff!

http://www.carendt.us/
 
It's supposed to rain and has started already this morning. I was going to run trains on my tiny little 2x4 layout when the ol lady comes out and say I should put plastic over it so it doesn't get wet. You see, my layout is in the backyard under an awning. I live in a four bedroom home, no kids, and am not allowed in the dang house with a layout as she wants the bedrooms for guests if and when one shows up. She said I ought to put in in the garage, where it's so darn cramped with all her stuff I'd likely fall and ruin the layout. Talk about ticked off. So there's no running trains. Time to use a little retirenment money and buy myself a trailer for a layout, I've had it with wives.
 
WEll, I had the same problem, and I have half of a room at the house for my hobbies, but my honey was off taking care of her sick brother in another state, so I decided to muck out my hobby room. Took most of the day, but I now have a 2x4 layout in this room, filled two trash barrels with accumulated junk, my fault, not my honey's. ha ha Anyway, now i have my little layout in my room and not underfoot and in her hair. It was worth the work, room looks nice, clean, and I can sit down and run a train whenever the mood strikes. Try it, you may be surprised.
 
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