ModelRailroadForums.com is a free Model Railroad Discussion Forum and photo gallery. We cover all scales and sizes of model railroads. Online since 2002, it's one of the oldest and largest model railroad forums on the web. Whether you're a master model railroader or just getting started, you'll find something of interest here.
My N scale layout is 3 1/2 x 8. Started it last year, and while I have a full basement I could use up, I really wanted something small and portable. When the nest is empty, that spare room will become my dream office, with the layout there. That said, too big doesn't really apply if that's what someone wants, my thoughts anyway.
Since I made my original post back in March 2009, I have torn down my previous layout and built a new one. Let'[s just say it "expanded to fill the available space" It completely covers 2 of the 4 walls of my 24x24ft garage, with 2 additional peninsulas jutting into the center.
My old layout had duckunders, which made it difficult to have group op sessions. So I figured I better take my friend's advice do the rebuilding work NOW while I'm still in good health & physically fit. As of now I'm 98% of the way toward being able to have op sessions on it, I just need to install some tortoises for the hard-to-reach turnouts. The wood and track are painted so it doesn't look totally 'plywood', but no scenery has been applied yet.
This will probably be my last layout; I don't have the deep pockets to build an addition onto my house, and most of my money goes toward paying for my kids' college educations. I figure I have the rest of my life to slowly add the scenery and details, those are what I consider fun activities [in addition to running the trains of course]. I hated building benchwork and running wires, so thankfully those phases are nearly over!
Ken, don't you remember the first law of MR Layouts???? A layout will expand to fill ALL available space. It will also expand to fill all unavailble space if SWMBO doesn't object!
My old layout had duckunders, which made it difficult to have group op sessions. So I figured I better take my friend's advice do the rebuilding work NOW while I'm still in good health & physically fit. ...
I agree that you do the "heavy lifting" while you can. The hardest thing on my layout so far, has been the benchwork and the wiring. You've seen mine, and you saw the only entrance into the layout is via a rolling gate. No duckunders for me.
This will probably be my last layout; I don't have the deep pockets to build an addition onto my house, and most of my money goes toward paying for my kids' college educations. I figure I have the rest of my life to slowly add the scenery and details, those are what I consider fun activities [in addition to running the trains of course]. I hated building benchwork and running wires, so thankfully those phases are nearly over!
This is definitely my last one. I'm in a very similar, except my kids are finally out of the house! (YEA ME!) The layout was wired as we went along adding in the track. Made it somewhat easier.
I too have the rest of my life to add scenery and details. None of which will be done UNTIL the track is completely debugged, and "several" op sessions have occurred, which means it may be many years before scenery is added. While I have appropriate building kits for all my industries, stations and some for the "townies" residences, I have no problem using simple cardboard signs for these locations until the structures and scenery start going in.
Ken, don't you remember the first law of MR Layouts???? A layout will expand to fill ALL available space. It will also expand to fill all unavailble space if SWMBO doesn't object!
Carey, I had to do a huge amount of sweet-talkin' [and clearing out other rooms to make room for her junk ] to get rid of all the space-hogging shelves.
The layout was wired as we went along adding in the track. Made it somewhat easier.
Yep, that's what I did too - laid each power district individually, then wired them [with color-coded buss wires].
I too have the rest of my life to add scenery and details. None of which will be done UNTIL the track is completely debugged, and "several" op sessions have occurred, ...
None of my track has been permanently glued or ballasted yet, for that same reason. Its held in place by small nails - which can be easily removed with pliers if necessary. [and yes, I made sure not to mash down on them too hard since that might bend the ties and put the track out-of-guage].
My layout is 24x 17 currently and I'm building it in a modular fashion with very big operating modules. I could expand it by a good deal but I am trying to really determine whether that will hold my attention.
Right now, one of the modules is about 22x 12. It can operate a full loop in a big dog bone and accommodates switching in two locations. It has a staging yard. It has a helix which will connect to the second module, 24x varying widths. I will expand that when I have module 1 in full operation will a lot of the scenery on the layout. I think of this as division one. I have a very understanding sweetie who has basically turned the basement over to me. As long as she has her horses, she's good to go. My only impediment is the woodstove which actually is also the hot water heater. It works great but has to be given some space.
I am currently wiring all of the turnouts in the first module and running that wire back to the control panel. When that is actually done, I will consider the expansion which will be a long return loop with another helix, a mining area and a town with yard.
As I said, it could get larger but at this point I would like to come closer to finishing something. Since my skills improve as I do specific things, I'm more than willing to not make the same errors in judgement all over the layout. So for now, I'm quite content making mistakes in a confined space. it has taken a year, admittedly not constantly, to get the bugs out of the trackwork and to have rolling stock that will operate flawlessly on the track. That is actually really time consuming but there is nothing more frustrating to me than to not be able to run your trains without shutting down once a minute to rerail something. There's no one to have operating sessions with up here except some wayward moose and they lose interest too fast.
We started with a 4x8 and quickly realized that four kids and two adults are cramped around a small table. SO i bumped it up to 16x8 ushaped. We've had this layout for a few years now and its worked for us. But now that I have alot more locos and cars, I want to build a 21x2 shelf above the 16x8 and use it as a yard for the extras. A helix will connect the upper and lower, but now I'm also looking at changing the bottom layout to a 21x10 around the room setup. The helix will have a Y at the bottom so the design will be an "out and back". Start from the yard and end at the yard.
So our layout is both the right size, but could use an expansion to lengthen run times and add storage.
I voted before moving to my new house....
Now I'm starting the build of a new layout with a size of 22' x 15'....
I guess it is going to keep me busy for some years.
I think that's the maximum size for one person if it's ever going to be finished to a detailed standard.....
It can never be too big, but I think mine is about the right size. I am a lone operator and my layout room started out in a 14' x 17' room, until the land baron (my wife) let me tear down a wall and add another 10' x14' area. It is a "L" shape, with a total width now at 28'. It's not completed, but I am able to run trains. When I think of the maintenence, it's too big, but when I think of what I would reall like to build, it's too small. It is a point to point, with hidden staging allowing for continuous running. I still have one last town and yard to build so it will keep me busy for quite a while. While the mainline run isn't particularly long, a train never passes through a scene more than once. It is more of a switching layout, with many small industries in towns in between. It can take up to a half an hour to switch out one town, so it is enough for me. JUST RIGHT.
I am one of the "others", as I haven't started my new layout yet (scheduled to start this fall).
My guess is that it will be a Catch 22 layout..........to big for the time and/or the money available but smaller than what I would like to have. When you stop and think about it though, that would probably describe about 99% of all layouts.
I am one of the "others", as I haven't started my new layout yet (scheduled to start this fall).
My guess is that it will be a Catch 22 layout..........to big for the time and/or the money available but smaller than what I would like to have. When you stop and think about it though, that would probably describe about 99% of all layouts.
That certainly applies to mine. I've been building it little by little since 1995. Sometimes I get a donation of track, locos, cars, etc and work can jump ahead a bit. Most of the time though construction is at a near standstill with a little bit being added here or there.
It completely covers 2 of the 4 walls of my 24x24ft garage, with 2 additional peninsulas jutting into the center. 
] to get rid of all the space-hogging shelves.
