What Do You Get or Want Out of Your Layout?

What I get from my layout and running trains is much more then I expected. Its a place to relax at. It brings back memories of trains especially the NYC 10:15, and hearing its horn as I fell asleep on school nights. It brings back memories of a simpler time and childhood.

I want the doggone Touch Toggles to work with Legacy like they do with DCS.

Great topic Brian. I enjoyed finishing the basement before even having a layout. I made it a comfortable room with good lighting, in anticipation of the layout to come. I cut the benchwork from 3/4” Birch plywood sheets, and assembled L-Girder benchwork with adjustable feet (the basement floor was not so level). I’ve enjoyed building my room and layout from scratch. And I did it alone. Good, bad, or indifferent! I’ve had my share of mistakes, but I’ve been able to overcome them. I’m now building structures and doing scenery. Each time I enter the room, it’s filled with....possibilities. And the layout is built to operate. It’s a point to point layout with a fair share of manual throws. I haven’t run any trains since last year, because I’ve been building, or creating, and I’m ok with that. I look forward to the day when I do start to operate the layout, but I’m in no rush. I lose track of time when I’m downstairs. What more could I ask for? 

Andy

Every one of the above comments holds a truth for me.  Satisfaction, sharing with family, relaxing, being a KING, learning electronics, doing something besides watching TV, etc. 


I would add one more, the building of relationships and friendships through my hobby.  It has been one of the greatest values for me, to meet and become friends with so many individuals through the forums, York, and my own local group of train enthusiasts.  Most of you are my age, have had successful lives and we keep enhancing our lives with our hobby.  That is what I get out of my Layout.

Oh so true WOOD.  I have met and conversed with many friends through this hobby, and learned so much in doing so.  Still learning new things daily.

I'd say there's three things that I get/want from my layout. I'll list them first, second and third but I don't think any one of them is more important than the other two.

First, there's the connection to my childhood. Like many of you I grew up with Lionel trains. I got my first set for Christmas 1949 and I was born a week later. Trains were a big part of the magic of Christmas when I was little. They were set up early in December along with the tree and came down around the middle of January. When I was 8 or 9 I build an 8x8 Lionel layout in the basement with my dad. My trains today bring those and other great memories back. They are a bridge from then to now, and that gives me a lot of satisfaction and happiness. I often think of my dad when I'm in the train room. He would have loved the layout.

Second, the layout is my form of creativity. I'm not an artist of any kind and no longer play the guitar but I still have a creative urge. Building a layout satisfies that urge. All the details that make up a layout, the scenes and even the trains themselves are a creative outlet for me. My layout allows me to create in a way I find very satisfying. It's an expression of my vision.

Finally, it's all the friends I've made through trains. I have train friends here in Florida, I have train friends in NY, and I have train friends all over the place through forums like this one. Running trains is great fun, as is creating layouts and scenes, but those things would leave a lot to be desired if I didn't have friends to share them with. All the social activities, hanging with friends, exhibiting a layout at a show or just attending a show with friends makes this great hobby so much better.