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Post by atsda on May 15, 2023 3:01:16 GMT
Occasionally, when I experience frustrating problems with my layout, I have thoughts of starting over and getting the track system right. Then I Suddenly, come back to my senses and get the idea out of my mind. I am not up for a tear-down and re-build – I’ll keep making incremental improvements, modifications, and additions; although, I like the overall plan of the layout – and in the mean time, I’ll keep enjoying running trains – the re-do downtime would last too long. Alfred
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Post by david1 on May 15, 2023 4:34:42 GMT
I am not up for a total redo of my layout but I am in the process of taking down the center of my layout. I am planning of moving the entire area back about a foot and using a platform to raise the taller buildings in back to give the illusion of being further away. I will also be adding 5 or 6 dept56 buildings that I have stored away. I will also move wiring of the buildings from beneath the layout to the top. By doing this it will make maintenance that much simpler. The use of power strips that are thin and long and built for use with village's with wide plug ins that take in account of the wide plug used for lighting of the buildings. I have done this with about 30% of the layout but even when I'm done with this upgrade I'll still have about 15% of the wiring to move to the top, but that will be done next year. I enjoy doing these upgrades, not only will it look better but it lets me to be more creative on my layout. Of course as I am getting older it gets harder to do this type of work but I will never give up no matter what happens. I may work 15 minutes at a time, sometimes longer sometimes shorter but i will keep at it. I will be running trains till the Lord calls me home but not just yet!!
Dave
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Post by atsda on May 15, 2023 18:02:41 GMT
Dave, I like your plans, and can do attitude. Thumbs up. Alfred
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Post by JKP on May 15, 2023 22:27:45 GMT
I’m not planning a restart but may have no choice. I have been dealing with health issues for over a year that make taking care of our house very difficult. My wife and I are considering moving to a smaller home that is easier to maintain. We are looking at a house in a community that does all the outside work. We would just have to take care of the inside.
If we make this move I won’t have room for O gauge trains, not even a small layout, however there is about 2.5’x10’ along a wall in the den, enough room for an N scale layout. I’ll put a few shelves above the N layout and display my favorite O trains. I’d have to sell the rest along with all the buildings, vehicles, people, etc.
None of this is definite right now but seems likely. That is disappointing to hear, how about keeping some track for a loop around the Christmas Tree.
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Post by ptc2 on May 15, 2023 22:40:36 GMT
I know you will make the correct decision, Joe. Prayers for you and your health.
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Post by Country Joe on May 16, 2023 10:28:27 GMT
I’m not planning a restart but may have no choice. I have been dealing with health issues for over a year that make taking care of our house very difficult. My wife and I are considering moving to a smaller home that is easier to maintain. We are looking at a house in a community that does all the outside work. We would just have to take care of the inside.
If we make this move I won’t have room for O gauge trains, not even a small layout, however there is about 2.5’x10’ along a wall in the den, enough room for an N scale layout. I’ll put a few shelves above the N layout and display my favorite O trains. I’d have to sell the rest along with all the buildings, vehicles, people, etc.
None of this is definite right now but seems likely. That is disappointing to hear, how about keeping some track for a loop around the Christmas Tree. Great minds think alike! I was thinking that I should keep enough track and a transformer so I can run O gauge under the Christmas tree. 😃
I’m definitely keeping the OGF engine, cylindrical hopper and caboose plus the FEC boxcar and gondola to display. I’m planning on installing 3 or 4 shelves above the N scale layout to display some O gauge. I’ll run those under the tree 🌲 each Christmas season.
I love O gauge and don’t want to give it up completely if I don’t have to.
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Post by Country Joe on May 16, 2023 10:35:39 GMT
Guys, thanks for the good wishes, thoughts and prayers.
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Post by josef on May 16, 2023 15:28:35 GMT
I’m not planning a restart but may have no choice. I have been dealing with health issues for over a year that make taking care of our house very difficult. My wife and I are considering moving to a smaller home that is easier to maintain. We are looking at a house in a community that does all the outside work. We would just have to take care of the inside.
If we make this move I won’t have room for O gauge trains, not even a small layout, however there is about 2.5’x10’ along a wall in the den, enough room for an N scale layout. I’ll put a few shelves above the N layout and display my favorite O trains. I’d have to sell the rest along with all the buildings, vehicles, people, etc.
None of this is definite right now but seems likely. I didn't know how to answer this when I first read this Joe. I had thought long and hard about doing a re-do of my layout and why. I love running and working on the layout and it keeps me motivated. Long story short but had a neighbor who had a layout in his garage, "O" of course and use to go over as he did to my place, we only lived 2 blocks apart. He never said anything but one weekend had a huge garage sale and saw his layout down and selling everything including furniture and of course his trains. He and his wife moved to a Senior Citizen housing development. No room for trains nor a layout. Him and his wife spent more time at home and watching TV, bored he said. 2 years later they bought a pre-fab home and some property and he's back into trains and has almost finished his new layout. Sorry to say he now lives 2 hours away so phone calls is what we communicate with now. His wife said he looks and feels better but with his arthritis and a pacemaker he has to have someone come do yard work. I'm glad to read you maybe going into "N" Gauge, Some great items out there in that scale.
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Post by rtraincollector on May 16, 2023 15:39:34 GMT
I've been in restart mode since I moved here about 19 months ago. I've gotten very little done, had to redo the table to give me access to everything, without having to climb up on top of it. design even changed due to adding Standard Gauge to the layout. was 10' x 16' for O now that is going to be the SG and I'm going to do a second level about 6' x 10' for O gauge.
In doing so I can do a 3rd loop in SG and have 2 loops in O.
Now a question for those in the know. If I connect all my ZW together ( phasing the U ) can one base run 3 different TPC on two ZW's I think I can but not sure.
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Post by david1 on May 16, 2023 21:10:06 GMT
Best wishes Joe and always keep a positive attitude thru the worst of times but never ever give up, make changes but never give up. I'll say a prayer for you and your wife.
Dave
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Post by Country Joe on May 17, 2023 1:33:11 GMT
Thanks Dave.
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Post by mrmeep on May 17, 2023 3:28:32 GMT
I built my layout originally to be "rebuilt" every so often. I designed the layout to include every piece of Pre War Lionel track that was made and to maximize the space on my tables. The lights are built into the board. The buildings are moveable and can be rearranged to provide variety. Same with the roads and other features.
I have "rebuilt" my layouts three times in the last 20 years and am getting ready to do this again. Also need to service some of the 100 year old switches as they need adjusting and "tuning". Not bad for 100 year old toys! Most of the servicing is merely cleaning and adjusting. I do have a couple of electrical contact issues to address (loose wires in the switch motors) but even at my age they are very easy to address. Mr. Cowen was really on to something.
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Post by mrmeep on May 17, 2023 3:31:34 GMT
That is disappointing to hear, how about keeping some track for a loop around the Christmas Tree. Great minds think alike! I was thinking that I should keep enough track and a transformer so I can run O gauge under the Christmas tree. 😃
I’m definitely keeping the OGF engine, cylindrical hopper and caboose plus the FEC boxcar and gondola to display. I’m planning on installing 3 or 4 shelves above the N scale layout to display some O gauge. I’ll run those under the tree 🌲 each Christmas season.
I love O gauge and don’t want to give it up completely if I don’t have to. Maybe you can make that 2.5 feet by 10 feet into 4 feet by 10 feet and then still get to have your "O" gauge layout only smaller?
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Post by rtraincollector on May 17, 2023 3:50:29 GMT
I’m not planning a restart but may have no choice. I have been dealing with health issues for over a year that make taking care of our house very difficult. My wife and I are considering moving to a smaller home that is easier to maintain. We are looking at a house in a community that does all the outside work. We would just have to take care of the inside.
If we make this move I won’t have room for O gauge trains, not even a small layout, however there is about 2.5’x10’ along a wall in the den, enough room for an N scale layout. I’ll put a few shelves above the N layout and display my favorite O trains. I’d have to sell the rest along with all the buildings, vehicles, people, etc.
None of this is definite right now but seems likely. Country Joe, how about a 2.5' x 10' switching yard. You really need to find a club around you that has n scale and actually play with a few as in putting a train together by hand, how easy/hard it is to get each piece on the track and connected, I say this as it was a deciding reason for me to go larger, Space was a priem for me also, so I discovered at that time a lot of O gauge using O27 track I could have a smaller layout than I could with even HO. So that got me back into O. remember depending what you use, but you basically can get a O27 loop inside 2.5' You might have to cheat another couple of inches to run your average O27 size GP-9.
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Post by mrmeep on May 17, 2023 4:06:11 GMT
I’m not planning a restart but may have no choice. I have been dealing with health issues for over a year that make taking care of our house very difficult. My wife and I are considering moving to a smaller home that is easier to maintain. We are looking at a house in a community that does all the outside work. We would just have to take care of the inside.
If we make this move I won’t have room for O gauge trains, not even a small layout, however there is about 2.5’x10’ along a wall in the den, enough room for an N scale layout. I’ll put a few shelves above the N layout and display my favorite O trains. I’d have to sell the rest along with all the buildings, vehicles, people, etc.
None of this is definite right now but seems likely. There is a website that might be helpful to you that deals with this very topic of limited/small spaces for layouts. I discovered it a few years ago when I joined a Marx group on FB. The fellow who started it passed on but the site is still up and survives. Thor Trains
Scroll down to the "O" and "027" pages for ideas.
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