You know the funny thing is the guy that came up with this idea of the bar top looking into the train room was my Landscaping guy.
Well sure Brother Eric. That's because he's buckin for that front row seat - since it was his idea after all.
I wish I had some landscaping advice when I did all my stuff on my little rig. I totally just make stuff up as I go along. Come this Friday (12/4) will be the day when I received that big old box of stuff I hadn't seen in nearly 40 years. It had been so long since I'd done any model railroading I didn't know where to begin. I never got to do much landscaping work on my past layouts because... well... paper-boy money just doesn't pay well enough and Christmas and birthdays only come once a year.
But I had built a mountain or two back then and by God I was gonna build me one again!!! So I remember proudly declaring that around January 10 months ago.
Sure I could build the structure no problem. Landscaping it was a completely knew thing to me. I didn't know where to start.
I still say I need to find me a "future Mrs. White" who enjoys trains.
But I'm like you about building stuff. I'd rather build stuff more than would to sit back and "watch it go" as Grandpa White used to say.
I can't imagine doing a tear-out and re-build like you are embarking on. As Val Kilmer said as Doc Holiday in the movie "Tombstone": "I don't think I could bear it." Then again I need to remind myself of the last layout I had circa '80 or so. N-scale with nearly 100' of track and 25-30 turnouts (all remote). When I moved away, Dad tossed it out. I didn't speak to him for a LONG time after that. Golly mercy did that make me sick.
But anyway..... it's been less than a year and I've finally got something to be happy with. But yet always lacking enough to improve (unhappy would have been a wrong word). I recent tore out some well established scenery and a spur line (I had as a program track) to install a spur off that into a 2 engine maintenance shed. I think it's all on my website. Maybe not the final pics - but it is done. .... except to add some shrubbery, chain-link fencing (which I'm hand crafting).
I ran across your thread talking about tearing down and moving yesterday. Sad to see indeed.
Word of advice - from one Eric to another (if that makes hoot).
Stick with your HO stuff - unless your pockets are DEEP.
Get reading glasses.
I wanted to ask if you pulled your track up when you dismantled?
Was it ballasted and with roadbed?
You didn't mention about handlaid track or not.
My stuff is Atlas code 100 stuff and when I did my little tear out I wondered about how to clean that track for re-use.
An ISO 91 soak and a rinse I suppose would work.
Just rambling as I am oft to do.
Come visit us in the Running Bear Coffee Shop.
E. (the other Eric)