We're rapidly moving along moving into a new house. I've been a pretty serious hobby woodworker for the last 14 years and am giving up that hobby since we moved from 10 acres with large pole barn to 1/3 with a shed. Doing remodeling has been a hobby over the years too, but this house we've paid a contractor to come in and make it ours so all but minor projects will likely be wrapped up this week so I need to start thinking about a hobby other than sitting in front of the computer or TV all evening.
I dabbled in model railroading when I was a teen so I know a little but not much other than that at least the "make" side of the hobby is attractive to me. I'm wondering the best way to get started? I have some fairly significant seed money to get started with, but don't want to jump in and just spend that with no plan. I've got a roughly half of a 21' by 21' area of clean, dry basement we plan to dedicate to hobbies and I can probably lay claim to at least half that.
I'm thinking HO as that's what I was familiar with before. Should I consider another scale?
Should I plan a layout and start building? Or build some kits and collect some rolling stock and locomotives first?
mattm, me, too! Get this, I:
- we went from having a 1,200 sq.ft. house on a concrete slab (w/ 0.25 acre) to a 3,200 sq.ft. house w/ full basement (on 0.5 acre).
- been a "hobby" woodworker for 25 yrs., with P/T restoration/(historical)renovation work exp. when avail.
- am finishing up converting our Ranch style into a Queen Anne Victorian (doing all the interior and exterior finishes myself after helping w/ the framing, etc.) so now I can think about getting a layout built
- sit in front of the PC all day (but I'm a freelance writer and architectural designer...so, I'm working...most of the time)
- dabbled with a (then) new Tyco Alco 430 Spirit of '76 train set (still have the loco packed away...I think)
- have a 20' x 20' space in which to work (but I'm thinking of putting the 'viewable' portion within a 10' x 20' area.
- am thinking HO; am open to N, though HO looks more manageable to me.
- am thinking of building a switching layout w/ the option of adding to it if this is something I want to give more time, effort, money