I wish I would have--------


Fifer

Fifer

Member
We all seem to wish we would have done something different to our layout when we first constructed it. In my case it would have helped to build the lower level staging FIRST intead of after the layout was done and the other would have been the use of foam instead of Homasote.
What would you all have done differently?????
Inquiring minds want to know.


Mike
 
The biggest regret I have about my "current" layout is that I built the layout in the area that once was my work shop. The space is modest and covers an area of approximately 12 feet by 16 feet. It shares the area with the furnace and water heater, but the room has a finished ceiling and drywall on three sides. My former layout was on the opposite side of the furnace and water heater.

If I had the chance, and perhaps I will someday, I would have enclosed the water heater and furnace in a mini room and build the layout around the enclosure.

I may extend the layout into the space that was once my former layout and construct a industrial/yard area.

Some other things I would change if I constructed a new layout.

1. Long passing sidings.
2. Have bridges, right now the layout is void of bridges, and I like bridges.
3. Avoid access areas in the layout.
4. Use foam as the base instead of plywood.
5. Should of never built the large rec room in the basement, it uses too much space which could been idea for a model railroad. A smaller rec room and bar would have been fine and the added space could of been used for a layout.
6. Maybe like Mike Fifer, worked in N scale instead of HO to give me better train running opportunities. I like to watch my model trains run and will run a train when working a the work bench on projects.

"That's all folks.

Greg
 
Mike, I'm sure all of us have gone through a learning curve when building our layout.

After dumping N scale in the late 70's, I moved onto HO scale. One thing that really turned me off was the over size rail in N scale, about 2 scale feet tall and the pizza cutter wheels. (also the locomotives at the time weren't the best).

Planning took a long time for me. I had quite an extensive N scale layout and learned a lot from building it. Space really wasn't much of a problem in N scale as it was in HO scale. I didn't want to have track running through any scene more than once so I decided on a point to point layout, but with the use of hidden staging tracks, I could run a train continuously. I really enjoy switching so I wanted to have plenty of room for industries along the main line.

Another thing I wasted was to have track that was close to scale so I decided to go with code 70 rail, which really looks great (the same size as the N scale rail). I also decided to hand lay my track and turnouts. This is great because you can build turnouts where you need them instead of having to work with manufactured turnouts and having to make things fit.

I never had a track plan drawn, but knew what I wanted. What I didn't do was to have structures build, or at least have the footprint of a structure in hand and ended up having to tear out a lot of hand laid track because when I finally got the structures built, they wouldn't fit. That really hurt having to tear out track because I didn't plan properly.

I also wanted to have as broad a radius as possible because I did want to run some passenger trains and they look a bit goofy on a tight radius. I ended up with a 32 inch minimum, although most curves are closer to 40 inches.

When I finally got to the last section of my layout, I had to use manufactured turnouts because my Kadee spike gun bit the dust. Shinohara worked very well. Again, instead of drawing something and then finding out that things wouldn't fit, I had my structures built before any track was laid, and used the actual turnouts and flex track and everything fell right into place.

Guess you can teach an old dog new tricks.
 
I wish I would have built my benchwork 12" lower, so I would have enough vertical space to put in a second level. My current layout is a 4-year rebuild of the original layout which had a number of disastrous mistakes, so I'm not quite ready to repeat that process anytime soon!
 
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Looks like you attended the school of hard knocks too. I had thought about building a second level years ago myself. I have an old pantry, which we no longer use that I could have easily put a helix into, but at the time it was being used. I guess if I wanted to, I could do it now, but I really don't want to add on any more.

How high is your bench work???
 
There are very definite things I would have done very differently had I thought:

1. Removed my old desk before building the bench work,
2. Put my main bus in a lot sooner than I did,
3. Looked at my "maximum space" more closely,
4. Taken more time to design my track plan/utilize the available space, and
5. Fully completed my track work before starting on the scenery.
 
Not finding out about this forum sooner is my only regret!

ALL of these things are stuff I would not have thought of without this place!

I've been prepping the room for months and planning/re-planning the bench and track potential the entire time! Many changes in mid stream have been possible because of the excellent advice and general wisdom bandied about on these pages!

Reliable track workability 'UBER ALLES'! Has saved me much headache I did not know I was headed for, I was going to be TOO quick with the buildings and such, now all that is 'back burner' till the track is GOOD!
 
Being as my current empire is my life's dream layout, I applied all the lessons learned from prior layouts and avoided the problems that plagued me.
I planned this layout as a full basement layout from the start.
I did the wall construction and painting before any benchwork was started.
I did each stage in the proper order for ease of work, i.e. benchwork, then all roadbed then track then signal system.
Small industrial sidings can be installed as needed and turnout motors installed with ease and tied into the signal and motor control software.
I conduct operating sessions on a periodic basis to test operating parameters and to shake out undiscovered issues.
I did the most costly work up front so that my retirement funds won't be drained later on.
The benchwork was designed to support facade material that allows the operator to stand close to the layout without stubbing toes against the lower panels.
Most of all, I only work and play on the empire until I get tired of it.
 
D&J RailRoad said:
Being as my current empire is my life's dream layout, I applied all the lessons learned from prior layouts and avoided the problems that plagued me.
I planned this layout as a full basement layout from the start.
I did the wall construction and painting before any benchwork was started.
I did each stage in the proper order for ease of work, i.e. benchwork, then all roadbed then track then signal system.
Small industrial sidings can be installed as needed and turnout motors installed with ease and tied into the signal and motor control software.
I conduct operating sessions on a periodic basis to test operating parameters and to shake out undiscovered issues.
I did the most costly work up front so that my retirement funds won't be drained later on.
The benchwork was designed to support facade material that allows the operator to stand close to the layout without stubbing toes against the lower panels.
Most of all, I only work and play on the empire until I get tired of it.
Click to expand...
Ken , Glad you did all that thinking ahead and the layout looks great but there is one flaw. It is the wrong scale !!! LOL
Mike
 
I wish I would have started 13 years ago. Back when my health was good, and before I had so much clutter in the basement.
 
Let see, what would I do differently?

I just started this hobby 1 year ago thinking this was going to be easy and the more I was advancing in my layout, the more I wanted to start over because of mistakes, but nothing that couldn't be worked around it. Here are some of my mistakes:

- My layout wasn't operation prototypical and I would get tired of seeing my train go into circle and quit this hobby.
- I designed my layout in 4 phases and was building per phase. Even though phase 1 was all laid out, I couldn't run my trains because it was a U shape and nothing was happening.
- I though that since I could reach 30", that I could build 60"" and even 66" wide tables. The problem came when I wanted to do scenery, I had to do it off the layout.
- To many legs for the layout, so problem having a flowing access under the layout.
- Gluing my turnouts (had to remove 15 of them at one point).
- More...........

So now that I'm starting over, things I will do differently:

- I had someone design my new layout and it will be very operational.
- I will do all my frame work first, roadbed than the laying of the tracks before touching scenery so I can run some trains.
- Widest area is 24".
- Almost no legs on the layout, except where I want to put doors.
- ASK MORE QUESTIONS TO THE COMMUNITY.

Lots of people here with experience and knowledge that can help
 
The club layout I was in was itself a learning curve layout from previous layouts and was designed right, unfortunately the club had to move, the layout torn out. PreDCC, 5 cabs. Anyways there were 2 towns the club decided were too close together, the engine should not be in one town and the caboose the other, so they decided to extend the run time, but however, most of that new line was to be hidden. I was the one who more or less engineered its construction and nopers, was not that fun, but was done carefull, and got finished. But I learned, I don't like hidden tracks. It was about 2 minutes of run time you don't see your train.

My current layout in construction is all modular multi-level, I can remove a section and take it to a bench and work on it closeup, turn it upside down to work on electrical instead of hovering under the layout. I won't have helixes to go between levels, it will be No-Lix all visible track. Or as much as possible, by design. I don't care if I violate some good principles, as long it gets the layout to work.

Good planning a must, but you know this hobby...8-D

Sometimes you get painted into a corner, but its a creative out to work out, and you find a solution.
 
I wish I would have started in HO scale and I wish I understood how to design an operational layout . Having a pro design it would have probably been a big benefit for me .
 
I did a pretty good job except now I will be moving and might have a lot less space. The layout is 5' x 6-1/2'. I could have gotten away with a smaller radius due to using 1920's rolling stock. The part that stinks is I actually like operating the layout. It's a nice size.

Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk
 
RBMNfan said:
I did a pretty good job except now I will be moving and might have a lot less space. The layout is 5' x 6-1/2'. I could have gotten away with a smaller radius due to using 1920's rolling stock. The part that stinks is I actually like operating the layout. It's a nice size.

Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Lets hope you can make some space for it at the new place.
Mike
 
Fifer said:
We all seem to wish we would have done something different to our layout when we first constructed it. In my case it would have helped to build the lower level staging FIRST intead of after the layout was done and the other would have been the use of foam instead of Homasote.
What would you all have done differently?
Click to expand...
Purchased and read more books instead of purchasing more stuff for the layout.
 
I learned a lot from several previous layouts so the present (and final) one is not causing any distress. While I would like more space between towns, I used scenic dividers like streams or highway overpasses to separate areas. Two things still do come to mind. I wish I could learn to solder better, and secondly; I built my 12 track staging yard with the tracks on 2" centers. I can get my fingers in between, but cannot actually see in between, especially with the second level overhead. Fortunately I have minimal derailments except for elbows!
Willie
 
--Put in longer passing tracks.
--put in lower level staging or at least the ability to add it on later.
 
montanan said:
I had to use manufactured turnouts because my Kadee spike gun bit the dust.
Click to expand...
??? I've never used the spike gun on a turnout. I hand laid track and built turnouts for years before I knew such a thing as a Kadee spike gun existed. I don't understand why that stopped you?
 
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