Here’s how it happened to me. As a kid, I was perfectly happy with my O27 curves. As an adult, when I built my first “real” layout, I used O42 curves that seemed just fantastic on an outer loop, while still happy with an O27 inner loop. On my next (and current) layout, I used O54 outer and O42 inner. Now, even O54 seems tight, even though I prefer to run smallish equipment, and I’ll be darned if I’m not planning my next layout to be O72 and O54. When will the madness end?
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when you go to 120 to make your articulates look prototypical rounding a curve.
That's called "evolving." You start small, then appreciate the appearance of larger curves. As time progresses, you find more space which means you can support larger curves. Then you discover larger equipment and the vicious cycle of larger equipment/broader curves begins. Soon you find yourself consumed with massive equipment, ever-expanding layout designs, and the insatiable urge to count rivets. Then you totally abandon your toy train roots, first to Hi-rail, then 3RS, then to 2-rail where it starts again, leading to Proto:48 finescale and beyond. Now you start looking at relocating to a new home with a four-car garage or a full basement; or even worse, you start eyeing the back yard with thoughts of a massive outdoor empire with 8-foot radius (O-192) curves and thoughts of plowing under the wife's prize rose garden. Later, thoughts turn towards acquiring your neighbor's yard...
Oops. Sorry. Got a little carried away there. I need to go back to my megalomaniac support group.
Actually, it's natural. Somewhere in that rant is what really happens (hopefully closer to the start than the end.) The madness doesn't end. The only things that stop it are space limitations and funding. You don't even want to know what I came up with for the back yard once. Let's just say the thoughts made this guy's #1 gauge setup look like a minor league operation. Unfortunately, my space and funds killed that idea pretty quickly.
I had an O27 layout, it was decommissioned in favor of O36 curves. Before I even got past the planning stage I realized that many of the locomotives I wanted to have wouldn't run on the O36. Now I'm planning on O72 curves, but that's where the creep will stop for me. 
I had an O27 layout, it was decommissioned in favor of O36 curves. Before I even got past the planning stage I realized that many of the locomotives I wanted to have wouldn't run on the O36. Now I'm planning on O72 curves, but that's where the creep will stop for me.
That's what you say now. And I liked your rant, Matt - spot on.
I definitely suffer from the affliction mentioned above.
I remember when I first bought a circle of O-42. I thought I was on top of the world.
Now I run 0-90 and O-99 and scheme to one day run O-120!
Matt -
Your reply has me laughing up a storm, as it hits very close to home. I attempted to read your post aloud to my wife, but my laughter kept interrupting the flow of speech. She gets it, as the next major project on our to do list is construct a 48' long garage with full basement, which will be the train domain.
Sean
Me too.. I though O-36 Fastrack curves were great, then added easements and O-48, on the next layout its O-60 with O-72 easements and superelevation. I am planning my next layout for O-81 and O-90 (Atlas). I think that will be the end of my "evolution" due to space limitations, but you never know...
No curve creep here.
I've stuck with the same basic layout since I first built my current layout in 2004-5: three loops, one with 72" and 84" curves \, a second with 54-72", a third with only 36" curves, and 'Streets loops with 16, 21, and custom 30 inch diameter curves. I don't miss having bigger curves and in fact the 36" curve train loop is perhaps the most fun loop I have in some ways. I've tweaked a few details on my layout (removed a trainyard to make room for a lake, etc., but even when I put down Atlas to in place of my Fastrack, I kept the same routes and curve diameters.
I understand your dilemma. So far, I've managed to live with my decision to run smaller engines and limit my curves to O54 (that's all the room I have). In fact, I have deliberately limited my engine purchases to those that can run on O54.
But I've designed a layout for a friend that has O72 mainline curves (he runs passenger trains).
Maybe, just maybe in the next layout we'll get to larger curves. Hard to say.
George
Three primary points dominate my choice of engines and rolling stock:
> affordability. My passion is steam trains, and the cost of scale equipment does not fit into my retirement fixed income hobby budget;
> overall illusion of real trains. It's the illusion of real trains I seek on my layout, so scale details on individual engines and pieces of rolling stock have low value. Its the overall appearance of trains on the mainline that I strive to capture;
> space for a layout. Space is limited so the range of mainline curves on my layout is 042 to 082. Yards have 031 curves. I settled on Rail King 13" long passenger cars and Rail King engines, so passenger trains of 7 or 8 cars look good on my layout. Freight rolling stocks are Rail King, Lionel and K-Line 10" long pieces. Typically a drag freight is 10 cars or more, and a local peddler is 6 to 8 cars with a caboose. The 10" cars look good on the 031 curves in the yards.
I was pretty proud of myself designing my entire layout, and building it with a minimum curve of 072. Only to find out that alot of newer products that are scale just need larger curves.
Especially those Atlas scale CZ cars! 
It will end when you encircle the globe using all straight track.
I designed my layout first to maximize curve radius for the most realistic look for large, scale locomotives and am happy I did. The trains run well and look good. I hope to get a PRR S1 someday and think it will look good too. My curve diameter is 120" and greater.
It will end when you encircle the globe using all straight track.
Not really. You know you need at least a two-lap run, plus industrial spurs. 
+1 on the curve creep!
My first little layout use O-31.
For my current layout, I decided that I would go with O-54 and O-63 curves as this would be plenty big to run a scale Pacific or Mikado and would prevent me from getting tempted into buying any large articulated steam engines.
What I didn't anticipate is that while my scale locomotives generally only need O-42 or O-54 curves, I need O-72 to run some scale passenger cars (like my SGL Reading cars). 
When I rebuild the layout (hoperfully over the Winter) I'll yank out the O-54 and O-63 and put in O-72 and O-80 curves!
Jim
Oh yes... Started young with O-27, then Super O.
Re-entered the hobby with O-31, then got some O-42.
Now running O-72 / O-54 / w O-31/42 yard with plans to upgrade to a O-54 minimum with O-72 and up on the dual mainline.
It only ends when you can't get more space.
I did it too!
O36 3 loops, then bought a engine that needed larger. Costly mistake.
O54 2 loops and 1 O36.
Then I made a even more costly mistake - bought a engine that needed O72. Lead to more full size scale steamers (more $$$) and -
O72 2 loops and 1 O54. I think I better stop, laws of physics in the basement are becoming the show stopper now.
Jim
Not so far. My goal with my layout has always been to have as much train action possible contained in the smallest space possible. I'd venture a guess that 95% of the locomotives and rolling stock produced in the last hundred years will run on O36 or smaller, so I built around that.
To be fair, I'll occasionally see something I'd like to own that my curves can't handle (the Polar Railroad 4-6-2 K-4, for example), but those items are also usually accompanied by an unattractive price tag.
Although--I do have a couple of Kline locomotives that are geared so darn fast I can't give them more than a fraction of track power and they're off like a rocket. Would love to put them on huge curves and open them up!!
Started with 031. Now my tightest Branch is 0120, Tightest main is 0144, max is 01200 which replaced a lot of straight track.
When you build around the wall it opens up a whole new world.
Mine is around the wall too. My first major problem was designing and building a reliable access gate. My next problem, as Tom hinted at, is now I have very little straight track which makes it difficult to add switches since the curved switches are much tighter than my curves. I use Ross switches and have asked them to make wider radius curved switches which they are considering. I would welcome others, who see a similar need, to also ask Ross for these.
My layout has way to many 031 curves and turnouts. I am keeping the layout as is and adding an extension with 072 curves and flex track.
I agree it is part of the evolution. I also want some of the MTH European locos.
Current layout will remain with two towns, two passemger stations and two yards. Expansion will be countryside and mountains with graceful curves leading to a coal mining area.
I like the idea of having the smaller engines and switchers navigate the current areas and the bigger engines staying outside the " city limits".
I started with o-27, now I'm at o-108. I've had all the major curves in between too.
31,36,42,54,72,99
Sounds like my layout started with 031 & 042 and now 072, 054 & 042
You can only "evolve" beyond 036 track if you have the room for it. Alas, I don't, so I will be sticking with 036.
I think the same thing happens in other hobbies or interests also. When I lived in Alaska I started out buying a 16' Aluminum skiff, then went to 18' runabout, up to a 21 ft Fiberform and finally to a 28' Bertrum with skybridge. I believe it is a common and understandable way to progress in a hobby.
TEX
Steve
I have everyone's old 0-27! 
Last layout was 034, 042 & 054. Working on a new one, but the door going out of the garage dictates 60 max, darn.
Steve
As a kid growing up in Altoona all I had was Lionel O (031). It was also all I had through 1999.
Stationed in Germany from 1999 to 2002. Lionel came out with the Scale PRR T1. Henry, from Island Trains sent me one and wow. That was it. I had only taken 031 curves and swithces with me overseas so the T1 was relegated to straight sections.
I started buying Lionel 072 curves, switches and three foot straights but kept them stored in the States.
I started my assignment at the Pentagon and started to build my layout in our house in Springfield, VA. With a forced mix of 031 and 072 I had to design the layout to handle both. 072 was relagated to the outside and on trestle bents for a reverse loop figure 8. 031 was 'on the table top', under the trestles, for shorter trains and accessory action.
That same concept was used for my present 16 X 16 retirement/Grandkids layout here in PA. I run all of Lionel's PRR equipment from a small switcher to the Vision Centipede and CC2s.
The VA layout
Present one
+38 on the creepage!
I started with all 27" but once I saw how sweet my trains looked running on 42" I stocked up. Then saw how much sweeter they looked on 54" and 72" so I stocked up on them too. Once one sees how nicely a train rolls thru those curves, it's hard to go back to herky-jerky of 27".
- walt
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