Could it get any better........?

Actually it could, in my case! This afternoon the owners of our local hobby shop (Berwyn's Toys & Trains) came to visit and RUN TRAINS!

Well it could only be better if you had a permanent layout.

.....

Dennis

Oh Dennis, you cruel dog you!

But...so true.

Greg (did you see my crawl space post! How about that idea!?)

AND if you were running Northern Pacific or Milwaukee Road!   Don't mind me..I'm just an orange and maroon foamer! 

Greg,

Add a room or something. I know a guy who dug his own basement under his house that didn't have one. 

.....

Dennis

Greg,
Keep up the faith! Run those trains. It sure puts a smile on my face. As far as digging up your crawl space, I was in the same spot and found it way cheaper to purchase a new house.

Greg,

No, I actually mean he dug his own basement, on his belly with a shovel and pail, until he got a space deep enough to stand in.  Dug the whole thing by hand.  Cheap!

.....

Dennis

My Grandfather did the same thing, but he had the help of my father and his six brothers.

 

Art

cngw,

   Greg keep running those trains, and it does get better with a permanent layout.

Christmas layouts are great also!  Having a permanent layout in the game room and a Christmas layout in the living room, now you know you are living!

PCRR/Dave

Dennis,

 

I am as cheap as they come....or so my friend tells me. Note the singular tense.

 

However, you and I appear close in age, I turn 66 in June. I might dig the ditch in front of the house to clear it at times....but digging out a crawl, I don't think either one of us wants to accomplish that, muchless COULD we accomplish that!

 

I really do have guys giving estimates on closing the crawl, but purely for dryout, better environment, maybe better energy, etc....certainly not for a new room.

 

But if I were 5 or 6 blocks high, instead of only 2.5, the ones I have looked at could double for another room- it might be tempting! Of course, the 9K to 10K estimates should certainly make them into another room. Here, it is not THAT wet.

 

If I was 50, I would tackle it myself, it is just clean out, plug the vents, lay the barrier and seal the edges, and foam the walls after you pull out all the fiberglass. But, at 66.......it ain't gonna happen! I have had my fill of that kind of home repair.

 

My favorite saying ever since I bought this house in '75 has been, "The only thing that will slowly kill you faster than cancer, is your house!"

 

However, I know what you are saying about digging a hole, any space is better than no space!

 

Later, Greg

Well, to be honest, the guy I am talking about was a young man at the time.  It was many years ago.  Greg, I have you beat.  I'm 76.

.....

Dennis

I've known a guy who had a lay out he could winch into the ceiling. He used winches and steel cables that came from a sailing yacht. The winches were in a closet, the ceiling had two enormous panels, like hatches. Once closed you didn't see any trace.

It was all perfectly constructed. His lay out was a huge island, something like Corsica or Capri. Besides that he was a member of a club, they call that 'geo fiction'.

It's people who create their own imaginary state or country, or city.

Some of these people go far! They really don't bother if others make a laugh at them.

This guy wrote even a history book, and a tourist guide, and called himself the emperor. Others even write their own language, with grammar books, or are making their own folklorist clothes or uniforms.

His fellow club members acted as senators and secretaries of state. The more they brought in, trains or buildings and so on, the higher they were on the 'social ladder'.

There was one guy who even built a military barrack, with troops and tanks.

He was a threat to the emperor, you never knew if he would take over...

It was all a game of course, these people really had big fun.

 

Kieffer

"I've known a guy who had a lay out he could winch into the ceiling. He used winches and steel cables that came from a sailing yacht. The winches were in a closet, the ceiling had two enormous panels, like hatches. Once closed you didn't see any trace"

 

Keiffer,

 

I did the same thing years ago in the garage. A 4 x 4 HO hoisted with rope and pulleys that came from the hardware store. I venture to say, more than one other person on here has done it, or is doing it now. The "swinging" did cause a few things to topple over until it finally rested on sawhorses for run time.

 

Ah Dennis, you do have me beat, I just look a lot older than you do. I saw two things about you in a post. 1) you have a basement, warm and dry and 2) you are in FL. Have fun big guy, it was 24 here in MD yest morning!

 

Take care all, Greg