Has your layout focus changed?

Not much.  I started out running only my postwar collection, and I still do.  But now I also run 3rs Lionel (and Williams) representing the 1935-1955 era.  I don't run them at the same time, but I do enjoy them both.

I built a postwar layout with all acessories on carpet and o gauge track when i first got back in hobby.  I assumed it would take too long to go scale and i wouldnt have the time...

Then i started getting a few scale engines...  a NKP berkshire tmcc and lionel rio grande gp30s with tmcc.

I disovered how satisfying the scale MODELS were vs. the postwar TOYS....  that began my layout conversion.

I still love postwar, but became more collector of it than operator of pw.  I tore down the toytrain layout and started my scale 3rail layout to operate the big scale engines and rolling stock.

So i evolved my layout as interests changed.  I still want to collect pw, but also have a large scale collection now, by roadnames and still want to operate and detail the scale layout.  Im keeping my accessories, as i plan to still use them in certain areas of the layout.

Nah, my layout has stayed within its original vision. Now that my track is all done, I have turned to scenery. The ultimate goal is operations. I still need to do a few projects before that can happen. The scenery is something that can be picked at when time permits.

Now that I've said that, there is one thing that did change. I stopped buying non-scale pieces. Out of over 600 pieces on the layout, maybe 2% are not scale, and most of those are engines, some Lionmasters and some early TMCC with pullmore motors and wide bodies.

When our daughters left for college, their third floor space because a room size layout with 22 track switches, two loops, two long passenger sidings and one reverse loop.  We had the K-Line eight car B&O heavyweight passenger train.  We tired of the B&O, sold those cars and bought K-Line NYC heavyweight cars.  We tired of those and bought the Santa Fe equivalent.  Somewhere in there we acquired a Premier Northern. The move from Cincinnati to Lansing, Illinois forced the trains into storage for just over two years.  Unpacking was like Christmas, I'd forgotten how nice the trains are.  The K-Line Santa Fe set was sold and our two passenger trains and Fast Mail train consist of individually purchased cars from various manufacturers.  Locomotives are PRB and MTH.  Cars are mostly three rail scale from AmStan kits, CMP, K-Line, Lionel, MTH, Weaver, and Williams with a couple of scratch built piggyback cars.  I try to upgrade and have an ongoing program to sell what will not fit on our main tracks and passing sidings.  We do not have shelves of cars/trains and what is boxed is on the market.  John in Lansing, Ill

Just a few months ago, my modeling direction seemed very clear, just needed the impetus to get up and get going on it.

Not so anymore. I find myself at a crossroad again. So, yes, my modeling focus seems to be in a state of flux right now, but I don't really know which modeling direction (focus) will eventually end up being THE direction for the foreseeable future.

This isn't the thread to go into my focus issues (probably need to start my own thread concerning same "one of these days"), but suffice to say that my age, and stage of life, has got me doing some serious re-evaluating.

Andre

Focus change?  Yes, every day.  Postwar, Prewar, Modern Tinplate, I just can't make up my mind.

My focus has always been on small O and S layouts with maximum scenery and minimum track. On my 5x8 O layout, it takes a visitor almost a half hour to view all the details, which includes interiors in buildings and passenger cars, items for sale at a flea market, etc. 

rrman posted:

So my question is do you find your focus shifting either to or away from scenery?  

Absolutely. The benchwork is done. The track is laid. All the power drops, and 23 switches are wired. "The trains are running".

There's a big stack of building kits waiting to be put together. There's a few large boxes filled with prebuilt buildings. Buildings and scenery is my next logical step.

As I am finally in what appears to be a long term house, I had big plans for the basement.  As it turns out kids continuously overrunning the living room is making that difficult.  Work on the home will start in earnest this coming year, a few projects at a time.  When the basement gets finished, I will have a small layout only.  The new target will be taking over and finishing half the garage to get a me-only space.  So the big ideas will change to suit the landscape allotted. 

As to train focus, for many years I was all over the map between traditional size and smaller scale pieces, primarily on eastern roads such as Reading, WM, Conrail and NS.  Now I have a few different Roads mixed in but the big change has been a serious shift to tinplate.  My ideas still center around a toy like layout theme, but now with various scenic sections.  I can see tinplate section here, a high rail bright and bushy scenery section there, and of course maintaining the toy like atmosphere, I will definitely have a number of lego buildings in the sections known as Brickerville.  I do think my tastes will continue to evolve.  I have learned how to do some landform scenery with my halloween layout project last year, but I need to do another couple projects to really learn scenery techniques like ground cover and homemade trees. 

I think if there were not so many variations within the hobby it would feel stagnant.  

My layout focus has changed due to space limitations. I quickly realized how much stuff that i have and continue to accumulate. I had to make the decision that my layout was going to be primary industrial. I wanted to be able to use my accessories. I just don't have the room for much residential housing. I love structures it is a fine line to get the right mix. There will always be room for some restaurants and businesses. (workers have to eat). As far as the hobby, I will always be an O gauge collector and operator. My collection includes Lionel, Williams, Atlas, K-line and AMT and others. For me that is the only gauge to have. In the future I would like to try kit bashing structures when time allows. I get a lot of inspiration from this forum, when I see what others have created.

Thanks,

Jeff

My focus has not changed from my teens:  except to purge all diesels and have only steam and rail cars.  When in HO l accumulated kits for standard gauge Colorado roads, but never finished the layout before a job change and move. Now l accumulate Lionel compatible three rail scale prototypes that ran in Colorado, but spend too much time building structures and rolling stock instead of laying track.  From an HO metal mining theme, in O my theme centers on that, but adds coal mining, logging, and prairie grain and sugar beet branches.

When I returned to Lionel O gauge in the '70s, I built a hi-rail layout.  Gargraves track, scenery, etc.  Now my focus is on a post-war type layout.  Minimal scenery, lots of operating accessories and post-war trains.  

My garden railway is similar.  I have built or modified rolling stock and toys to operate via remote control.  It feels like a sort of post war layout outdoors.  

All of that said, I still have an urge to build a small field railway type layout, indoors.  It will most likely be large scale as I like the look and feel of large scale trains for this type of operation.

Scale, modern? Not for me. And I'm 100 percent happy and satisfied with that.

My layout(s) are all toy train, PW focused with lots of the classic operating accessories and my trusty ZW. That's model train heaven for me.

I'm thinking of doing another small layout next. I've always wanted to do a space and military-themed one (maybe Super O?). In fact I recently acquired a nice 175 rocket launcher so I'm on my way.   

Not exactly what you are asking, RRMAN, but I would share with you, here, that my focus shifted, as far as my interest was concerned, once the layout was built and finally completed (yes, actually completed, with absolutely no plans for any alterations or modifications, which is probably more a function of my age than passion,) to having less interest in playing with and on the layout. It seemed that once the adventure and seemingly endless opportunities to be creative were concluded, a significant amount of air went out of my hobby balloon.

For example, here are some photos providing a chronological perspective on one area of the layout, at approximately mid-point. I call it "V-Valley." It went from being my representation of an "industrial park" of small businesses

... to rural-ish neighborhood

….to semi-suburban-ish

….to a kind of semi-rural village, now. I just am not climbing up there again to change the valley. It is finished. I'm satisfied. Again.

I "visit" the layout, and enjoy walking around it, treasuring it, on my way out the cellar door into the garage, and we enjoy running the layout for our guests , but the overall oomph has diminished markedly. I mean, I used to spend every day after teaching high school work-playing at the layout, and on weekends, when I wasn't going to train shows anywhere I could find them as listed in OGR or via flyers, in the Pennsylvania-NJ-NY-Conn area. Now, I have not been to a train show for several years.

 I would further submit, but not to be negative, of course, that I suspect this may be a similar feeling others might be having or might someday have regarding their layouts. That is, that once the huge rush of creativity is more or less completed, a whole lot of the fun departs. We are almost disappointed when the plans for the layout have been consummated (to bring to a sate of perfection; fulfill.)

Have I said too much?

FrankM

Moonson posted:

Not exactly what you are asking, RRMAN, but I would share with you, here, that my focus shifted, as far as my interest was concerned, once the layout was built and finally completed (yes, actually completed, with absolutely no plans for any alterations or modifications, which is probably more a function of my age than passion,) to having less interest in playing with and on the layout. It seemed that once the adventure and seemingly endless opportunities to be creative were concluded, a significant amount of air went out of my hobby balloon.

I "visit" the layout, and enjoy walking around it, treasuring it, on my way out the cellar door into the garage, and we enjoy running the layout for our guests , but the overall oomph has diminished markedly. I mean, I used to spend every day after teaching high school work-playing at the layout, and on weekends, when I wasn't going to train shows anywhere I could find them as listed in OGR or via flyers, in the Pennsylvania-NJ-NY-Conn area. Now, I have not been to a train show for several years.

 I would further submit, but not to be negative, of course, that I suspect this may be a similar feeling others might be having or might someday have regarding their layouts. That is, that once the huge rush of creativity is more or less completed, a whole lot of the fun departs. We are almost disappointed when the plans for the layout have been consummated (to bring to a sate of perfection; fulfill.)

Have I said too much?

FrankM

Frank,

Do you have ESP and were reading between the lines of my mind?  That does seem to be me, now that we have pretty much finished just about everything, indeed "the air has gone out of the layout balloon" more or less.  Of course others might say well rip it out and start over.  Pushing 72 I don't think this would be an option unless I had someone do the work (and whats the fun of that?)  And in the space I have there just so much you can do if you want wide radius-es to run semi scale engines (to run the big stuff would require a wall removal).  So yeah its fun to run trains but they just go round and round.  Not really sure how much a prototype card routing games I could play with two small sidings and small yard, plus its learning curve.

Wha, wha, wha, oh poor little me......

Frank & Rrman, I am almost 67 and have similar feelings about my layout that you both have about yours. I have little desire to put my energy and limited resources towards a major project like building a new layout or making a substantial renovation to my current one, or even purchasing a very expensive locomotive.

For me, what I have found most enjoyable this past year has been tinkering with my existing trains and layout, maintaining them, taking photos and videos of my trains and layout, posting and replying on this Forum, and connecting with Forum members. This Forum is definitely a major source of my enjoyment with model railroading.

Sometimes, however, I wonder how exhilarating it would be to dismantle what I have, go back to the drawing board, and design and build a brand new layout. Arnold 

No, but I'm having trouble reading street signs

I started my layout rebuild back in January, tore the old layout completely down.  Now I have Mianne benchwork and Atlas/Signature Switch track down and have been running trains to decide if I like the track plan, no scenery yet.

I told myself to wait a year before thinking about doing any scenery and now I'm at that point, the track plan seems to be working although a couple more switches can be used in my yard.  I think I have my buildings where I want them now...location, location, location!

I want to try some faux ballast (textured paint) on the sides of the roadbed before I start putting down any ground cover.  I plan on spraying a small area too see how it looks.  If it doesn't turn out then I'm going to leave the ballast off.  For ground cover I'll use the Fusion Fiber sprinkled with Woodland Scenics ground foam, I've had good results with that.

Need to learn how to do gravel parking lots, all ideas are welcome!

I'm leaning more towards just steam operation, with an occasional diesel powered passenger train rolling thru.  All my steamers seem to be running fine under BPRC and as a result the diesels just sit.

My layout focus has only changed in that, I have recently added Legacy to it.  It was DCS with TMCC, but recently I obtained one Legacy locomotive and wanted to be able to access all of the features.

Everything is usually run via the DCS Wifi ap.

 

It sure has.  At first I bought anything that caught my eye and built up a layout with tubular track that spanned two rooms in the basement.  Wasn't much to look at but the mainline was long.  Power was conventional with block control.  Well the two room arrangement didn't work out well because of the location of the hole in the wall.  The conventional power went away when a TMCC loco was purchased.  Re-wired, simpler, fewer blocks, replaced all the tubular with gargraves track and switches.  Then began replacing the GG switches with Ross (should have done that from the start).  Focused on a single RR (Jersey Central) since I grew up 200 yards from the 4 track main line.  Changed the track arrangement, reduced the layout to a 26 foot long run along one wall with a 10 foot "L" and am now attempting scenery that mimics the hills of the PA coal region.  Lessons learned, bigger isn't always better, newer items do not play well with smaller radius curves, scenery takes time but adds a lot to the overall look and finally I should have dumped the stuff I haven't run in years a long time ago.

Nerails, Jersey Central is one of my favorites too, especially the Blue Comet.

I don't have the Blue Comet yet, but am thrilled with this LionChief + Jersey Central K4:

And congratulations on your layout renovations. Arnold

I would say yes in that my buildings of choice have gone from the plastic look of MTH to the more weathered look of woodland scenics, korber, various independent guys like Andre, and even Menards.   

However the theme of wrong side/right side of the tracks has stayed the same.  

Has my layout focus changed?  You bet it has! 

Tom

1st Post!

Yes, my layout focus has changed. As it has expanded, I've been able to essentially break it into 3(really 2 1/2) sections. I got back into the hobby after my Pop(Grandfather) and best friend passed away in June 2017 and I was the one who had to go through/is still going through(it wasn't a burden, an honor and bittersweet pleasure) his massive collection of toys and collectibles. When i realized how many things he had related to toy trains-a good amount of which were promised to be as a child 20 years ago, when I just loved trains- then I decided to delve into the layout. I'm just stating notable purchases/acquisitions/inherited items:

April 2018: Started with the simple loop and an elevated trestle on a 5 by 4 pool table. Running postwar and traditional. Added classic plasticville, no continuity regarding road names except for my Williams Amtrak GP-9(my 2nd o gauge engine ever). Ran some Marx as well. From here I just began to learn more and more about the hobby and got a lot of my grandfather's toys/collectibles, my other grandfather's(RIP) 1479WS, and my dad's stuff that had just been setting in storage. Of course, during this time I researched how to clean track, maintain engines/locos, understand wiring, etc...

Summer 2018: Added a 6 by 3.5 unused ping pong table. The pool table, while right next to and supporting one end of the ping-pong table, was/is not at the same height and is more its own separate entity. None of my trains were scale and all of my scenery was a mix of plasticville, Lionel PW and some Lionel prewar, American Flyer prewar. Extended The ping pong table another 2 feet. One big loop with 2 turnouts if i wanted to have the consist run through town. Began to keep my consists consistent as possible in re to road names. Amtrak ran on the big loop with the NOMA station and a plasticville platform, and other accsssories. Would switch this out with a K-line Chesssie System(B&O reporting marks) S-2(my first engine ever, from my Pop when I turned 5) and run freight. The pool table loop became Lehigh Valley(my home area) and was pulled by a 627 that I had acquired with 5-7 LV freights. Ping Pong Table also had an elevated trestle that ran the #60 Rapid Transit Trolley, my attempt at the time to use what I had to make "elevated rail", which I've always loved.

August 2018 discover the Budd RDC and my life has been forever changed for the better. Purchased an RMT LV #41 Buddy. Took down the elevated trestle/trolley. Took out the switched on the big loop and made an inner loop that solely ran that LV Buddy. Outer loop remain the same. Felt like every other week I was taking the spur on the pool table portion down and putting it back-in. Pop always said I was indecisive.

October 2018: Joined MTH RRC as a premier member, got the premier car and fell in love with it. Also acquired a B&O Conventional Classic 2550 baggage car. Took down my Amtrak(kills me) which still hasn't gone back on the layout. Acquired a 254e on the cheap and had the wheels replaced at my LHS. Began to transition from o-27 to o-31

Current: The pool table is totally traditional and o-27. Runs LV freight(PW and some MPC). Current consist is led by the Buddy, has one Marx LV hopper(I put MTH trucks on it), 4 of the PW LV hoppers, and one LV MPC era boxcar. All plasticville except for the lights, one spur with a 1022 switch on which my 627 sits with a prewar Bing Baggage car because its just so cool looking and in great shape. Added a heavy military presence. Any people/figures are S-scale(mainly). Also has a toy friction Electric Train that sits on Flyer track running down the middle on some roadbed- doesn't operate but looks cool to me. The big loop(now o-31) on the ping-pong table and its extension has a town/city with a major highway running through, one spur that cuts through an army outpost, and the end of the big loop's scenery is plasticville, consisting of a farm/freight station for the farm, hotel, diner, girder bridge. The big loop's consist is led by a PW #400 B&O Budd(just bought last week at Allentown train show), followed by the 2014 #2550 Budd and 7 rolling stock freight cars in B&O OR Chessie System Livery also has- even though out of place a bit, an MTH NYC Crane car(great deal) and the Continental Grains O-Scale club car. Have learned to vary the RS with gondolas and other cars so the sizes look similar. Created an inner-loop(o-31) for the 254e which is pulling 2-3 cars b/c the size of the loop-currently pulling a 610 pullman and 1690 Lionel Lines(Lionel Jr?) Ives transition. Notable Structures: NOMA station, PW Lionel freight station, prewar AF Harbor Freight station, prewar AF candy and soda shop, PW Lionel Operating Freight station, Marx NYC gantry crane, Colberville Water tower, etc..All the structures on this part of the layout are larger and don't include plasticville.

Long story short, it's always a work in progress. Trying to become more scale but don't plan on being totally realistic(Budd cars pulling freight consists) and enjoy the nostalgia of running, at times, 3 different eras of locos(in terms of when they were manufactured OR when those locos were on the rails). So, I guess-yes, my focus has changed.

It felt great to get that all out ha. Nice to meet you all.

 

Steve

 

 

Steve, it sounds like you're making great progress with your trains in a relatively short time (about 6 months) and having a great time with the hobby. That is what it's all about.

One of the reasons we got into doing the layout was to challenge ourselves to do how the scenery books said to do it, then "got brave" and tried new tricks or methods (some worked wells other not so much).  Given how much scenery material is available today compared to back when ground up sawdust sufficed for grass and plaster of paris was the Sculptamold, etc. , it was easy to achieve really satisfying looking scenery.   Back then it was build your own buildings or shake a kit, now there are some pretty good buildings that give good starting points to customize.

But as I stated originally once we proved to  ourselves that we could do this, the focus changed and we don't run trains as much and we have turned our attention to other hobbies.

I started out with kind of a vision back in 1998.  Over the years although I went from semi scale to scale (exclusively PRR), my focus for having a fun layout to run somewhat realistically, with a somewhat pleasant scenic presentation has remained the same. I stole ideas from great scenic folks on this forum and the web, I experimented more and have a modified train card system.  I acquired a couple of engines a year and have 7 steamers.  While I understand that for some folks, the intense enthusiasm can be lost after a layout is completed, for me I enjoyed finally completing some problem areas that always bugged me because they were kind of half baked.  On the forum I chronicled my "not quite a complete redo" project that took me quite a long time.  It was quite enjoyable.  Now, with grand kids and traveling, not quite as much train time.  But I check out the forum often and in the fall, winter and those "too hot" summer days, I try to get down to the layout to run my trains.

I should point out that I also like sailing, fishing, astronomy and studying Italian.  Interesting and fun hobbies.  

@STEVEFROMPA  Nice 1st pitch.  I just hope you own a camera.

(attachement tool at the bottm while composing is for pics   Readings nice, but we like to just look at the pictures sometimes too )

rattler21 posted:

When our daughters left for college, their third floor space because a room size layout with 22 track switches

I never got past this part

My focus has changed to collecting fewer pieces and start focusing on what to model. I'm still torn between PRR and the UP, but I am going to have to run those PRR locomotives through the Rockies

 

J Daddy posted:

My focus has changed to collecting fewer pieces and start focusing on what to model. I'm still torn between PRR and the UP, but I am going to have to run those PRR locomotives through the Rockies

 

PRR Lines West... way west 😛

Focus changed? Yep and happily so. My space is small for O gauge--17'x16'. I was going to do a typical "train leaves city, train goes through countryside, and train returns to city" with staging and so on. Then I realized that my space was too small for that. And my primary interest is locomotive servicing--roundhouse, turntable, water, sand, coal and all the trimmings. Well, heck, that's HALF the layout. So I "copped out" as they used to say in the 70's. In the new plan, the train never leaves the city. It goes THROUGH the city, vanishes into staging and another train shows up somewhere. When I am done (like that will ever happen!), the whole layout will be a city. And in 1/43 scale, 17x16 isn't much of a city! Anyway, I don't know if that is 'changing focus" or just simply "seeing reality."

Dond

Don Merz 070317 posted:

 I don't know if that is 'changing focus" or just simply "seeing reality."

Dond

Yep everybody keep the comments coming.  Its a big tent and all layout focus and unfocused comments welcomed here!!

Sam "I am"

@Arnold D. Cribari thank you for for the compliments, much appreciated. And @Adriatic  thanks for the compliment on my first pitch , and thanks to everyone-in general. Pics per your request. I took more but I thought this would be overdoing it enough. 1st 3 are of my smaller loop, the next ones are from the bigger loop. Hope you enjoy

StevefromPA posted:

 

Hi Steve

Noticed the Noma station.  Does it operate or just for show?  What announcement record did it have ( I think there were 4-5 different records for these, I have 4 announcement from a website). I had a Noma with the Pennsylvania RR record,  And I can still say that announcement 60 years later!!

First off, thank you everyone for such a cool discussion and photos.

Change of focus? wow! and how. I went from building a post war type layout with many accessories, played hard, then sold everything, transitioned to an o scale ( 2 rail ) shelf type 36 feet by 2.5 foot water front switching layout with a scratch built floatbridge and rail float and harbor boats. After a few years, I took that down to improve it and while in the process of rebuilding and scratchbuilding  turnouts,  it all came down ,  Now I went back to the rebuild of the original postwar type layout I sold back in 2005. It seems plausible to me that I may at some point given an opportunity, that the O scale switching layout will be rebuilt as well. The experience though visited several times is all about the Build and achievement of many small goals connected piece at a time. I wish that both layouts might exist without interruption. Next time sharing them might prove their longevity. 

may try and add some old photos of the waterfront.

the original postwar layout three photos which i have displayed before. 

imagine shifting gears to the above O scale layout  from this playful layout.

There are 4 photos above. For some reason some images did not appear.

So, a recap: first postwar type, to second 2 rail O scale switching layout. To the current revisitation of the first one with modifications.