How many others are like me? I planned/designed my layout carefully, but have done four "cataclysmic" (my wife's word) modifications in six years, each involving considerable re-work. Now, only six years into it, less than 40% of the track I initially put down is still in place although 85% of the original benchtop is still there. The layout was improved each time, a combination of “I figured out how to fit more in the same space,” and “my tastes/priorities have changed.”
Is this common, or am I in a small a minority? Do most people pretty much stick to the tracks and buildings and landscape they originally designed and built, only fine tuning them, (until they perhaps just completely start over (something i think I would never do))? Or do most [people majorly revise their layout from time to time.
- - - - - That is my basic question. I’m interested in any comments – below are details about my changes each time. - - - -
My layout fits in a 26 x 15 foot room and has never varied in being right at 292 sq feet of benchtop although I have moved where my walk through aisles are, etc. on three occasions.
I completed my first layout of track, etc., in March '06, and the latest change this past Sunday.
This change moved (removed, built new) ten square feet of benchtop, moved 31 feet of track, added (or will add - some yet to put down) 91 feet of Superstreets, removed/replaced twenty square feet of hillside and scenery-vegetation etc., and relocated five buildings, with the cleanup filling two industrial trash bags and using up three shop vac filters.
Each rebuild has increased four counts and a decreased in one: here are the net increases with the counts initially and after each change
400% increase in number of times a track crosses under another: 3, 5, 9, 11, 15
137% increase in feet of Superstreets track: 64, 43, 52, 56, 62+90 yet to finish
75% increase in the number of separately controlled loops of track/streets: 4,6,5,6,8
21% increase in feet of mainline train track, from 268 feet (three loops) to 324 feet (four loops)
33% decrease in feet of track in trainyards: from 70 to 47
During all this, what as not changed is that all the track is Fastrack, my largest loop is all 72" or larger curves, but second largest 60"+, and all other loops are down to the smallest diameter Fastrack of Superstreets permits.
The only change in my skills during this time that I see is that I am much better at using the third dimension: initially I had two lolops that stuck to their "own" level, two going under the third for a tital of three criss crosses. Now, every one of my eight loops goes up and down and under and over several other loops, for 15. I had N gauge layout(s) for 20 years but that scale never challenged me to learn to use the third dimension like O has.
The only change in my tastes I see is that I am much more into Superstreets now than initially and I have little interest in a trainyards.
