I Am Tearing Down My Layout

Proper planning (which I applaud you for doing) makes revisions because of unsatisfactory results much easier.  Onward to the improved idea!!!

Chuck

During three decades, I designed and built several home layouts and two large club-sponsored layouts. Each adventure showed progressive thinking with improved operation.  My current L-shaped layout (15x19 feet) is the last empire of my lifetime, although it's not the biggest-ever layout. It fills the available space in the room and is manageable. So it's perfect!

Good luck to you as you prepare for another venture.

Mike Mottler    LCCA 12394

Thanks Chuck, yea too many mistakes which compounded the problem even more.  In my haste I had a double track main line oval and then my "expansion" was to add a couple a switches in the oval mainline.  This led to even more problems.  LOL.   Too much track could not be cleaned because I could not reach it, especially in the tunnels!

Dan, I understand that completely.  I have multiple tunnels (in the corners, against the walls) and in my younger days I ensured I could get to the tracks from beneath the table.  And today I don't find that to be so easy anymore.  My eventual 'tear if down and do it right' plans are already coming together, and that part is part of the fun of the hobby, right?  We'll watch for any progress you post.

Chuck242

When I first moved in to my new house,(40 years ago) I built a layout, tore it down because of mistakes and oversights and started again only to tear that one down. I resolved myself to sitting down with a piece of large drafting paper and draw out my proposed new layout using proper drafting tools to get radius's right and grades figured correctly. This planning makes it easier to run and enjoy your creation later. My layout is 45' long by 24' wide in an L shape and has 3 levels that all run together to form a point to point layout.. That layout has survived the test of time simply because it had some basic planning in it. There is no substitute for proper planning. And even at that, I have mistakes. But they are ones I can live with. If you need any help, fire me an email which is in my profile. Good Luck

Dan. Good luck with the new project.  I found  I was in the same fix. To old to get to those easy places tucked under and away. So I made the decision to use existing layout but eliminate as much of the  electrical or all if I could . Tore out my bus line and hook ups to 3 rail track. Disconnected all lighting to buildings, I only kept 12 switch machines hooked up to electricalout of 23. Sold my ZW-L , CAB 2 . Then Tore up all scenery on 2/3 rds of layout . Layed new 2 rail track built a switching yard with manual throws on the switches.  Built new scenery added fiber optic lighting. Then replaced 4 diesels with battery power. Just got to do a shake down yesterday running trains. I do have one other area on layout to start. I originally built my layout in a rectangular format with a stand up hole in the middle.  I am going to cut out a section that will join the existing hole so I can walk into instead of crawling under layout . Once that is done I think my layout will be senior ready .

Thanks and I agree Bill Park.  I measured the walls and used my architect scale (1/2 inch = 1 foot) and taped three sheets of copy paper together as my starting point.  I have 775 square feet of area to work with and every inch of track will be easy to access while standing!  LOL.

Thanks Bill Grafmiller.  It is already a labor of love.  I removed all my buss wiring too, as most areas of benchwork were 4-6 feet wide.  So I had to lay down on my back to do all of the wiring hook up.  That was a real PITA!  My new plan will be quite different to say the least.  So all of your loco's have onboard battery power?  That sure simplifies operation and no buss wire under the layout!!

@Chuck242 posted:

Dan, I understand that completely.  I have multiple tunnels (in the corners, against the walls) and in my younger days I ensured I could get to the tracks from beneath the table.  And today I don't find that to be so easy anymore.  My eventual 'tear if down and do it right' plans are already coming together, and that part is part of the fun of the hobby, right?  We'll watch for any progress you post.

Chuck242

Yes it is part of the fun.   If we do not learn from our mistakes/history we are doomed to repeat it. 

@Mike H Mottler posted:

During three decades, I designed and built several home layouts and two large club-sponsored layouts. Each adventure showed progressive thinking with improved operation.  My current L-shaped layout (15x19 feet) is the last empire of my lifetime, although it's not the biggest-ever layout. It fills the available space in the room and is manageable. So it's perfect!

Good luck to you as you prepare for another venture.

Mike Mottler    LCCA 12394

Thanks Mike.  Your layout looks good.  Plenty of operating possibilities.

Hi Dan 77, 

Regardless of the "mistakes" the around the wall layout is such an improvement, even if your current layout was nearly perfect.  The ability to run long trains and have nice scenery backdrops, is well worth the effort.   good luck on your efforts and keep us posted!

Thanks Brewman1973.  Indeed the around the wall layout is a much more efficient use of space.   I should have done that at the start.  Oh well, I learned my lesson the hard way and my Dad always said lessons learned the hard way will be remembered for a very long time. 

This is the hole of doom I was talking about

@Bill Grafmiller posted:

This is the hole of doom I was talking about

Wow,  you are not kidding.   My knees and ankles start hurting just looking at it.  LOL.

@Bill Grafmiller posted:

Sorry if this is off topic, but I like that suspension bridge hanging on the edge of the layout! Is that going to stay? It sounds like you're going to open up access to that area.

John

@John's Trains posted:

Sorry if this is off topic, but I like that suspension bridge hanging on the edge of the layout! Is that going to stay? It sounds like you're going to open up access to that area.

John

John . Not sure. I do have some other options on redirecting that line. I also have the tunnel to think about.  🤔

Instead of tunnels (which in my opinion are to "hide" train traffic to make things appear longer), maybe a better option would be view blocks, which is all tunnels are for the most part. a lot of this stuff is about illusion.

ECI

Yes I agree. But I also would have to take out the mountain . I probably should start my own topic . I feel I am stealing  John's topic. John sorry.

@dan 77 posted:

Thanks Bill Grafmiller.  It is already a labor of love.  I removed all my buss wiring too, as most areas of benchwork were 4-6 feet wide.  So I had to lay down on my back to do all of the wiring hook up.  That was a real PITA!  My new plan will be quite different to say the least.  So all of your loco's have onboard battery power?  That sure simplifies operation and no buss wire under the layout!!

Dan yes all engines that I run now are battery powered.  Completely  dead rail. So far it is working great. Much simpler also I am not fighting those electrical problems that always seemed to appear when running trains.

@Bill Park posted:

When I first moved in to my new house,(40 years ago) I built a layout, tore it down because of mistakes and oversights and started again only to tear that one down. I resolved myself to sitting down with a piece of large drafting paper and draw out my proposed new layout using proper drafting tools to get radius's right and grades figured correctly. This planning makes it easier to run and enjoy your creation later. My layout is 45' long by 24' wide in an L shape and has 3 levels that all run together to form a point to point layout.. That layout has survived the test of time simply because it had some basic planning in it. There is no substitute for proper planning. And even at that, I have mistakes. But they are ones I can live with. If you need any help, fire me an email which is in my profile. Good Luck

Interesting, Bill, that my layout is almost as long as yours, but mine is much narrower than yours.

Mine is 35 feet long and yours is 45 feet long. However, there's a huge difference in width: mine is mostly 3 to 4 feet wide compared to your empire which is a whopping 24 feet wide.

Must be model railroad heaven to have so much model railroad real estate. That goes a long way to help avoid a cluttered look.

@Bill Grafmiller posted:

Dan. Good luck with the new project.  I found  I was in the same fix. To old to get to those easy places tucked under and away. So I made the decision to use existing layout but eliminate as much of the  electrical or all if I could . Tore out my bus line and hook ups to 3 rail track. Disconnected all lighting to buildings, I only kept 12 switch machines hooked up to electricalout of 23. Sold my ZW-L , CAB 2 . Then Tore up all scenery on 2/3 rds of layout . Layed new 2 rail track built a switching yard with manual throws on the switches.  Built new scenery added fiber optic lighting. Then replaced 4 diesels with battery power. Just got to do a shake down yesterday running trains. I do have one other area on layout to start. I originally built my layout in a rectangular format with a stand up hole in the middle.  I am going to cut out a section that will join the existing hole so I can walk into instead of crawling under layout . Once that is done I think my layout will be senior ready .

But Bill, if you do that, you won't have any more model railroad yoga to do.

Better think twice about this.

I understand that model railroad yoga is the new Fountain of Youth!

LOL, Arnold

Arnold, I was just yesterday saying that I purposely put in three access hatches on my new layout which I have just started so that I can keep the YOGA movements going. I actually do not mind crawling around beneath the layout. My new one has foam tiles under it, so my knees are nice and comfy, and the floor is protected. Will I be sorry later? Maybe, but I am of the age-old philosophy that if you don't use it you will lose it. mine is a 12' by 16.5' L with each leg being 6.5 ' wide. The room in the new house has too many doors, windows and a slider to the deck to have been able to do an around the room and I wanted a lot of real estate.

@Arnold D. Cribari posted:

But Bill, if you do that, you won't have any more model railroad yoga to do.

Better think twice about this.

I understand that model railroad yoga is the new Fountain of Youth!

LOL, Arnold

Arnold. You do have a point. I did one thing that has helped. Had an old crawler that you would sit on the problem it was to high and I could not get under the layout without being a contortionist.  So took the sit down portion off the coasters and put a cushion on it . I now kneel on it and pull myself around under the layout . Good way to get to the hole of doom.