Okay - more questions. Still working on the location!

Steve......I'm very partial to display shelves.......I like the one wall with several islands concept.

 

Peter

Steve from what your describing the peninsulas are a good idea along the 36 foot wall and could have view blocks down the middle for going from one scene to the next  and keep people moving on to see more. Would the picture window be a good spot for a small layout as a teaser to get folks walking by to want to come in and see more and if possible could be made seasonal Christmas, Valentine, Easter, summer, Halloween, or tie to an event in that area etc.. to set the mood.Good Luck on this project, maybe I can get Jim Policastro to go with me on a road trip and will help wih the scenery. Happy Railroading!!!!-Don Klose 

Will your store also second as a local hobby shop? Will you continue with your home layout? Good luck with your new venture!!

 

Enjoyed viewing the Muffin website. Particularly touched by the Train to Heaven as my dad was also subject to Colon issues and I my self have had several (luckily for me) 20 minute colonoscopy's.    

Steve...is this going to be open to the public free of charge?  The reason I ask is because of your comment above in regards to trying to get the utilities donated.  Wondering if you are going non-profit or a business license...???

 

Alan

Alan: Yes, open to the public free of charge. We are thinking we will put up a donation box. Still thinking about when we will be open. Current thinking is one night a week and on Sunday afternoons, minimum. Will be open for Carmel IN art fairs and festivals which we have several times a year, and more open hours during the holiday season. I need to ask my brother, Sourdough, or Erol about the need to setup a 501Csomething for this thing or not. We are still going back and forth with the landlord plus we have started discussions with two other locations just in case. Hope to get the deal agreed to this week and start moving our stuff out of storage by month end.

Muff...make sure you cover your hiney as far as liability.  A 501 3c is something you should do....

 

Alan

Okay, we are working on our third location so far trying to get the space and the deal to come together. It's been interesting. The latest location is right on the Monon Trail in Carmel, IN in a strip of warehouse/retail shops. Behind a bicycle shop. It's bigger than anything we have tried to get yet at 1800 square feet; has a garage door in back and a large loft for storing boxes and such. 

 

Two questions:

 

Its not carpeted but concrete floors. Every layout we have ever built has been on padded carpet. Do you think I need to carpet this place? Have you visited layouts on concrete floors? Is the NJHR space carpeted? Its been suggested that if we leave the concrete we can paint yellow arrows like York. LOL. 

 

Second, as it's basically a large warehouse, it has really high ceilings with fluorescent lights. We were thinking about building some kind of pergola say ten feet up to hang lighting. Anyone done something like that? 

 

The space is like 24 feet wide and at least 50 feet deep. We are still thinking about an around the wall layout on one side with peninsulas sticking out into the room with display shelves on the other long wall. There's room for a kitchen or galley and a workshop. Pretty cool location. 

 

Thoughts? 

 

Thanks. 

Steve, a comment on both things. Floor. Does the concrete look real clean? If it looks a bit grubby, it's better to cover it. Carpet will help deaden the sound, as opposed to any other hard covering. The high ceiling, again, how clean does it look? If it needs painting, consider a dark, maybe black ceiling, don't use the fluorescent lighting except when the place is closed for cleaning and Maintenance. Design a lighting system that focuses only on the layout, it will be more interesting than a bright lit room. It gives you the opportunity to control the lighting ambience. You can control lighting to simulate different times of day and night to add more realism to the layout.

Good luck, it will be fun.

Some great ideas here Steve.  You need to consider what is required locally to get an occupancy permit.  This may require a set of Architect/Engineer stamped drawings. Basic egree and emergency lighting are addressed,  as are public hadicap accessible bathrooms. It can get more complicated than this. It would all eventually develope an approved occupancy permit.  Many retail space providers will provide a "vanilla box" that addresses occupancy requirements.   That out of the way, your layout design would also have to meet public access requirements. Most municipalities here in PA have either a code enforcement office or sublet this function to code enforcement agencies. That information should be available either on line or at the borough office.

Just some thoughts as I see you tackling a very interesting project.      

Some design thoughts - A public display layout should offer a pleasing experience, so some sort of carpeted walkways would be best. Aisles need to be wide (5-6' or more)and plenty of extra space around gathering points such as passenger/engine terminals. Operator access aisles need to be chained off from public aisles if you have any. No hard outside corners - the layout should flow around the walls as a series of curves (also takes out a potential injury location). No duck-unders. You need to have a clearly marked rear secondary (emergency) exit with an obvious path to it. Lighting valances, backdrops, and profile boards are also neccessary. Skirting below the edge of the profile boards should be hard paneling with locked access doors as needed. Any steps for kids need to be reasonably wide and permanently fixed (no moveable stools or benches as the injury potential is too great). Track needs to be at least 6" in from the edge if not more (helps to limit reaching hands) and/or may need some sort of plexiglass shields or railing/cable attached to the front.

 

Peter

Steve

you dont need carpet. The nj Hirailers is on a wooden floor and the TMB mode train club layout is on  a concrete floor.

Thanks all. The concrete is in good shape. I will have to look into the public access requirements. Interesting. Looks like we have the space. Should get the lease to sign tomorrow.