planning tiny layout

Welcome back.

If you don't have the manuals you can look the engines up on the MTH website.

Many of them have pdf versions of the manuals for download.

The Manuals will tell you how to get to the batteries.

A 6 year gap may not have killed them, try charging them up on a piece of track or a Charger (older ones might not have the socket).

Let them charge for several hours, Cycle the power if the sounds are not on and then kill the power. If the sounds persist for 7 seconds you are fine.

thanks! nice to know they're not online! I'm sure I'll have more questions as I go along. I was more concerned with them leaking battery chemicals but I stored them in the house room temp so hopefully that won't be the case. Life was simpler before DCS, DCC and TMCC I suppose.

About half my locomotives I converted to R/C but left the expensive ones to run on rail juice

Tiny layouts are fun too.

My itsy bitsy layout is 48" by 76" 

Keep us posted with pics.

My motto is "Build small, but build many". I have a 5x8 "O", 3x6 "S", and 2x4 "N", plus a 3 1/2x7 Christmas "O" layout.

Thanks, I just discovered a walk-in closet in my basement that's 4' X 18' with a door at each end so I think I can create a pretty long dogbone style layout in there. It has light-duty bracket shelving, which I'll need to remove and replace by more sturdy steel L brackets. The use of L brackets will allow me more space to do more than one shelf. Angle brackets like the ones here, get in the way.

I'm thinking continuous running top shelf, yard for a lower shelf where all the trains can sit in a yard and be shelf queens.

I'll paint directly on the drywall, maybe sponge clouds. Probably should do that before putting everything in place.

Since it's all in a closet, my wife won't even know it's there

Isn't planning fun?!