Survey: Please Respond

Eight.

-2

I am in the  high rail portion of the hobby and I would put myself number 6. although I am having fun and my number would be a 10+ in that area. 

mine goes to 11.

A solid 4, maybe a 5. Would like to be able to go more hi-rail but that's going to have to wait til I get around to finishing the basement. Nothing fancy, drywall the ceiling, repaint the cinder block walls, paint the floor with that garage floor epoxy with the speckles and wall off the utility area. Planning to go fairly large with O72 curves and maybe a turntable, but for now I'm content with my little 6x11.

 

Jerry

I have a single rail loop on a platform.  I'd have to say a 1 with hopes of some day becoming a 2.  LOL

 

Rick

Definitely 1 I fear.

When completed I think I will be about 8-9  I run mostly post war and some modern all conventional with hirail scenary and buildings but post war signals with a mountain that measures 15'X5' with 1200 tress, 8 tunnels an 2 double track main lines.

 

Paul Edgar

Our recently dismantled home layout would probably be about a 7 while the current club layout I would have to give a 'good solid' 3....

a 6

Seven or eight

 

Alex

In the off season I am at a 1, but in December and January I'd probably be at a 3 or a 4 with my somewhat more elaborate public 8x16 Christmas display I do at a local historical movie theater

Somewhere around zero.

Five simple loops a 2 IMHO>

About a 4+

3.5. Very postwar/toy like layout on a 4x8 board.

And very happy with it!  

I think my layout is a ten, but only because it's the way I wont it. On the other hand after seeing some of the work you guys have done I would say it comes in at around the number 5 in general opinion.

To my way of thinking, if you have a layout that you run trains on that you enjoy, it is a solid ten every day of the week.  I have seen some layouts that on your scale would rate a ten but there is no joy in running it. (for the owner or the visitor)

 

Happy railroading,

Don

8

I'm tempted to respond with the old American Bandstand parody - It's got a good beat, it's easy to dance to, I'd give it about a 73.

 

Actually, about a 4. I've got a 13x13 layout with one loop of Standard Gauge around a 3-loop O gauge layout. All tubular track, some postwar and repro accessories on the inner, not much in the way of scenery or buildings but aspirations to add those when I have time. 

My club layout, I would give a 7.

Frank53, it's not a pecking order at all. Again, one is no better than a ten. A carpet layout is as good as a two rail scale layout. No one is judging. It's just what kind of layout you have. Don

well, a zero.

Not intending to high jack this thread but since many of you have basement layouts, does your basement have a ceiling above your layout and if so, is it a drywall or drop ceiling? I'm asking this because my permanent layout will be in my basement and recently I had a leak from the kitchen above go through the popcorn drywall basement ceiling and I had to remove much of that wet drywall not knowing where the wiring and pipes above it were located. Needless to say it was a colossal mess removing it and if my layout had already been in place it would have been a huge undertaking removing that portion of the ceiling as opposed to a similar leak above a dropped grid [suspended] ceiling with 24x24 tiles. So which do you have and why - permanently installed drywall ceiling or a drop ceiling? I'm going to replace the ceiling and need to know which you folks think would be the best choice? [BTW, the basement is dry with a dehumidifier and block wall construction but also unheated so there is insulation between the rafters/floor joists above.]

edit added:

Thanks for your replies Don and RockyMountaineer and so as not to hijack this thread I'm moving this question to it's own post: WHAT CEILING, IF ANY, IS ABOVE YOUR BASEMENT LAYOUT" for all others who'd like to comment there. Your thoughts, experiences and advice is greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

Kenn

 

yes

Not for me to say, surely.

FrankM

7.5

I suppose around a 6 or 7 but it works for me.

 

Rod

Oh, Frank, everyone already knows you have a 10. Don

ogaugeguy, three layouts back, I had a 30x16 layout under the living room. The house was on a side of a hill. It wasn't a basement but it was under the house. We had a dry wall ceiling. We just had a new roof installed and we were out of the country. The new roof had leaked like you wouldn't believe. Heavy rains went on for over a week. Most of the "dry wall" had fallen on the layout and did major damage. That stuff is very heavy when it's wet. Insurance would paid for the ceiling but not the layout. I wouldn't use it if you have a choice. Don

I'll say a 'liberal' 4. I'm pretty happy so far with my 5 x 10 layout Still have some work to do to get to a 7. It's a far cry from the countless years relegated to the Christmas tree.

This could easily go off-topic on a thread like this... but suffice it to say, that given all the utility stuff that is likely running through a basement ceiling, I'd STRONGLY advise drop ceiling with acoustic tiles.  Otherwise, you're just asking for trouble down the line.

 

Plan ahead for your own sanity.  And if you have the luxury of a dedicated basement for the trains, use black ceiling tiles... a bit more expensive, but the effect will allow for very controlled lighting -- much like you'd see in a museum quality display.  Not for everyone, but very effective.

 

Now... back to your regularly scheduled programming...

I'd say my last layout, before it came down this year, was a 5. I enjoy the hi rail look, but I am still perfecting the finer detailing techniques needed to elevate the scenery level to master status. Half the fun is trying different ways to produce nice results.

I have a 5 or 6,three main lines all with 096 curves and Ross switches 20 x 21 with pattial landscaping and a 32 inch turntable with two Korber 30 inch roundhouse sections and two passenger stations and five switch yards.

I don't feel like putting a number on it, but my layout, operationally, is pretty satisfying, and getting to be somewhat done. It's 24 ft. long, 3.5 ft. in the middle and 5x5s on the end - a skewed dogbone. Got a tiny village at one end and a large mountain at the other; train yard in the middle. 3 independent rails; 80% FasTrack, 15% K-line Shadow Rail, 5% O gauge Lionel (for some operating cars). I'm a postwar guy on the cheap; lots of fixits, very little collectible stuff, some K-line, 60% PW Lionel, 30% modern Lionel. Mostly PW operating cars and accessories, a bit of scratchbuilding, some repainting, lots of fixing (learning lots here), some reasonably okay scenery. Overall look is very lightly Lionel catalog-like from early to late 50s. I love my layout. I love my trains. Oh yeah, I even love my wife and kids...

My simple temporary layout would qualify as a 2 or 3. But it has aspirations to become a 12 in time. (I grew up with 'old money', and so I still think in twelves, not tens. )

7.5 c If it ain't scae don't talk to me but yes I have a totally unrealistic third rail.  and zombies may be on my layout yet only appeared in SW PA in films after the period I do.  And period is very important

It's all relative. If you ask me, I'd say it's a "4".  If you ask other model railroaders, they'd probably give me a solid "5". If you ask my neighbors, it's a "10". Finally, if you ask my grandson, it's a "15"

5