What Project Did You Never Finish On Your Last Layout?

I guess my definition of layout completion is when every square inch of the layout is covered with something - track, ballast, streets, structures, scenery. Of course, refinements can always be added after that. By that definition, my 12-by-8 layout is 100% complete as of 2004. My 10-by-5 layout has one outside corner that I'm working on now - so about 95%... Each took me five years.

MELGAR

One major, because of it's size, unfinished project, is a huge grain elevator, a model of the one in Jeffersonville, Ohio, on the DT&I,  that burned in the 1950-60's?  I have most done of three sides, but can't find a photo of the fourth side, which may be the front, but had an unusual stone "bridge" ramp into unloading shed.  Not even that remains at site, and that is what made it unique.  And so model has sat for several years.

Ballasting.......This layout was 1993-2003......we thought this was our "forever house". It wasn't .

The extra ties are in. The wiring was essentially done.....ballasting was only partially done...

Peter

My original layout plan would have used trestle whereby the outer loop at the far left side of my layout would have gone over the inside loop at that end of the layout. I ended up not using the Lionel graduated trestle I had from prior layouts, and kept all track at the same level, as shown below:

The layout itself.  Turned out it was a poorly designed hack job.  As such, down it came.  The basement is almost ready for the next layout which has already been designed, taking into account all the things I did wrong with the previous layout.

-Greg

Greg, don't get cocky. I have had five layouts and swore I was never going to make the same mistakes again, but managed to find new mistakes every time. 

Pretty much everything!  We decided to move about a month after I finished the tables and set up a basic track plan.  Please forgive the cell phone edit on this pic, it was even worse prior.

  I'm finally starting to get the tables back up in the new house, but is going pretty slow.  New (100 year old) basement wasn't designed with model railroading in mind!  Goal is to have at least a loop up and running before the new year.

Thanks for the advice, Don.  I've heard similar advice from others as well.  This hobby can be very humbling at times but the journey is one well worth taking.  I'm sure I'm setting myself up for more "duh-oh" moments.

-Greg 

All of them. 

Pete