What do you guys/gals think of this idea?

Of course it will work, and I'm anxiously awaiting that first installment! 

My reaction is that it is strictly a matter of personal preference. To do it the way you suggest would mean that you have a solid and very complete plan, and intend to stick to it. Since you have substantial experience building layouts, perhaps that works for you. From my personal perspective, I like to improvise and I tend to go into a project with sketches, build the benchwork, get some track down, and then play around with final track location, accessories, buildings, scenery, etc. But then, I don't have that much experience in layout building so I kind of want to see how things look before going to the next stage. Also I am by nature an improviser. There is a saying in SCUBA diving "Plan your dive, dive your plan." My philosophy in diving was always "Get wet, think fast." If you are by nature a planner who can visualize everything in advance and stick to your plan, go for it. I could never do it that way, but I am not you. 

This is the approach I take.  I have several sections of my layout that are fully completed - not to say I will not come back and embellish or revise, but they are finished, look good and complete, etc.  Other parts are just bare bench-top with nothing on them - I have yet to get to them.  I like this approach.  Like you said, it allows you to vary what you work on, and that adds variety to your activities.  

Sure it will work, but it certainly is not an unique idea. Think it is called modular.

If you are in Maui, you can do NO WRONG. There is no wrong thing to do in Maui.

Hi Don It will work, when I built my layout I kept switching my projects, First I built all the frame work all at once. Then one week I would work on track then the next week I would work on electrical, then I would do scenery the next week. By doing this I wouldn't get bored. But I had to be careful not to have to redo something.

 

P.S. CAN'T WAIT TO SEE IT FINISHED

 

Thanks,Alex

Southwest Hiawatha, improvise is my middle name. In my work that's what I did all the time. I don't mind it a bit.

Roger, I agree. You should have seen it here today. Amazing. 

Alex, it will be years to finish but what the heck. My last one took over eight years. Oh, I forgot your a Road Foreman, I will have it done in a week..........Don

Its a great way to build a layout! Ditto to what Lee said. I hastily built a layout(no scenery or buildings) just to see how it would fit in the room. It didn't work!! It became my experiment! Back to track planning and now I'm ready for the real thing and I will build it in sections.

Easier to do and the advantage will be that someday it will be easy to take apart, or change an area, etc. Go for it and happy railroading! 

From first hand experience - not a good idea. Works great in the beginning and sucks the life out of you mid way through.

 

You're welcome to contact me for further explanation.

I'm actually doing this already Don. The little layout on a door was the first installment.

Because I find it impossible to settle on any one theme, I'm going to do a module for various countries/railways/era I like.

The door layout will continue to run semi-scale locos and trolleys.

I am about to build two more, that I will use as a display on my "O Gauge Guy" stand at the Sydney Model Railway Exhibition in October. One will feature Darstaed tinplate trains in a Victorian station setting, the other, will feature Bachmann EZ Streets, Ameritowne Buildings, Miller Signs, Williams Dewitt Trolleys. I had planned on a Baltimore Harbor scene, featuring the USS Constellation and some On30, but it will now be the 4th module. The fifth module will feature a modern Intermodal yard. These will all tie together with a two track mainline running through them all. Any other bright ideas I get, I'll do another module.

I think it is a great idea Don. I know it will take a little forethought on your part but at least you will be able to run trains when to mood strikes you.

Good luck and have fun buddy, I'll be looking for your progress in OGR.

You may want to have something to prevent trains from running off an unfinished section and plummeting to the floor.

I experienced that unpleasantness once, and I have read others accounts on this board.

Perhaps a sock filled with  enough sand to act as an endbumper?

Don,

 

It's always better to keep varying activities during layout building. For example, I couldn't imagine trying to ballast or paint rail on the entire layout all at once.

 

The only exception is that I try to do enough of the benchwork/tracklaying/wiring to get something running on one loop fairly quickly. I've got to see trains running early in the construction process. Yards and branch lines can come later, but something has to run to keep me going.

 

If I haven't yet finalized my plans, I'll put down some temporary track in unfinished areas just to get things moving while I work on other areas.

 

Seeing some finished scenery fairly early in construction is always a great incentive for me to keep going on the rest of the layout. It also gives visitors an idea of what is to come.

 

Jim

Don,

 

I have to agree, seems the best way to build then you can work on whatever project you feel like on any given day. I did get the carpentry done first, then some wiring. I felt this was the best way to do it, this gave me the opportunity to rune trains while continuing to work on the layout. Jim is correct seeing some finished sections of the layout is also a great incentive. Bottom line enjoy the layout and have fun.

The only downfall I have experienced with this method are two fold:
First; you have to have allot of tools out at one time, the small ones seem to get broken or lost.
Secondly ; if you like to run trains continually like I do, you will need some temporary return loops at either end ..
I focus in phases, the benchwork seems to be the most cumbersome so I try to finish what I can to eliminate boards falling on trains and the layout.

I built my layout one section at a time. but I find that when using sectional track, it's better to get all of the mainlines down although loosely at first.

 

I say this because if you work sectional track one section at a time, inevitably there will be place where the ends do not meet, and too many custom sections will be necessary.

 

In short, it's better to get the all of the mainline sectional track down so you can tweak it for the best fit. Otherwise I agree with the diversity philosophy of building a railroad to avoid board-um.

Don,

 

I echo some of the thoughts here, that you'll need some sort of temp loop for testing and scratching the "gotta run a train" itch.  Otherwise, with your skillset and attention to detail, what you've outlined seems like a perfect fit.  However you decide to approach your project, I'm looking forward to seeing the progress!