What Is Your Dream Train Project & Will You Ever Achieve It?

My dream is to have one example of each N&W steam engine. Still shopping for numerous "consonants".

 

Will I achieve it? I really don't know. 

 

Gilly

I want a full basement layout.....started the first bit of bench work yesterday!!!

Ok work in a hobby shop and get paid in trains... no wait did that...Fill the basement with a cool layout... see last post.. scratch it off ... Get a killer table at York surrounded by great Train Folks... Did that too....Demo the latest and greatest in Command Control from Lionel at shows ... rats ..Get to Beta test some neat TMCC and electronic items, some making it to production, some not... nuts.....AhAH!! Attend BOTH Cal-Stewart Meets! Need to do this. Yup. Need to get vacation freed up to visit my Westie friends on their turf..   

DREAM: Well, what I dream of what be having the time, money, and situation so I could tear out what I have, knock the walls back a foot or two or three in each direction (its in a former attic, it is do-able, just messy) and rebuild completely, adding and revising a number of things I'd like to see on my layout.  

 

REALITY: its not going to happen.  I don't have the time or situation.  So I have a long list of changes:

a) Revise my moving boat on lake to a wider, bigger loop.  Re-do the lake surface, its looking worn and faded after six years.

b) Re-do a bunch of 'Streets roads, add a helix under each of two mountains so all the roads are connected together with switches.

c) Redo the top layer of the layout to add more 'Streets and some more rooms for buildings.

 

I'll get to all that over the next two years.  

 

By then I'll have another list . . . 

Since I wouldn't have time to start construction until March, I'm continuing to dream and refine my plans for this years semi permanent mobile display.  It has to be capable of operating at least 9 trains, as that’s what I’m currently running on our 8 X 5 display. It has to be lightweight and mobile to allow daily access to the bedroom closets. It has to be able to be constructed within a 8 week time period. It has to be completely viewable and operable while lying in bed (Yes I'm one lazy SOB). And it has to be affordable (And cheep Too).

 

This is what I’ve dreamed up so far…

 

From a 9 x 6 base stack two double spirals on top of each other with three more tiers above that. On the next tier would be two O36 circles, above that two O31 circles with a O 27 Oval crowning the display so my Mighty Sound of Steam Milwaukee Special could continue to pimp around as the pinnacle of my collection. Adding mountain peaks and Beacon towers would bring it all the way to the ceiling with maybe an inch to spare.

From the base line to the top rail measures 53"

 

I’ve got the preliminary plan. Now I'm at the point of considering details….

 

What building material to use. As always weight is a big issue as the display will have to be moved for access to the bedroom closets on a daily basis.

 

Would I want to introduce a full feature control system to our display; Legacy or DCS? Currently we've never had a use for it except to operate a single Railking Imperial with the Remote Commander and a LionChief Hudson. Otherwise we’ve only operated conventional from 3 PW ZWs.

 

Will the dog allow me to downsize the bed from a Queen to a double, if not it would be a pretty tight fit.

 

My dream train project is the installment of the double track bridge on my PRR Panhandle Division.  It's been about 12 years in the making.  I am about 3 months or so from accomplishing it.

• I've acquired the bridge itself.
• I've designed and had the bridge piers built.
• I've designed and am about to acquire the bridge shoe components.  I will assemble those.
• The backdrop is in the process of being fitted.  It still has to be painted.
• I'm currently working on the electrical wiring modifications brought on by the changes in the track plan (removal of the Curtis double cross-over on the bridge) and an unrelated switch bus issue.

Yeah, I'm getting closer.  It's taken a very long time, but the goal is within sight.

 

The last 2 pages of the thread on the Photo Forum have the details & photos.

https://ogrforum.com/t...r-panhandle-division

 

Please check out the thread!

 

George

Right now it's to complete the dismantling of my current layout, sell my pool table for more space, clean out my basement so it's not so crappy, and build another layout - this time planned out instead of just thrown together.  If I can get this done in two years I'll be happy.

-Greg

still in the design stage. starting to get the basement ready

Move somewhere that can accommodate a giant train room.  

 

- Mike

I started my dream layout over 10 years ago and am still at it.  I just plug along when I feel like it and run trains when I feel like it.

.....

Dennis

I have a dream train I've wanted to build since I seen the real thing as a child in the late 80's (Csx early years). A Seaboard System sd40-2 with a Chessie System sd45 pulling the early model orange Tropicana reefers.

Another one of my interests is backyard railroading. No, not G gauge. I'm taking like ride on railroading. I live about 2 miles from a very large county park that has about a mile of 2 foot gauge track. For 4 summers, I was paid to be the engineer, manage the operation, do minor maintenance, etc. While I had a lot of fun, did a lot of cool things, and met a lot of great people, I'd like one for myself. Either 24" gauge or 16" gauge. The park got a new locomotive this past summer but kept the one I learned on. Since I've been around these things for ever, I casually tossed around the idea of offering a couple thousand in cash, (equivalent roughly to factory trade in value) for it but opted not to. Regardless, considering their new locomotive has already given them plenty of headaches, I'll be they are sure glad they still have it in the back of their engine house for back up service. The new engine went into service July 1 and has already had to be rescued by the old one multiple times! 

 

Obviously, you'd need a lot of land and a lot of $$$. Just a new 24" gauge locomotive costs just shy of $200K

 

 Will I ever get there? Well, in a way I did and in a way I didn't. Due to a variety of reasons, I "retired" in July 2013 but I don't think my time in the right hand seat is over. Just a hiatus until the next opportunity, wherever it may be....

I would like to build an 0 scale model of the Milwaukee Road depot in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, which is my father's home town. The Oconomowoc depot was special because the president of the railroad and several of his wealthy friends had summer homes on the lakes in Oconomowoc. So, the depot was much bigger and fancier than you would expect for a small town west of Milwaukee. It is said that when the Milwaukee was building its westward extension through the mountains of Idaho and Montana, the job superintendent was under orders to load up the best looking rocks from the blasting and send them to Oconomowoc for the construction of the depot.

 

The Oconomowoc depot is still standing and has been nicely restored. It houses an excellent restaurant. Several years ago I took photos and measurements and made sketches for the project.

 

I'll probably never get around to building the depot, mainly because it's too big. The building is around 80 feet long and my layout is only 13' square. I'd have to take out some track to make room for it. I'm thinking of making a selectively reduced version, and/or having a wall poster made from one of my photos and using it for a backdrop.

 

 

 

There was also a freight house. This might make a more bite-sized scratchbuilding project.

I'm happy and glad to have what I have built, but I guess my dream project would be to have the other half of my basement dug out so I could have a walk around layout and open walls for shelves. 

Finish my layout.

I'd like to stay in the same modeling scale for more than 3 hours...

 

Jeff C

I just want to get a simple around-the-walls layout up and running.  I wold like something portable and self-contained (can be standalone or wall-mounted).  I want three levels: one for HO, one for O, and the one above both that could be used for storage/bookshelf.  I do eventually want Command Control for independent loco operation and walk-around capability.

As far as trains go, the only items left on my wish list are the Lionel Polar Express set (conventional version) and the MTH Orient Express equipment.

I already have an outdoor G gauge layout, a small clockwork layout and a three loop traditional layout. I have more than enough stuff for a tinplate layout and nowhere to locate it. I already took over 2 out of 5 bedrooms and commandeering another is out of the question. We are planning to move in two years...and basements are a rarity here in the South..so..this is probably not to be. Oh well, on the other hand I am lucky to have a tolerant wife and I do not want to press my luck  

I'm working on it.

 

• 1900 sqft
• about 3000 ft of track
• over 200 switches
• Plan to use C/MRI and JMRI for fully automated CTC mainline

Posted by Dennis:

I started my dream layout over 10 years ago and am still at it.  I just plug along when I feel like it and run trains when I feel like it.

.....

Dennis

 

Thank you Dennis.  The only word I would change is "10" to 8 years ago.  It is a dream to have what I have and continue the build.  

My dream train is actually going to be for my wife. She liked the Williams FA's in the L&N paint scheme. So I bought a set of Williams passenger cars and I am going to paint them the same color of the engine with the cars having the same decal strip as the engine......paul

I good intentions of building something representative of a PRR Yellow Kid train....and I might even do it some time in the next 20 years....

My dream layout is what I have now.  It is 8'x11'.  At

times I dream of adding 10' to width and lenght.  But

the legs and back are not as good as twenty years ago.

 

If a problem occurs I can find it without much difficulty.

However, when I view video's & pictures of Forum members

who have built such beautiful O Gauge & Standard Gauge

Layouts, I must admit, I drool over such great work.

 

Many thanks,

 

Billy C 

Large basement layout. Would like it U-shaped about 16' on the ends of the U and 35' between them with a large yard somewhere between the two ends. Most likely will never happen. Probably way too much for me, in more ways than one, at this stage of life.

 

Right now it is 6'x16' and I hope it will probably end up being an L-shape of 16'x22' or so with a yard off to one side somewhere. This just might happen, and is my current plan. We have a fair sized basement, but being retired with some health issues, I most likely won't have the budget or ability to do all I want to with the U-shaped layout.

My wildest dream was a brief flirtation with the idea of Standard Gauge. Then stupid reality came calling (lost a decent paying job) right before I bought any. Came to the realization that dad & Uncle Joe, & all the other blue collar working class stiffs I ever talked to were right, that stuff is more of a wealthy man's toy train when you consider how much a fully outfitted layout would cost me, there's just no way. Reassessed my O-gauge & decided that for me, I'm ok with it, & I started a modest layout expansion that came out pretty good. I had to let the bigger, more expensive idea fall by the wayside & I guess you could say I settled a little, but I realized just how much I do have now & how nice it really is & I don't worry anymore about what I don't own. That stuff is really nice, but it's just beyond my reach unless I dump everything else to get it & there's no way that's happening.

On one end of the layout, the Harmon yards, and at the other end Trains going thru the harlem river bridge, then elevated to 125th st station, & at 98th under Park ave, & at the end Grand Central station. (all electric)

 I will never build it, but I can dream.

I’ve literally laid awake at night thinking of massive UP steamers battling the Wastach mountains or Sherman Hill-in miniature of course!

 

Some of the scenes on my layout will include scratch built steamers, such as a 2-8-8-0 Bull Moose pulling 40-50 car trains at prototypical speeds through vast western scenery.  East and West bound coal trains will pass each other at Hermoso Tunnel.  A 2-10-2, scratch built, will head a massive PFE train into a yard complete with a PFE loading facility.

 

A huge coal station will dominate the Cheyenne engine facility as Challengers and Big Boys wait their turn for service.    A massive roundhouse, complete with a ‘back shop’ will hold more steamers.   Early UP turbines move slowly about the yard, moving from the wash rack to a storage track awaiting the next departing train.

 

Steam still dominates the UP passenger fleet.  At the station, new streamline cars are slowly replacing the TTG grey Heavy Weights pulled by aging 4-8-2s.

 

Yeah, I've thought about it a little and will build this 

Very happy with what we have. This is the result of good planning and not deviating very much from it.