Goals for my Layout

Like many others, I have built several train layouts over the years. My last one was a very specific recreation of the Delaware and Hudson Railway's "Colonie Main" line in Albany, NY. It was a great layout and it helped me accomplish many of the goals that I had for it, but as an operational layout it failed. For various reasons it just wasn't fun to run, which made it nothing more than a large diorama. I needed to start again.

Lately I have been actively working on achieving my NMRA Master Model Railroader award. Along the way, I discovered how much I enjoyed scratchbuilding and superdetailing structures and rolling stock. Every structure on my HO layout was custom made by me to match a specific prototype but interior detailing and lighting wasn't really possible. Further, many things I wanted to model weren't appropriate for the layout.  

I have several goals for this layout. 

Goal #1: I want a layout that will let me run whatever trains I want, whenever I want, just for the pleasure of it. I said this for my last layout, but it turns out this goal was never achieved. Cleaning track between sessions was annoying, and the numerous benchwork section joints due to me making my layout movable eventually condemned it. I didn't run it because the track was dirty, but the track was dirty because I didn't run it. A vicious cycle. 

This layout will be different. I plan to run it more, in part because of my toddler Harrison who loves to watch trains go round and round. I have no set expectations to make it a switching layout or have prototypical operating sessions, though the track plan will be more than a loop. But, I have lots of friends with layouts that are perfect for prototypical operations that I can visit when I want to scratch that itch.

Goal #2: I want it to be movable and expandable. 

I did this with my last layout and it resulted in four straight sections, four corner sections, and a lift-out bridge section to get inside the middle of it. I discovered that it was a hassle to bolt them all up and run wires through all of the joints, and thus I never took them apart. In theory they could have disassembled for movement, but all of the problems associated with so many sectional joints actually killed the layout before I ever had to do that.

This layout will be different. It will have fewer joints, and the larger scale will more easily cope with any minor changes due to humidity. Also, this layout will be an "island style" where you can walk around it instead of having to lift a bridge (or duck under) to get inside. And I am starting small with only two main sections instead of four like in my last layout.

Goal #3: I want to model generic "New England"

This is quite different from my last layout where I picked a specific location (Albany), a specific railroad (D&H), and a specific time period (May 1984). Now, I am going for something more broad. In future posts I will discuss what led me to choose this but for now it is sufficient to say that I want the freedom that freelancing allows for. 

Goal #4: I want to share the hobby with my son Harrison

When I built my previous HO layout I had no kids, and it was set 48" off the ground. Harrison wasn't a thought in my mind. But, he is now two and has an interest in trains. He likes playing with his Lionel set but really wanted to watch me run my HO layout. I had to hold him up and worried that he would touch and break stuff. With this layout, I plan to set it lower to the ground so he can see it easier (I can always extend the legs if/when I want it higher), and by building it in the larger scale he can join me in my hobby without me worrying about him breaking fragile HO scale stuff. 

so...

Are all of my goals possible? To a certain extent, I think so. I sometimes wonder if I will start this layout and then lose interest but the fail-safe in my plan is that I am not selling all of my HO scale equipment. If this doesn't work out it won't be a basement filling layout. And, I already have an N scale T-Trak module to run my N scale stuff, and I can build an HO scale module if I get the itch to return to that scale. 

But for now, a new adventure in O scale awaits!