# I wish I would have--------



## Fifer (Apr 21, 2011)

We all seem to wish we would have done something different to our layout when we first constructed it. In my case it would have helped to build the lower level staging FIRST intead of after the layout was done and the other would have been the use of foam instead of Homasote.
What would you all have done differently?????
Inquiring minds want to know.:smilie_auslachen:

Mike


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Well, actually, I'm building my 3rd layout now (4th, if you count the one my Dad mostly built, with a little help from me, when I was 11).

And that's exactly why. I've learned from my experience, and some mistakes can't be undone short of a total do-over. The only thing I can't fix is that I have neither the money, the space, nor the time to do what I REALLY want to.


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## A&NRR (Aug 2, 2015)

I wish I would have took a little more time designing and went with the cookie cutter type bench work. I'm regretting everything the same level. Luckily it's only 4x6 and I only have the track down and wired for duel cab with remote switches. I won't be out of a lot if I start over.


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## Undermidnight (Jul 23, 2015)

I wish I would have kept all my N-Scale stuff from before! Rebuilding the fleet.

Jason


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## traction fan (Oct 5, 2014)

*Do differently? Nah! Do it over.*

My friend Dave,(another model railroader) sarcastically refers to me as "The king of do over". It seems that each new idea from Model Railroader magazine, or new technology, (ie. DCC) means ripping something out, and doing it over a new,(and improved?) way.
Right now I'm replacing about 25 scratch built turnouts that were fine with DC, with new scratch built turnouts, made with isolated frogs to better accommodate DCC. 
I'm also replacing florescent layout lighting with LEDs. An earlier do over found me replacing my 12" min. radius N scale track with 16" min. radius to accommodate my Kato Mikados. Despite Kato's claim that their Mikado would work on 11" radius track, I found that the 16" radius reduced derailments a lot.
It never seems to end, but I'm not really complaining. I've always been more of a builder than an operator. I really enjoy the construction part of the hobby.
So, "What would I do differently?" The flippant answer would be "Everything; and all of it right the first time!" The real answer would probably be closer to, "Nothing". I would never have learned what I know if I hadn't tried all sorts of new things. While my railroad may never be done; I don't really mind. I'm having fun, which is all that really matters. If I had gone the opposite route, stubbornly forging ahead with no changes, it might be "done", but not running well, or at all and that's no fun!

Traction Fan 

God put me on earth to accomplish a certain number of things in this life. At the rate I'm going, I may never die!


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## Fifer (Apr 21, 2011)

I think through history Every model railroader has some complaint with some feature of their layout and redoes or rebuilds. It seems to be in our blood but if you really look at the large scope , the real railroads go through the same pains.
Mike


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## RonthePirate (Sep 9, 2015)

I wish I would have all the years I let slip by without being into this wonderful hobby.
Too long, I have had apartments and small houses without room for a layout.
Too long did I go without the time or money to invest in my lifelong fantasy.
I also had naysayers telling me I didn't need to pursue my hobby. Woe to me for listening.

But my time has come! My wonderful wife has given me the OK to go ahead and build my Train Room!
I have a 12x16 covered patio. I am going to build an insulated floor, then build insulated walls and ceiling. 
This room is dedicated to model railroading ONLY! I have a complete N gauge layout to place in there.
(My wife and I drive a Meals-on-Wheels route. One of our clients passed away and willed it to me. I will operate it with his name on the layout)

The rest will be all 027. I like older tinplate, and non-scale equipment. I have about 200+ feet of track. I have to find that "perfect layout", the one that jumps out and says that's the one.

EDIT: Yes, the trash cans will go. And I do have room in the rest of the yard for the smoker, B-B-Q and other assorted goodies shown.

So bear with me, fellow model railroaders. It will be awhile, but I will be posting here-and-there shots of construction, both room and layout.
This is my lifelong dream. To have almost unlimited space (Well, you know what I mean) and unlimited ok's from my other half.

Here is the starting point: my covered patio. {Please don't snicker too loud, I'll hear you)


















The entire project will probably take six months or so. I have to build per my retirement check, so it will be slow. But, since I do all the work mysaelf, I get more build for the buck.

OK, I've ranted on enough. Chapter one is here and finished.


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## Fifer (Apr 21, 2011)

RonthePirate said:


> I wish I would have all the years I let slip by without being into this wonderful hobby.
> Too long, I have had apartments and small houses without room for a layout.
> Too long did I go without the time or money to invest in my lifelong fantasy.
> I also had naysayers telling me I didn't need to pursue my hobby. Woe to me for listening.
> ...


Oh you are a lucky man !!! I look forward to getting an email if you start a construction thread.:appl:
Thanks , Mike


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## traction fan (Oct 5, 2014)

*Word of caution/wet blanket*



RonthePirate said:


> I wish I would have all the years I let slip by without being into this wonderful hobby.
> Too long, I have had apartments and small houses without room for a layout.
> Too long did I go without the time or money to invest in my lifelong fantasy.
> I also had naysayers telling me I didn't need to pursue my hobby. Woe to me for listening.
> ...


 ARRR Captain Ron;

I have a similar covered patio on my house. We thought of enclosing it, but one of the windows that faces out to the open patio is legally considered a fire exit. Walling in the patio would mean one of our bedrooms would only have one way out. California law won't allow this. I don't know if any of that applies to your proposed construction. It would be worth checking out your local building and fire codes, before you start spending lots of money and effort. I certainly hope your patio situation is better than mine. Every model railroader deserves a place to build.

Good Luck! Send photos of any progress.

Traction Fan


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## JNXT 7707 (May 5, 2013)

Number one, similar to Ron - I wish I hadn't waited until I was 52 to really start into this hobby!

As for other do-overs in the last 6 years: There is PLENTY. But, it has all been educational, so I can't say I dwell on it now. So far it's been a wonderful realization of a life-long dream.


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## oldsarge218 (May 23, 2011)

I would have built my layout upstairs, not in the basement! Bad back, bad knees, equals a nearly neglected hobby! Hoping I can live long enough to see it move! LOL


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## RonthePirate (Sep 9, 2015)

oldsarge218 said:


> I would have built my layout upstairs, not in the basement! Bad back, bad knees, equals a nearly neglected hobby! Hoping I can live long enough to see it move! LOL


You'll be OK! Hell, I'll be 67 in two months, had cancer, got fat, lazy, bad knees also, you name it.
Just try to keep moving. That keeps the joints from locking up.

Fifer, being a noob here, I didn't even know about construction threads. I will check that. You will be on my hit list (Email of course!) when things get rolling.

Traction Fan: I'm in Bullhead City, Arizona. The code here is one entrance per recreation room. I'm legal that way.
I lived in SoCal for 28 years. I know their strict codes. How about a one-way door that only opens from the inside? That would keep the legalities, and yet still give you a completely private room. You could use a nice Basquille bridge in the doorway too.


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## traction fan (Oct 5, 2014)

*Fire Exit*

Ronthepirate;

Got your message Re: Your local codes. Glad to hear you will be able to build your railroad. 
I respect your right to decide, and the fact that Arizona does too. If the idea of having to exit through the proposed layout room, applies to your house, you might want to build the railroad with an aisle in front of the window, or whatever you think is safe. I guess California bases their two exit requirement on the idea that a fire might block one exit, but not both. 
As for my railroad, it, fortunately, already has a home; in my, "Southwest basement". (a.k.a.garage).
My wife and I were looking to enclose our patio for silly non-railroad reasons when we ran into the legal roadblock. Putting a second door in our bedroom is impractical, but it was a kind thought. Thank You.

Traction Fan

Some photos taken on my railroad:


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## RonthePirate (Sep 9, 2015)

Thanks, Traction Fan. California has the strictest codes in the US. Of course, because of all the earthquakes. So it's not without reason.
BTW: I noticed a Milwaukee Road logo. My dad worked the Bensenville yards outside Chicago switching for a good 25 years.

He was riding a boxcar down a siding where he would turn on the handbrake at the end. He'd done this job for a few years now.
He got a car that the handbrake didn't work. The car slammed into the bumper. He flew off, hit the ground and pushed his skull back.

Six days we didn't know if he'd live or die. A year later, he was out in Montana, hunting bighorn like it never happened.
But eventually it did kill him. Pushed a piece of plastic from the surgery into his brain, or so we were told.

A better subject: Nice RR there, LOVE the steel trestle! And the deatil in the covered bridge is great.

Is that track all hand spiked?? The radii look it on the trestle. I did that with HO track. Made the ties out of some small wood that I can't remember the name of, and spiked the rail to it.
It was fun, but got kinda tedious after awhile. Went back to Atlas rail after that.

Been too hot here to go get the material for the floor, as I had intended to do today. It's 107F out there. But tomorrow is another day.


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## MtRR75 (Nov 27, 2013)

I wish I would have...

Buit a larger control panel -- so that I would have room for the additional wiring that comes with my new addition of 3 more blocks and 4 more turnouts -- not to mention the addition of turnout indicator LEDs to the control panel.









P.S. Yes, it is a DC layout.


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## Fifer (Apr 21, 2011)

MtRR75 said:


> I wish I would have...
> 
> Buit a larger control panel -- so that I would have room for the additional wiring that comes with my new addition of 3 more blocks and 4 more turnouts -- not to mention the addition of turnout indicator LEDs to the control panel.
> 
> ...


Nice wiring job. Very professional and DC is still a great way to run trains.
Mike


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## traction fan (Oct 5, 2014)

*Handlaid, but not spiked*

bobthepirate;

Interesting about your dad working for the Milwaukee. Sorry to hear of his passing.

Thanks for the compliment on my bridges. The rails on the steel trestle are glued down to
wood ties. The running rails are code 55, and the guard rails code 40. Spikes, at least those I've seen would be too big for use with small rail in a small scale.(N) These days I solder rail down to PC ties. (see photo of wye under construction) Bridges, like the deck girder ones in my prior post, are homemade, with a soldered brass frame, PC ties soldered on top, and
Micro Engineering's beautiful girder castings glued onto the sides. On my "maybe someday list"
is rebuilding the steel trestle this way.
107 degrees! Here I thought it was hot at our measly 96! Guess that's why I don't live in "The worlds largest cat box." I heard that one from an Ariz. comedian on a visit to Phoenix. He did a whole routine about "Zoneies" (Az. residents) but I can't remember the rest.

Since you liked my bridges; I include one more. Like the Allentown covered bridge, this one is scratchbuilt from bass wood.

Traction Fan


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## 400E Blue Comet (Jul 11, 2014)

I don't have to worry about this as I don't have a permanent layout yet 
However I do wish I could have a- Well I don't think that's too hard to figure out.


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## traction fan (Oct 5, 2014)

*Access to railroad*



oldsarge218 said:


> I would have built my layout upstairs, not in the basement! Bad back, bad knees, equals a nearly neglected hobby! Hoping I can live long enough to see it move! LOL


Oldsarge218;

First I understand, and sympathize with, your mobility problems, I have some also.("Am there, living that"!)
You didn't say how big your basement layout was, or weather, even if it could be moved upstairs, You have a room to put it in. Is it sectional? That would be nice. 
To get you back in the hobby you love, I can only think of three possibilities.(apart from some medical miracle, that makes us young again!)

1) Move the existing layout upstairs, as you wish. Don't know if this is physically possible; but you must have figured out what would be involved.

2) Build a new layout to fit the upstairs space you have available. Build it in sections. We never know what lies ahead. If you read my post on the "Layout height?" thread in this forum, you'll see it saved my bacon, when I became less mobile.
Present layout could be gradually taken apart, saving everything you can use upstairs, selling/giving/scrapping the rest.

3) Have one of those stairway chair lift elevators installed along one side of the basement stairs. ($cost?) This would get you down to your present layout, and back up. No change to the layout needed.

I doubt any of this is news to you, but it's all I can come up with.

Good Luck. Whatever you decide to do. hwell:

Traction Fan


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