Well either way, your tremendous talents will be an asset to the dark side of on30 and please do entertain the idea of building your new layout in modules.. that way it can be transported when/if you move.

Arthur

One of my biggest problems is that there are a lot of different railroads I would not mind modeling. With that, every time I have to move or tear down a layout I kind of get excited in a weird way because I get to try something else for a while.

I have never "finished" a layout before this one so I never knew what it would be like to have one finished, now I know and it is like the hobby just ended for me. I have been moping around the house for a while now and since I started tinkering with the On30 stuff it has renewed my modeling interest, even my wife noticed that I was happier lately (which she said it must be becuase I am building models again). I need to build with a purpose, it drives me like a fuel, having a complete layout means that I am just looking for stuff to do that I don't really need and I have no fire to do anything. The biggest thrill for me was to have a scene in my head and bring it to life on the layout.

I also found out that I am not the type of person to hold operating sessions at my house. I don't mind having a friend over to run trains but I don't like having to get a group of people scheduled, set up the layout, and host an operating session. However, I do think a layout I build needs to have the ability to be operated in some form for at least one or two people. So my next layout will be designed to be able to be operated with 1-2 people. I know that sounds strange because any layout can be operated with one person, but that is not exactly true. Take my current layout, if I want to go run a train I really can't because it messes up the operating schedule to move a train out of order, most trains on my layout must interact with another train to do their jobs, if one train gets moved things get out of whack. Also, if I want to run a train it sometimes means running a train out of staging, sorting its cars, getting a branch line locomotive out of the terminal, build a trains with cars from the train that was in staging plus what is in the yard and then I can finally run it. Sounds like fun but all of that initial operation just to get a train to run on the branch can take a lot of time and by then I am done and I have not really even run the train. Don't get me wrong, I used to like that, that is how I designed the layout, but I have done that now for 9 years and now I want to do something different. I miss no having a loop of track to just let stuff run, the next layout I do will not only operate but have some kind of running loop for those nights when I just want to see something run aournd for a while.

Coal Train,

Well the benefit of building in modules is that you can move it, so if you build a layout and get bored with it, you can sell it and move it out easily, then start on a new one.

This actually sounds like you could make a career out of building custom made layouts for other people, since it is the building that gives you the most joy.

Arthur

Your HO scale layout is very impressive. It shows you understand the operation of coal branches and so forth because it spans and includes all the important elements. I think you might try a different approach when you consider On30. Instead of having a priority on including all the operational aspects, just think about cool rural and small industrial scenes that include a railroad. The priority is on the setting, not on the railroad itself. A great example of thinking this way is Troel Kirk's thread on his Coast Line RR. He is making the railroad fit into his scenes, rather than the other way around.

You know enough about operations to make sure that the trackplan you end up with is operationally viable ... you will have round around tracks where you need them, you will have practical track arrangements at online industries. But don't discount possible settings that don't include a wide scope of operational possibilities ... a small locomotive pulling or pushing a few cars through well modeled scenes is all the operation you need ... easily operated solo or with 1 or 2 others.

It's just a different way of looking at it.

Mark

Coaltrain,

I know exactly where you are coming from. Driven by passion to build or dead in the water. It is the journey that is the thrill, not the destination.

You are a builder. (grin)

Tearing down a good layout is always a big decision to make. In my 50+ years of model railroading I have torn down many layouts because I've moved, changed era, prototype, scale, or this time gauge (I was in O gauge now On30).

I've always found after doing it the fun of building a new layout was always worth it.

Remember nothing is forever in model railroading.

Jerry