Jeff’s been in touch proving that there are always model railroads for small spaces:
“Hi my name is Jeff and I built a custom fold up on rollers HO layout.
Its 5′ x 10′ on rollers and it rotates like a rotisserie to save space.
When it is folded up it takes up only 2′ so if you have it in a garage you can fold it up and roll it against the wall and still get a car in.
I have photos from start to finish and I hope you like them.
Jeff”
A huge big thanks to Jeff – it’s another fine example of not letting lack of space get in the way of enjoying yourself.
It’s all about making that start, even if it’s on a revolving table…
(It reminded me of Gary’s post: Folding model railroad table.
And when it comes to making a start, John has this sound advice as you’ll read below.
I wondered how his amazing minimum gauge layout was going.
Here’s a youtube of it that will jog your memory:
Anyhow here’s John’s reply to my mail with some very sage advice on getting started:
“Hi Al!
The thing I enjoyed most in a recent post was the comment about “Paralysis by analysis”.
Many of us have heard the expression “Get ready, Get set, GO!”. While investing in planning is good and wise, the problem is that we can spend so much time getting ready that we may never get set.
If we do not get set, “GO” definitely will not happen.
To get things done sometimes we need to just get a general idea of where we are and what we want and then GO — without waiting to be ready or set. Most of my modeling projects begin with me having an idea of what I want, checking my resources, and then making things happen.
How does GO, ready, set really work in practice?
It all begins with dreams and making a lot of mitsakes. (Yes I intentionally misspelled the word.)
When I was around 12 I dreamed of building a ride on railroad in my backyard. I did get 20 feet of track down and I had a locomotive but that was as far as the railroad got.
When I got married in 1985 I saw an area of Nevada that I wanted to retire to. I also dreamed of living without any debts. Those were dreams that I never let die.
Fast forward to 2020. That was a very bad year and a very sad year. As bad and sad as it was, in August of 2020 I was able to purchase the place I live in now. I was almost debt free but had a tight budget (and it has been uncomfortably tight at times).
I also began the railroad in my yard that I had first dreamed of in 1971. Mitsakes have been made (one reason that I am almost debt free). My 7.5 inch gauge railroad has nearly 2000 feet of operational track on the ground.
That is the BIG Scale view.
On a smaller scale the process has worked like this.
I have been in model railroading for a very solid six decades now. While my earliest trains could hardly be called models, the dreams began then when I had Brio style trains and no real ideas of what dreams and limitations were. (Can you remember much about what you were doing at 2 years old?)
“Scale model railroading” began when I was about 5 years old and we had Marklin trains, I also had Kusan O gauge at that time.
By 1969 I was involved with both N scale and two rail American H0. I also purchased my first brass locomotive that year by saving pennies, nickels, and dimes — It took me a year to save up the $45 that I needed for both the locomotive and the tax.
It all begins with a dream and a strong desire.
At nearly 64 years of age I can honestly say that the longest time that I have spent without either having an operating layout or a layout under construction has been about 3 months (and that may be stretching it). Most of my layouts have been H0 scale and small, less that 12 square feet total area. Many fit on the return leg of my desk.
One reason my layouts have been as small as they have been is a result of restricted living space. At my parent’s house I had my bedroom 10×12 feet. It had to have all the normal things like my bed, dresser, and desk. I had big dreams but a small living space.
After I got married in 1985 we lived in small apartments from 1985 to 2010 when I purchased a mobile home. That mobile home did not have any real space for a layout but that lack of space just meant that I continued with my small layouts.
While I have room on the property for a dedicated layout building now, I still keep building small and portable layouts — they are fun to build and require little in the way of time and resources.
If I do end up with a dedicated layout shed it will probably be small itself.
To repeat myself..
“Ready, Set, Go” is a recipe for “paralysis by analysis” and “being stuck”. It is a recipe for wishing and never really having.
The philosophic spin is “Have, do, be”. The idea that one cannot do what they want until they have what they think they need.
“Go, set, ready” sounds odd. It is “Be, Do, Hove”.
There are many examples of individuals whose dreams were bigger than their resources or skills.
When the dream is big enough — even if all the space for a layout is the top of the dresser in your bedroom — you will make things happen, you will get started, you will have a layout and you will have fun!
All the best,
John.
Nevada, USA”
A huge big thanks to John for these words. I couldn’t agree more with him.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this one – please do leave a comment below!
That’s all for today folks.
Please do keep ’em coming.
And if today is the day you take the first step to getting started on your layout, the Beginner’s Guide is here.
Best
Al
PS Latest ebay cheat sheet is here.
