Mike’s been back in touch with another missive of what’s really involved when it comes to building a train layout:
“Hello Al:
Hope this email finds you well. It’s been a while since I last checked in, and I wanted to share a story that other model train enthusiasts may or may not have experienced.
As you may recall, I last was working on a large n scale layout featuring an old western town and the town of Hill Valley from the “Back to the Future” movies.
Life circumstances brought it to a temporary halt as the family urged me to give up the basement in favor of a more desirable gathering and movie viewing room.
I decided to accept their concept and relocate the trains to a 10ft x 12ft office room off the garage. What might sound like a total capitulation on my part actually turned into a blessing in disguise.
If I may digress for a moment, I must say throughout this period since my interest in model trains was rekindled some years ago, discovering your web site has been an inspiration.
As I subscribe to the philosophy of Walt Disney that everything we endeavor to achieve in life is a work in progress and often never actually completed, I find much satisfaction in building and rebuilding my model train layouts.
That said, many thanks for your almost daily posts, I never miss enjoying those words and pictures of encouragement.
Also, my original building constructions were built around solid blocks of wood, making lighting difficult at best. I recently took advantage of one of your special offers on printable buildings and I am looking forward to creating buildings and landscape that can be effectively lit with LEDs. But that’s for later.
Now, right to the point, I am happy to report that I have abandoned the Bachmann track system entirely. When I made the decision to invest in DCC, I discovered the superior quality of Kato trains.
Even on Bachmann EZ Track, the Kato locos and rolling stock ran much smoother than my starter sets from Bachmann. So I took the decision to recreate my layout exclusively using Kato track products.
The math, geometry, and wiring of Kato tracks and accessories made creating a new layout to my satisfaction a dream.
I plan to send progress reports as I make decisions on how to address the landscaping needs of the new layout, but here are a few photos of progress so far.
I can’t thank you enough for all the help. Keep up the great work.
Mike
Michigan,
U.S.A.”
A big thanks to Mike for sharing what goes into building a model train layout.
(I remembered his ‘back to the future’ layout – it’s here if you want to have a look.
I do admire the way Mike has just carried on despite a number of set backs (HO or N scale?) and just enjoyed the journey.
I do think a little planning can go a long way – but most of the time it’s not until you’re in the thick of things, you discover what’s right for you, and what’s not.
Here are some planning gems from the Hall of famers (as always, there is just as much wisdom in the comments):
How to start a model train layout.
That’s all for today folks.
Please do keep ’em coming.
And if today is the day you poke boredom in the eye and join in the fun, the Beginner’s Guide is here.
Best
Al
PS Latest ebay cheat sheet is here.