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I know there’s a “Brotherhood of Crappy Basement Layouts”, how’s about a “Brethren of Crowded Bedroom Displays”? Probably a small minority in Choo Choo land.

I imagine there are a lot of factors that prevent one from setting up their trains in their bedroom, a loving wife probably being the number one. But being single and not having a lot of space in the condo makes the bedroom the only available space for my trains.

There are advantages and I suppose some disadvantages to the arrangement. But for me I tend to focus on the advantages.

Because space is limited building and demoing a display doesn’t really take a lot of time. In the past ten years I’ve probably built about 15 different configurations. There isn’t a lot of real estate for operating accessories and switching operations, means there are fewer things to go wrong and the displays are pretty much trouble free. What is lacking in operations can be made up for with illumination.

Most of my operations are at night and I can operate the entire display while lying in bed. I think running trains are more conducive to a good night’s sleep and happy dreams than watching television.

Of course there’s always the creepiness factor a lady might feel when she discovers a full grown red blooded American male playing with toy trains in his bedroom. But the special properties of a chocolate scent can cancel that out and I discovered a few smoke fluid manufactures make such a product.

My current display is now over a year old, it’s the longest I’ve kept one and I still have ideas on how it could be expanded with three more loops while maintaining its current footprint. There’s also a plan for a larger display going from 8’ X 5’ to 9’ x 6’. Which ever direction I decide to go it won’t take a lot of time or effort.

I wonder how small the minority of bedroom display operators is. If there's anyone else how about sharing your creations and experiences?

 

 

 

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Not a Florida thing; it's a Sunbelt thing. I'm in Mobile, in Alabama. Of course, Florida

is only about 30 miles East...

 

The Palm Tree Rule of thumb: if there are palm trees (we have them, too), there are few basements. Partly because there were no howling furnaces. Or oil tanks. Many really old houses had/have basements, though.

 

Some areas also have a water table/basement issue, but most don't.

 

Just remember: Palms = RR in bedroom, garage or workshop. Don't even THINK "attic".

 

 

I could be a member.  My last layout was in a 9x9 bedroom.  Then our now married daughter was born, and I lost my space.  I had temporary spaces all these years, until she was married in October.  Now I am sharing the space with my wife's interests.  I have a 4x8 2" sheet of foam on a folding table with some Fastrack on it.  Not my ideal choice, but it is better than nothing.  I hope I qualify!!

I have been a bedroom runner (sounds kinky, I guess) for thirty years now. I had a 5'x9' layout in a spare bedroom back in Ohio using 027 and 031 track. I built basic pine shelving floor to ceiling around the room to hold my collection. It worked out quite well, actually.

 

Then, 6 years ago, my wife and I retired to California. I thinned out my train collection substantially before the move (to lessen moving expenses) but still kept plenty for a new layout.

 

My layout now is a standard 4'x8' one in a much smaller bedroom than my Ohio one. However, I have made do and use 036 Lionel Fast Track this time. Where I used to have two loops, I now settle for one with several sidings. I have my pike configured so that one end represents a western mountain scene with a corner curved tunnel from MTH. The other end is a desert scene. I think it all holds together pretty well visually and operation (being simple) is smooth and conventional.  

 

I store my equipment om built-in wooden shelving (came with the house) and some metal display shelving on opposite walls (Glen Snyder Display Systems product) which really looks nice.

 

I just feel lucky to have a small extra bedroom to devote to my O gauge trains!

Moved to Florida seven years ago from N.J where I had a layout in the basement.  Living in Florida without a basement does pose a "where shall I build my layout" problem.  Fortunately, we do have a spare bedroom which has become my train room.

 

It allows for a 6 x 9 lower level and a 4 x 8 upper with Glenn Snyder shelves on three walls.  Would like to have more room but I am fortunate to have the space and a wonderful wife that allows me to enjoy my hobby. 

 

 

When I was maybe 9-12 I had a 4x8' "layout" in my 8x10' bedroom.  the layout was nothing special, just a pair of loops and a siding, but it was enough when it wasn't half covered in non-train related crap.  The thing hung over half my bed causing more than a few banged feet and knees, but it did the job well enough.  Even managed some shelves below to store other toys and such.  Still have the 4x8 top leaning against a wall in the basement with half the track hanging off it.  

My 5x8 layout has been in my bedroom for the last 10 years. My wife of 48 years does not care since she has a bedroom of her own. It's a great way to appreciate your layout at least twice a day. Also, it was great when I was building it because I got some good ideas when seeing it first thing in the morning (I'm a "morning person"). The other plus is that I keep my bedroom very neat because I may be running trains for someone that day. 

Well I guess I was one of the rare few with a "Krappy Kitchen" layout. Wall/ceiling space in the kitchen breakfast room deeded to me by the Domestic CEO as a trade-off to get me up off her Den carpet.

Built in 1992 at our Mountain Retirement Cottage, dismantled in 2008. Five track, twin shelves 14x32.

 

 

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Last edited by Dewey Trogdon

Wow! There are more people than I thought working within the same limitations.

 

 

Dewey I take exception to you calling your former Kitchen layout crappy and I'll bet your better half never considered her kitchen in that form. I know it did and continues to inspire me.

 

Dennis before you commit to that sacrilege evaluate the maximum amount of space available and how much operation you really need to hold you over until you return north. Maybe a small multi-tiered automated display could be designed in an unobtrusive manner incorporating O27, O31 and O36. It could be a fun challenge to keep you busy between rounds of golf. Not sure where you're at but there is a Train Show in Melbourne this coming weekend.

 

growing up my layout went from basement to spare bedroom to basement to spare bedroom to my room (i moved into the spare bedroom) back to the basement back to the spare room and once more back to the basement.  It was always a 4x8 sheet of plywood, but in it's final trip to the basement I got my dad to build a 4x4 extension to make it an 8x8 "L".  When I was getting ready to go to college, my parents asked for the basement back so the trains went in boxes and there they've stayed except for a loop or two at christmas.  7 years later i'm living about 3 hours away in an apartment.  I am fortunate to have a good sized apartment, but I am on a temporary work contract so I don't want to lug all my trains down here just to have to pack them all up in a year.  When I visit my parents I get very tempted to grab a box of track and bring it back with me, but alas, I have resisted.  Of course none of this has stopped me from buying more items for that day when the trains come out of storage   I expect to hear a lot of "when did you get that one?" from my parents

I guess I qualify! No basement here in NC so built the first layout in the living room. That worked fine until we got the kitten from h***! No matter what I tried I couldn't keep her off of the train table. The final straw was coming home from work to discover the stack broken (chewed) off of the new smoking caboose. My concerns over destroyed vintage Plasticville and accessories led me to pack it all up for the time being.

 

Fast forward to 2013. My wife, who volunteers at the local Humane Society, wanted to adopt two rescue kittens. I wasn't too keen on the idea (we were already a five cat family) but she proposed a "deal". The only large room in our house beside the living room is the master bedroom. So we moved her into one of the spare bedrooms and I now sleep "in the roundhouse" with the trains! I was able to build a 10' by 10' U-shaped table in the space available. It is now a "cat-free" room. As an additional benefit we're both sleeping better than we have in years!

 

 

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Just got out of the Army, had a pregnant wife, living in an apartment with no access to tools and such. Ordered pre-cut benchwork from Sievers, and built a layout in our bedroom.

 

The layout came right up to my side of the bed, wife's side was against the wall. We had to crawl out of, and into, bed from the foot of the bed.

 

What an understanding wife! Why she put up with me? Lol. I feel bad about it now, looking back.

Last edited by CNJ Jim

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