How many of you have collections without layout?

Living in Manhattan definitely NO room lol. I am displaying all my trains on shelves, and hoping the cat doesn't jump on them. 

JohnGaltLine posted:

It's probably been about 10 years now since I had a real, permanent, layout set up. I had 2 reliable engines at the time and about 30 pieces of rolling stock on an 8X12 board crammed into a 10x12 room.  Since then I've pretty much just had an oval on the floor or a table when the mood to run trains struck me.  At the moment it's about 3'x8' of fast track with a KW.  meanwhile, the collection has grown substantially to over a dozen engines, and a few hundred pieces of rolling stock.  Perhaps when the housing situation gets sorted out I'll be able to build a proper home for the trains to run.  The thing I miss is switches.  Running on an oval is ok, but building trains on a yard and having a choice of routes to take is much more fun for me.  On the floor or in a small area I haven't had a chance to pull out the switches.  

I pulled out a few switches, this is my "yard", the tracks go round through two other rooms.  I have all O72 command switches so I don't have to wire controllers.  A couple more switches are in the other room to allow me to transfer between tracks in either direction.  When my grandson gets the urge to come up and play, we dig out various operating accessories, and frequently we build temporary extensions to the existing track for industries.  I had the whole room filled with track the other day, it took me several hours to pack up the crane, culvert loader/unloader, and all the extra track and switches.

I am amazed at the amount of people on this forum that post and contribute freely with good sound advice , (even to dumb questions) that do not have active layouts. One of the reasons this forum this forum is so great.

We try to get our train fix anyway we can.  One reason I like the modular club, I get to run above the carpet occasionally.

My storied career in trains began with HO where I had a reasonably sized layout. Got the O bug mostly because I liked having the sound as well as liking the size. Had a layout 24'x15' in downstairs family area. Darned if I didn't get into N with the excuse of adding it to the layout for a forced perspective (at least that's what I quite feebly explained to the wife). Next I decided too much family area being used up. That led to a modular N scale with couple loops of track for 0 in a storage room. Guess you have already got the idea? Needed more storage area. Down came that layout(if you could call it a layout anyway). I have now downsized to  a 5'x 1 0' layout. Yes, it's probably just a matter of time before I will be buying stuff and operating it on my layout in the sky.

I haven't had a layout at home for 15 years but I belong to club on Long Island with 4000 sf layout  VBG

Over the years I have had at least one layout up and running. My newest is under construction, however, I'm not physically able to be in my trainroom anymore.

No layout. Only at Christmas, and I keep stuff out till mid February or so. I have lots of postwar Lionel waiting for me to catch up on other bills and build that "dream house".  I'm getting closer.

The basement will be all trains, with a fridge and bathroom. Also a walkout to our sauna by the pond. I will never have to leave home again!

In the meantime I keep acquiring and storing. Like someone above said, " boxes keep showing up on the porch and I keep bringing them in".

Matt

I have 2 loops of track that I run on my hardwood floors and have been doing so for the past 2-1/2 years. The outside loop is approximately 8' X 32' and the inside loop is 6' X 30'. The straight going down the hall connecting the living room and dining room is about 27'.

Since I'm running Chessie trains exclusively I made sure to paint my interior walls yellow, orange and Enchantment Blue so the train would "blend" in and become part of the decor. Just kidding...

Randy T posted:

I haven't had a layout at home for 15 years but I belong to club on Long Island with 4000 sf layout  VBG

Hi Randy,

What club do you belong to? My brother lives on Long Island, and when I visit, I try to visit a club layout or hobby shop.

Don

I don't, and never will.  I run sets (set collector), only have about a dozen sets, so it's not super massive. I run inside on the floor, just track in winter, and in summer put up banquet tables and add plasticville and temporary scenery, figures, accessories in the garage. New layout every summer. End of summer, I pack up until Christmas, then around the tree, then inside with more track (like photo) for winter.

As a toy train runner, I like the temporary quality of what I do.

Yep, a definite rubber-gauger here with several items from Flyer S Gauge up to a little G and Standard Gauge, but no layout yet. My small O collection is awaiting a layout also, and a while back I bought a bunch of 0-27 / 0-42 track from a friendly forum member. Messing with SCARM as we speak, and a couple of brand-new Z1000s wait in the wings.

At the present time, I have a Desktop Central made up of VEB Stadtilm track and a couple of switches (East German S gauge). I use it to test-run and play with .....um.... operate my small group of Flyer locomotives with a couple of old Flyer transformers. I call it the "Cold War" layout............

My layout fell victim to a recent family room remodel. As an alternative I put up some Trainshelf and now have my (mostly) postwar trains nicely displayed.

I can still run trains on my grandson's layout at his house. 

I'm with you guys I just threw this carpet central together because I couldn't stand not running trains anymore.   I'd really like to find a nice club to join.  I was lucky enough to find a woman who one day passed what was stuffed in all my closets and once she discovered what they were she said they were way to cool to keep them boxed up all the time.  Together we plan to either in the future add on our house or relocate to have a nice train room.   She's a realtor so there's hope!

rail posted:

Randy T posted:

I haven't had a layout at home for 15 years but I belong to club on Long Island with 4000 sf layout  VBG

Hi Randy,

What club do you belong to? My brother lives on Long Island, and when I visit, I try to visit a club layout or hobby shop.

Don

Don,

I belong to TMB train club.   Click on link in my signature.   Our last open house will be Feb. 6 and 7 from noon to 4:00 PM.   

Right now I would consider myself a collector.  I don’t have any room or time for a layout since I’ve been taking care of my parents who are getting up in age and sometimes they have mobility issues that I need to tend to.

Off the top of my head and without the aid of my inventory list I have a Lionel Vision Line 700E Hudson still new in the box and some really nice NYC passenger cars to go with it.  I don’t belong to a club so I don’t know when I’ll be able to run them.  Hopefully sometime soon.

No layout but a collection and display at home. My club has a modest 186' layout that I can run on 24/7. I also have two display cases at the club. www.njhirailers.com

I did that for many years, I called it a "railroad in exile" or " a railroad looking for a place to happen". There was even a time when I called them "3 dimensional wallpaper" I had so many display shelves in my apartment.

I've moved on from those days. Now I no longer call my trains a "collection". It's a FLEET, and I have a railroad to run it on.

We have both. Most of the collectibles, pre-war, post-war, Standard and O, on shelves in the house  

Our layout is O gauge, Gargraves and Ross, with newer scale size engines (mostly steam and a couple of early diesels) and scale size rolling stock. It is located in our separate  train shed room, 12 x 16.

We have fun!

John

I don't have a layout but I consider myself an operator.  I have a closet we built to store my trains and I run at my train club. I have been a member for over 25 years and I'm very active in the club. I have a four foot track in my basement equipped with a transformer and DCS that I call a test track - not a layout. 

I do both. I have a layout.

But, I also have a non-running, display only collection of NYC steam in G, O, S, OO, HO, TT, N, and Z scale.

I also collect 40' boxcars. They have to be different road names and done in a basic box car red-brown color.

If I couldn't run a layout i would be happy display these and my favorite trains on a wall.

My GS-4 and Daylight heavyweights would go up along side my dad's S scale Flyer.

Collecting is great if you can display it but most often you see collectors that just keep their stuff in boxes. I was one of the closed box collectors until I realized that the real fun is building and operating a layout. I still have a room full of stuff in boxes as its impossible to run everything but for the last 10 years a layout has been in operation.  I am now a self described collector, train scavenger and layout operator.  Its difficult to explain why all this stuff is there when most of it is not displayed or used,

guilty.

rat

Collecting is great if you can display it but most often you see collectors that just keep their stuff in boxes. I was one of the closed box collectors until I realized that the real fun is building and operating a layout.

What is fun for one person may not be fun for another.

It is very common for Collectors to have large portions of their collection put away in boxes. Why..... because for many collectors the fun is in the hunt, and knowing that they own particular items. (Let's not forget B.S.ing with fellow collectors) They don't need to see them all.
When setting up a display, sometimes less is more.

Moved to a smaller house 2 years ago and the layout is no more, have display shelves.

C W Burfle posted:

 

What is fun for one person may not be fun for another.

It is very common for Collectors to have large portions of their collection put away in boxes. Why..... because for many collectors the fun is in the hunt, and knowing that they own particular items. (Let's not forget B.S.ing with fellow collectors) They don't need to see them all.
When setting up a display, sometimes less is more.

 

 

One of the best collector comments of all time.  Well done.  A lot more to collecting than a bunch of boxes....

Some of us don't have a layout for various reasons.  I'm in no rush to build a layout that's substandard to get trains running.  

Along with GR John, I'm a big fan of Fastrack and it's CC switches. While we haven't had a permanent layout in almost 10 years, we do set up a Holiday layout every December that usually lasts through Easter. Once it comes down, the Fastrack makes frequent appearances on the floor with the full compliment of sidings, spurs and yard with minimal wiring.  CC uncoupler sections would be great Lionel.

As far as the collection goes, I just thinned it out over the Fall but have just about managed to replace all of the breathing space that I had created. Funny how that happens.

Mike

Member of the club!

We moved to our present house in 96 to take care of my mother, after she died in early 97 the house was mine (only child). The only place I have to put up a lay-out is in the basement since one of our boys and family live with us. The basement needs alot of work: clean out, get rid of my father's print shop, seal walls, etc. Belonged to two modular clubs, both gone, and would run on them when I could. Cassie (grandoughter) and I joyed running on Henning lay-out last open house and would like to be invited back. Don't go to any LHSs so not to be tempted then along comes Menards ( still have not bought but would like to). I still add to my collection but since $$ are low am very selective I will buy cheaper just to have at times. Have a dream lay-out in mind for a retirement cottage but don't know if we will have the $$ to get into the village the way the stock market is going, at least it turned around yesterday, but one day does not a trend make.

I need alot of inspiration and $$ to work on the basement to have a small lay-out to run on!

I have always built a layout whether yearly at Christmas time or all year around in the basements. During the years I have managed to collect more that I can ever run on my layout. A few years ago I  sold off 90% of what I had.  But as I look around I see the stash growing larger once again.  For the last 10 years I have actually had 2 layouts. One in the house in Florida , the other here in Maryland.  We have the house in Florida under contract for sale and I am in the process of moving it all to Maryland. Most likely I will sell of some stuff once again.

My On30 collection definitely qualifies, although I do take the MMI locos in particular to the club test track regularly, where they are much commented upon. 

In fact I’m presently having a clear-out of the Bachmann stock on eBay..

No layout, either permanent or temporary and a holiday carpet central just once about five years ago. With a very large number of items stored in their boxes just collecting is less and less satisfying as the days, months, and now the years come and go. Without running or displaying my collection, buyers remorse increases daily.

ogaugeguy posted:

Without running or displaying my collection, buyers remorse increases daily.

Is there going to be a bargain fire sale soon?  Can I get advance notice?

When I went to college the layout came down.  Moved out of state after college and the trains stayed home.  Though I was buying and selling in the meantime to start checking off "must haves" for that "someday" layout.  Moved home after a couple years and was allowed my old 4x8 table in the basement for about a year until my parents decided they wanted the basement back.  Now everything's in a storage unit until next summer when my financial planning will come to fruition and I'll be shopping for what I have been referring to as a "train room with a house attached/over it".

A small loop (sometimes I can sneak two) does end up under the Christmas tree every year and last year I even had my (at the time) two year old niece working the controls pretty well.  Looking forward to this year!

No layout; I'm amassing a collection of "O" Gauge trains concentrating in streamlined ones. I had a tabletop layout of "N" scale trains back in the early 70s but sold off everything. Still in the same 1 BR apt I moved to at the age of 22, in Brooklyn Heights, NYC. I have a massive book and art collection, though have sold off some parts—mostly my pulp and digest-size magazines—in the last couple of years.

I had 2 display cases custom-made by Classy Woods; also have 2 of their 30" single loco display cases. Also, have a bookshelf repurposed to hold my trains (which includes a shelf of Strombecker wooden trains I've had since I was a child). Here are the 2 Classy Woods display cases:

The repurposed book case:

Top of both cases are plastic 1:50 scale models I built from kits in the 70s.

I had a layout in the previous house, but when we moved I dedicated the basement space as a big game room for the kids and built a smaller "hobby room" just to work on building structures and boat models.  I do miss being able to run the trains but I've taken a particular liking to building kits and scratchbuilding structures and learning scenery.  My thought is to work on learning how to create hyper detailed structures like those by some model masters on this forum and then in retirement find a place to build a working layout with the prebuilt modules.

In my hobby room I've built floor to ceiling shelves that are 4 feet by 2 feet that I use to build/store/display my structure modules.  I have lots of unfinished kits but nothing "done" yet...

I don't have a layout but I am a member of the Saint James Model Railroad Club for the last 30 years. I run all my trains there.