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My current layout is about 10 years old....

It is 6x16' on 3 levels of Mianne Benchwork. The Top level is a 2x16' engine  facility.

The Middle level is the main layout with 2 interconnected loops and double reverse loops

The Lower Level is a 6x8' dual track Subway where only the subway station is visible.

I am about 90% finished wiring and scenery.....but it coming down. As a retirement present, my lovely wife has put aside money to give me a 20x30' attic room. when she asked me last summer if I would mind moving the layout to the attic in a bigger space, I said....."well, since my schedule is wide open, I think I can do it"...

Construction begins sometime in February.

Here are the final pictures of the "old layout".90F5B796-0DA0-45A8-939B-ABDF69761A2369D167A6-B15F-4F80-B685-C8A70DE23AA41E301B2D-B5C5-488B-BD80-DE805BEB41BD2E701828-F9AA-4243-947A-3790B0579E60931DE38A-7CF4-415F-938D-2DF8A1113093A08F0F34-4B73-459D-97D7-5FCC6EDD6400269BD2B1-C0F8-428E-80A2-8CF1BC7C11C9FB724B20-0AA6-4398-BBA6-49E15ECAF51FB08BAF34-72D1-44FC-AEEE-2C85F12CB17635FD4B22-C393-436A-B302-471A03076FD9E63961A2-C4FA-4A1F-B0DA-243F0AA83BE958B05E20-FAEB-44AE-B08E-906B5A26D90CF22427DD-AD1E-4F59-9F8F-01F524FF456CA2739432-5CF0-4FB7-AD68-B98C79FFA56F01CB226C-E6D0-49B1-B198-5F3FE117A112508B1BFC-89E2-4D96-B18F-73531CD556E8

You can expect regular updates.....I intend to finish this new layout!

Peter

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Last edited by Putnam Division
Original Post

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My current layout is about 10 years old....

It is 6x16' on 3 levels of Mianne Benchwork. The Top level is a 2x16' engine  facility.

A2739432-5CF0-4FB7-AD68-B98C79FFA56F

You can expect regular updates.....I intend to finish this new layout!

Peter

“I intend to finish this new layout!” - I believe that phrase will be carved on all of our tombstones

I do have one question about your old upper level, Peter... does it connect to the main level or does it require the use of the flying five-fingered crane to move serviced engines onto the mainlines???

I am looking forward to seeing your progress.

Peter, I have enjoyed watching trains run on your present layout, but am really looking forward to seeing what you build in the attic.  Now that you are retired, you should be able to move along at a very quick pace!  Oh!  I'm retired, and my layout progress is crawling along at about the same speed I was taking down Christmas lights and Nativity display this warm (35 degrees) afternoon. 

Just kidding, follow George's advice and don't get in a hurry!

@Apples55 posted:

“I intend to finish this new layout!” - I believe that phrase will be carved on all of our tombstones

I do have one question about your old upper level, Peter... does it connect to the main level or does it require the use of the flying five-fingered crane to move serviced engines onto the mainlines???

I am looking forward to seeing your progress.

......the flying 5 fingered crane......it was great conceptually......if, I did it again, I would plan on better lighting underneath......I used battery-operated LEDS, and they weren’t enough.....

Peter

@Lionelski posted:

Looking forward to your updates Peter.

Breaking down your beautiful current layout has got to be heartbreaking but building a new one will be great fun.

What will happen in the old space? Will you be salvaging parts of the current layout? What did you learn and will do differently on the new layout?

The old space will be basement living space.....and one wall will eventually be built-in shelves with a library ladder......I have a huge history book collection (separate from my collection of books on railroad history and model railroading).

The Mianne Benchwork will be reused and I will get with Tim for an expansion.

I believe that I will switch to all Ross track and switches. I am toying with a few plans.....

The big changes are that I will try to leave more room for viewing and have at least one O72 loop.

Peter

@G3750 posted:

Pete,

I am so pleased for you.   This is great news!!!   

Some unsolicited advice:

  • Don't be in a hurry to "get trains running"
  • Get it right the first time - do-overs are demoralizing

Best of luck.  I will watch this thread with great interest.

Again - congratulations on your retirement.  I hope this brings you much joy.

George

Agreed.......I’m not going to finalize a plan until I see the room......then I will make sure it doesn’t overpower the space......

I have no deadline for getting trains running since I will have the modular group layouts to run on......

I am re-reading Dennis Brennan's wonderful book from about 10 years ago. I am reading the new Jim Barrett book now. I will be reviewing certain OGR and TM videos, especially those that deal with urban cityscapes.

@Mark Boyce posted:

Peter, I have enjoyed watching trains run on your present layout, but am really looking forward to seeing what you build in the attic.  Now that you are retired, you should be able to move along at a very quick pace!  Oh!  I'm retired, and my layout progress is crawling along at about the same speed I was taking down Christmas lights and Nativity display this warm (35 degrees) afternoon. 

Just kidding, follow George's advice and don't get in a hurry!

Mark.....I'm also going to have helpers from the Modular Group.....

Peter

Let's look at the space.....the attic is approximately 30x40 at the 5' knee wall.5EB475F2-D8C2-4E58-8DA3-44A71BEFB9FD

A stairwell cuts off a 6' cedar closet on the right end.

This leaves approximately a 30x30' space, plus the stairwell area. 10x20' is reserved for storage and the HVAC unit.

F10725BB-27AD-419D-B6DA-84568001C4CB75DD8041-88D9-4606-9B10-DC27EA17E3FA116FBAE7-DF94-4466-ACE5-27B411FBE23FD1F7F87C-DBA6-42D0-9849-36918F58A464500B7EB4-5E22-4302-9D6F-A529894AAEC808551A27-45B5-4C59-9C58-3BA0513CEC8DFA30CC28-1F13-41A2-AB71-AC7C49AF4BB129342509-0BCE-49C9-8C1C-F1A276612447

What have I been doing? We moved here 17 years ago......besides the train boxes, we have ben putting "stuff" up there ever since......plus, the stuff we brought over from the other house. My job this month is to move it out.

I rented a 10x20' storage unit to put everything in during construction. I have been moving train boxes down to the basement and am slowly packing trains...

The rest of the stuff: Legos, Rokenbok, American Girl Dolls, blocks, Beanie Babies, etc is being carted to storage along with multiple GoodWill trips.

6E5A0637-5E0B-435E-88E6-80ABB4CF3ADB9D7F9CA3-B958-434E-AC05-14D171138C8F73772773-FE8C-40BC-8236-A1295645E4DA0D2406D7-69E2-4A41-91BD-07FD13FFE928DBC26130-F046-4DCA-B607-3134457915C6468E27CC-0BE7-4032-8682-592C632A8E74

I found some old friends

CDD7DC2F-EEA3-4BA0-AD77-5427909EE14FFD4BC42F-CAB7-4C47-9B77-E8FF96BE26662578B5AC-FEF6-4CE1-8F7C-759135EA5E78

The storage area is 2 adjacent 10x10 units.....this is the kids stuff. The trains will be just next door.

B0F5C45C-C680-4A05-AFF5-E9F917E942EB

This project has also showed me how "healthy" model railroading is as a hobby......since I retired, I am doing over 20K steps a day.......90% of them in the house, going up and down the stairs, carrying loads......

Once I clear it out, the contractor and I will go over the plans.....

Peter

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Last edited by Putnam Division

Hi Peter,  Your space is enviable, soon I will start a similar but much smaller project. Here is something to consider before you insulate, as I recently got a smaller space ready ready for a permanent layout.

I rough wired multiple locations for 2 circuit tracs, running 14-3 type nmb  (romex). I treated each Trac as a home run (single 14-3 cable between each Trac and J box)  I ran the Home Run to a hidden but accesible junction box that also had a 15Amp 14 Gauge 120VAC power circuit.  Using multiple and amiable Trac heads with LED spot and floods I will be able to do many different lighting scenes. The many different scenes can then be programed into Lutron Caseta switches with unlimited possibilities such as simulated dusk using your cell phone to control the out of sight Caseta switches.

I also installed  2each  4" flexible ducting from high points on the ceiling  to a Panasonic 300 cfm remote fan exhausting to the outside.

Before I retired I had installed a lot of like equipment for my customers.

Anyway good luck you appear to have the talent and the space, I wish I had the same.

kevin

@Fast Mail posted:

Hi Peter,  Your space is enviable, soon I will start a similar but much smaller project. Here is something to consider before you insulate, as I recently got a smaller space ready ready for a permanent layout.

I rough wired multiple locations for 2 circuit tracs, running 14-3 type nmb  (romex). I treated each Trac as a home run (single 14-3 cable between each Trac and J box)  I ran the Home Run to a hidden but accesible junction box that also had a 15Amp 14 Gauge 120VAC power circuit.  Using multiple and amiable Trac heads with LED spot and floods I will be able to do many different lighting scenes. The many different scenes can then be programed into Lutron Caseta switches with unlimited possibilities such as simulated dusk using your cell phone to control the out of sight Caseta switches.

I also installed  2each  4" flexible ducting from high points on the ceiling  to a Panasonic 300 cfm remote fan exhausting to the outside.

Before I retired I had installed a lot of like equipment for my customers.

Anyway good luck you appear to have the talent and the space, I wish I had the same.

kevin

Thank you....

Peter

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