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I've found myself in a very unusual situation, not bad but unusual. This past weekend I saved an older layout from the dumpster just because I couldn't stand the thoughts of so much hard work and time being tossed aside.  The backstory: An older gentleman in a nearby town was getting rid of all his trains and layout at the request of his new wife. Seems that she thought that garages were for cars instead of model trains. Through a series of telephone calls and discussions I was told that he'd had no luck selling the layout and it was going to be torn apart and discarded.  On the last weekend before demolition started, I pulled a 12' trailer to the gentleman's house, not fully knowing what to expect having only seen pictures and rough measurements. What I found was a very elaborate layout, stripped of all accessories but with older O gauge track forming two independent loops with hand-formed mountains and tunnels.  The layout is made up of two 8' x 8' modules and one 4' x 8' module that form an "L" shape when together, making it about 16' x 12' at its biggest footprint. Enlisting the help of my father-in-law (what a sport) we carefully loaded and stacked the modules onto the truck bed and trailer, careful not to damage the handy work any more than we had to. This was no small task as this layout must be about 20 years old and made up of 2x4, 2x6 and 1/2 inch ply construction. The modules are really heavy.

 

Now the question: what do I do with this thing? Originally my intention was to save the layout with very little thought about storage and logistics, a true oversight on my part. The problem is that the 8'x8' modules won't fit through standard doorways and the layout is still loaded on the trailer.  Another problem, I'm slowly falling in love with it!  I don't have the space for such a layout and neither does our local club.  Scaling the layout down will not work either based on the design.

 

Any ideas, thinking outside of the box, etc? 

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Make them into smaller modules. You should be able to do minimal damage to the scenery. Then, some fresh lumber to finish the framing of the cut ends. Careful marking of any wiring and some connectors can make reconnecting the harness a simple task.

 

I feel that doing this would make it easier for you to use it or sell it. The other option is to repurpose everything salvageable and build a new one.

Originally Posted by Matt Mauney:

 Any ideas, thinking outside of the box, etc? 

Pictures always help for something like this. My best guess would be that the 8x8's have to be separated into 4x8's, moved inside and then reassembled and patched at the separation. Will require some surgery on your part but should be well worth the effort if you like the layout and have the room for it.

Last edited by Former Member

It all depends on how much someone likes the layout and its level of craftsmanship.

 

Building new is almost always easier in the long run than adapting a layout built without moving in mind when it was planned. This will hurt any attempt to find a home for what's on your trailer.

 

If it doesn't have the features that someone really wants on a layout, they won't be happy in the long run and would be better to start fresh. Anyway, the old layout could be a good source of lumber that you could recycle.

 

Jim

 

 

 

 

 

Last edited by Jim Policastro

Windows? I remember my grandparents trying to remove some of the furniture that came with (ie. designed with) the home. The couch, and dining room table would not fit out of the doors! Turns out they were put in before the build was finished, and had to be removed by taking out the separately framed and glazed picture windows(3 layer). Yes Grandpa wanted to chop them up, but Grandma threatened more new carpet if sawdust got everywhere. He hired glazers, who helped move them out too. 

 

   Try looking on Craigslist or similar for a local homeowner with a garage, or part of one, to rent out. People rent them out for old car storage cheap all the time, I cant really think of why a layout would be refused. A wanted ad wouldn't hurt if you don't find one immediately. Set it up there, and use it to get away from the house on occasion. More money, but many public storage areas have heat, air cond. and electricity in them too. While moving around, a pal had a couple units years back. Built a hotrod in one. In the other one we hung out, drank cold beverages from the fridge, coffee from the pot, sat on his old furniture, and watched TV till our knuckles stopped bleeding. When a building isn't practical, small businesses around here often use them as "bases" as well as storage. 

Maybe some special group (retirement home?) would have room for storage in exchange for some holiday/special event "train time" by you. 

  Splitting it into smaller sections? It may require some additional reworking of scenery, but if its as sturdy as it sounds, and cant be saved otherwise, why not?  Pictures of the underside and top. Please...before I get to a thousand words.     

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