Ideas for a future college layout

[Justinmiller171]

So I will be going away to college in about a year, and I have been thinking about what I will do for a layout. I don't want to do any actual track-planning yet, I just want to get some ideas.

Needs:
Be able to fit under a bed(Under 6 ft. long)
Be portable
HO-scale

Wants:
Either a modern-day ISL, or a rural transition-era short-line theme
No need for a fiddle yard or sector-plate
Room for lots of scenery

[Russ Bellinis]

For a college dorm in ho, you probably won't have room for much more than a time saver switching puzzle, maybe a time saver stretched a bit. Modern rolling stock is probably too big, although some 50 footers might be ok. A Bachmann 44 or 45 toner, perhaps a GE 70 tonner for motive power.

One other possibility is to hook up with a club locally when you get to college. If you go to Rennsellear (spelling?) near Albany, N.Y. they have a club right on campus. If you end up in San Diego, the clubs at the Model Railroad Museum in Balboa Park have space for members, and especially for members who are free at odd hours during the day in the middle of the week to operate the layout for museum visitors.

[Justinmiller171]

For a college dorm in ho, you probably won't have room for much more than a time saver switching puzzle, maybe a time saver stretched a bit. Modern rolling stock is probably too big, although some 50 footers might be ok. A Bachmann 44 or 45 toner, perhaps a GE 70 tonner for motive power.

That's what I was thinking, however if I build a time-saver I would probably use Transition-era equipment

One other possibility is to hook up with a club locally when you get to college. If you go to Rennsellear (spelling?) near Albany, N.Y. they have a club right on campus. If you end up in San Diego, the clubs at the Model Railroad Museum in Balboa Park have space for members, and especially for members who are free at odd hours during the day in the middle of the week to operate the layout for museum visitors.

I am not going far away, There are two good colleges within a half-hour of where I live.
I don't think I have good enough grades to go anywhere else

[tomustang]

Just my opinion but skip a dorm layout and work on rolling stock/weathering/detailing, build your collection

[Justinmiller171]

Just my opinion but skip a dorm layout and work on rolling stock/weathering/detailing, build your collection

hmm.... Perhaps I could use the timesaver as a test-track

[nachoman]

I will agree with Tom. If you just can't get way from layout building, perhaps build a small freemo module. And when the first freemo is done, put the first in storage and build a second. If operation is what you want, find a club, or move to N scale. A timesaver would get boring pretty quick. You could make a decent N-scale switching layout in 2x4 feet.

[Brakie]

Just my opinion but skip a dorm layout and work on rolling stock/weathering/detailing, build your collection

hmm.... Perhaps I could use the timesaver as a test-track

I would avoid a time waster since it was designed as a switching contest and nothing more.

I suggest weathering and detailing your cars and locomotives and for a "test" layout I would use a 1'x6' switching yard with 3 tracks.Just be sure to leave at least 24" for your switch lead.

N Scale may be your better choice for a dorm layout.

[Southern Tuxedo]

Justin,

What about something like this... <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.shelflayouts.com/blog.htm">http://www.shelflayouts.com/blog.htm</a><!-- m -->

Scroll all the way to the bottom to the first entry on June 9, 2010, the begining of the 'Skill Builder' series.

Mark

[Justinmiller171]

I would avoid a time waster since it was designed as a switching contest and nothing more.

N Scale may be your better choice for a dorm layout.

I would not build a time saver as an actual layout, I would just build it to display cars and to test them.

I have tried n-scale but I just don't like it, too small for my taste.

[Justinmiller171]

I will agree with Tom. If you just can't get way from layout building, perhaps build a small freemo module. And when the first freemo is done, put the first in storage and build a second. If operation is what you want, find a club, or move to N scale. A timesaver would get boring pretty quick. You could make a decent N-scale switching layout in 2x4 feet.

There are no freemo clubs anywhere nearby, The nearest is in San Fransisco which is almost 3 hours away

[Justinmiller171]

I think I will build something like this:
http://s145079212.onlinehome.us/rr/timesaver/index.html

I would probably use the timesaver mainly for testing equipment and for photography.

[Justinmiller171]

Justin,

What about something like this... <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.shelflayouts.com/blog.htm">http://www.shelflayouts.com/blog.htm</a><!-- m -->

Scroll all the way to the bottom to the first entry on June 9, 2010, the begining of the 'Skill Builder' series.

Mark

That's another good idea, however I am not sure If I want to build another modern layout.

[FCIN]

That's another good idea, however I am not sure If I want to build another modern layout.

I completely agree with Larry (Brakie). The TimeWaster was designed to be a game/puzzle and nothing more and you'll tire of it very quickly. I suggest you read this before you decide to go with that: http://www.housatonicrr.com/timesaver.htm

The Skills Builder layout on Lance's site is a far better choice for many reasons as is his Palmetto Spur layout in his latest book http://www.lancemindheim.com/upcoming_books.htm. Looks and operates like a prototype industrial spur - uses fewer turnouts - and if I'm not mistaken, isn't most of your equipment from the modern era (1970's on)? Even today, there are plenty of NW-2's running around, so don't regard that as a transition era locomotive. Besides, the next time you go to a train show or visit the LHS, you might latch on to another locomotive that appeals to you.

All you'd need to get started would be an 18 inch HCD (with or without foam on it), three turnouts and a hand full of flex track and you'd be set to go. Would be easy to transport the HCD and its staging track and would easily fit under a bed or even stood on end in a closet or against the wall. Heck, if you can find it, you might build the whole thing out of 2 inch thick foam and really cut down on the weight.

Would save you a lot of expense to go with what you already have and build a simple yet prototypical looking and operating layout. That Skills Builder or the Palmetto Spur layout takes up little space and with a narrow staging/switching lead that could attached to it, you'd have a much more interesting and entertaining layout to keep you busy when you have the time available to work on it.

[shortliner]

Justin - I'd go right along with FCIN - build the main area, if needed in two sections - and add a plug-in fiddle yard , or possibly a 3-track sector plate at the right-hand end - you could even build it as an Inglenook - don't get trapped into thinking that simple means uninteresting to operate - look at Jack Hills Newcastle RR <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://oscalewcor.blogspot.com/">http://oscalewcor.blogspot.com/</a><!-- m --> I'm currently working with 4' boards and plug-in fiddlesticks with Peco Locolifts adapted to be either fiddle cassettes or sector plates - see <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://carendt.us/scrapbook/page93/index.html">http://carendt.us/scrapbook/page93/index.html</a><!-- m --> "innovative design ......" about halfway down the page. There is no way that these cannot be home built to do the same thing. further photos in <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://carendt.us/scrapbook/page80/index.html">http://carendt.us/scrapbook/page80/index.html</a><!-- m --> " Shop tips"

[Southern Tuxedo]

That's another good idea, however I am not sure If I want to build another modern layout.

Justin,

No one says it has to be modern. Just back date your structures, rolling stock and locos.

In my opinion, you should keep it real simple as you probably won't have a lot of time or money to invest in it, and you will need to keep your interest level up.

Mark