All the best for the new year.

Joe.

All the best for your upcoming dismantling of the Soo line remember don't cry to much as a better Soo line will emerge from the Ashes to fulfill your dreams???

Smokey Dawson    Australia

Best of luck! From experience

Best of luck!

From experience moving 6 times with the Military (and I got off easy), even when you have a master plan that will fit in a standard space (standard 1 car garage, 10x10 space, etc), pre-done modules end up being a curse in many respects. 

First, then end up having to be overbuilt to survive a move. Combined with having to built a box to survive movers, they end up being heavy and unwieldy. 

Second, when you finally arrive to your space (even after searching for one) it ends up being just slightly different from the last standard space and everything either doesn't fit or there is too much empty space. 

Or, when you finally arrive at your "retirement home", you feel forced into integrating the modules that you built even though when you feel like something different.. 

This should be interesting . . .

Joe, I expect you'll be doing some things differently and it should be very informative to see how your techniques have evolved. Looking forward to seeing this progress. For me, where I'm living now should be my final residence (until I move into that beachside property in Kauai, after I win the lotto).

Another Adventure

Getting ready to move is so much fun​ One thing I learned when we moved is there are many ways to define realtors. One of them is are they willing to give you ideas on how to prep your house so it sells fast. Our 1st one did not. Our 2nd one did and then it sold fast. What we thought we knew was not the whole picture. So once you get the RR down and most stuff packed up, give a couple of them a call and see what they have to say.

Jack

Hmm

It was a bit shocking at first to see the title, but after reading, it made perfect sense and seemed inevitable.  I will be very interested to see what you try to salvage and how you salvage it, as there is a lot of stuff (trees, bridges, etc.) that will certainly speed up the construction of the next one.  I look forward to following along.

Great show case of TOMA

Joe,

I'm a firm believer that you'll be able to use this opportunity to really make the TOMA concept shine. I believe that many people don't understand how TOMA can work to their advanage, and see it just as a glorified modular method of building. It's more than that though. Since you know which (operational) scenes you want and have seen them work, after having v1 for 26 years, you know how to better build them. So you can build them in a sectional way, as if they were a larger stand alone diorama. You get the advantage of working from plywood pacific all the way to finished diorama, put it aside and work on another one. Your prior knowledge of scenes can likely even anticipate if some scenes can be a corner module or straight and plan that against several sizes and layouts of rooms you envision in your new house. You gain the ability to run ops on one or more of these scenes with temporary, throw away, "main line running" modules in between and/or staging modules on one or either end. These can be plywood pacific or even fully sceniced: doesn't matter. Then once you figure out what size and layout the new house / trainroom will have, you can build the permanent "main line running" scenes in between your finished diorama sectional modules, fitting the space available. So if it is 1 year or 15+ years that you are in this limbo state, the only wasted effort is the temporary filler "main line running" modules as long as the acquisition of the new house / train room is taking the size of the diorama scenes into account.

Now having said all that: are you open to entertaining the option of bringing some of these diorama modules to shows? Perhaps even with a Free-mo (or some other published modular standard) conversion module *wink*?

Congratulations, Joe and the

Congratulations, Joe and the best of everything with the new TOMA! Moving can be a real change but with all the family challenges you are doing the right thing.

Having just moved to our "new" retirement home a year ago my wife did the condo purchase without me seeing it ...because she was able to describe the dimensions of the finished basement over the phone so I could start planning the new layout. In addition, I brought with me a portable, piece of a new layout which is now used to illustrate prototype, switching for modelers at proto meets. This HO, fold up, wye with a few industries was the basis for the new layout, since removed due to modifications for the new layout. I might add,that one of the best things about our condo is that it has an upstairs loft for my wife's water color, studio and a finished basement for my railroad which helps a lot when you are learning how to live together, 24/7 in retirement!

I like the new TOMA idea and look forward to your rendition of it since I have always been a big fan of Lance Mindheim's simple, switching layouts. BTW, is this TOMA information, already available on TM as I am a member but sometimes forget to check it each month?

Happy New Year,

Barry 

Its kind of sad to see you

Its kind of sad to see you dismantle the Siskiyou, but I can appreciate your decision on why. I'm sure the many new techniques that you have acquired over the years, will be put into full use on your new layout. It will also be very interesting to watch the new layout come to life from beginning to operational.

There are also a number of modelers in our community that have built specific outbuildings just to house their layouts. I am sure that they have learned a few things that they may do differently next time.  This could be a great source for information you may find useful as you start your new project.   It seems every time I turn around somebody is dismantling and rebuilding their layout.  I wonder if it is catchy, or just an instinct we have once we become an old buzzard. (over 60).

Documentation of the entire project would make a great ebook.

Best of luck on the new adventure.

Randy

Going into retirement without debt

I think your plan is a good one.  Going into retirement without debt should be the goal of everyone.  Don't forget your personal credit cards. 

Also, since you like operations, in my opinion, your layout is a switching layout. which possibly be made smaller.

Mike Lee 

Say it ain't so, Joe...

Somewhat sad news indeed. Particularly so soon after the hard work on improvements made so recently.

Though it will be fun to watch the rebuild, it seems a bit like an end of an era.  Time marches on and change is the one constant we can count on...

Good luck with the rebuild and the eventual move.  The more rural, the better I say!

Regards,

26 years...

That's a good run. Very few real railroads incorporated in the US lasted that long. 

pqe

 "Going into retirement

Yes it should, but the total costs of retirement living has to be considered. A larger piece of property might cost less but require more maintenance, commute expenses, and utility costs for example. As we get older being close to shopping and doctors becomes most important, and I'd suggest a walking friendly neighborhood because exercise becomes more important too. I have a large detached workshop and layout room on an acre of wooded property and could spend more time modeling if I had a smaller lot or condo where yard work was not required.Our place is in town and 5 minutes from doctor and stores so we've been reluctant to downsize but at some point we will. The best retirement residence I've seen was a 3 story brownstone with the full bottom floor a multi car garage and hobby room, living room and kitchen on second floor ,bedrooms on 3rd floor and sun deck on roof.All connected by an elevator.The only problem was it is in Sacramento where the weather can't compare to the coast :> ) ......DaveB

Room Size

Hi Joe, Are you planning to build some TOMA modules prior to knowing your final room size and shape?

Thanks

Jan

Plans

This will be interesting

Joe,

The future of the next Siskiyou Line will be very interesting and fun to watch. And I am happy you will be filming one last operating session. I totally understand your reasoning and I am glad you are looking forward to a new and improved layout using your new skills and the latest products which have greatly improved over what was offered 25 years ago. 

Do you have an idea about the space of the new building for the new layout or will you just start building TOMA sections and make them fit whatever space you will be given?

Tim G.

New space?

Exciting on both fronts!

Joe,

I think your plan to go TOMA is very exciting and I’ll be watching the new series on TMTV and your layout progress with great interest. 

I also like your plan to get out of debt. My wife and I made a commitment years ago to work to eliminate debt and I can tell you it’s the most liberating feeling ever.

There is always Traditional Multi Deck Designs...

Even those who were dead set against multi-decks, even "mushroom" style, have come to see the advantages of two decks, especially is the decks are not that deep.  The interim P&A has three modeled (with two more decks for staging) and though it's not idea, to get the length of run needed (for TT&TO) it is an irritant that is acceptable.

FWIW

Ken L.

I like the idea of TOMA,

I like the idea of TOMA, first time I have ever heard of it actually. 

I think I have been building in the spirit of TOMA for a while now.

New Layout

I experienced a personal hiatus of 10 years between layouts 2005 -2015. It was amazing the amount of changes in the philosophy layout design, what is and isn't important, materials, and many other aspects of the hobby during that decade.  To have a layout last 26 years is really a testimony to the initial design.  There comes a point in just about every layout where it just doesn't "work" for us anymore and it has become more of a drudgery to work and operate on it than fun. That is when it's time to start over.

Knowing Joe's love of operations, I suspect that the new TOMA layout will be even more prototypically operational than his current Siskiyou Line.

Joe, what can I say? Welcome

Joe, what can I say? Welcome to the dismantlers ! Be careful it doesn't become a habit...

Re: New space?

Some observations (not meant to be judgmental, just statements of reality):

1.  TOMA trackwork occupies area, not space.  Space is 3-dimensional -- like the present Siskiyou Line.  The distinction is more important than commonly used in the hobby, as area based layouts necessarily make limited use of available space.

2.  TOMA seems to be very similar in physical parameters to the concepts David Barrow used for his Cat Mountain layout.  The operational possibilities seem different, but that may be due to my misunderstanding the TOMA concept.  (I.e., building relatively small but completed track and scenery sections in sequence rather than multiple sections without scenery to permit earlier operation.)

3.  Wouldn't saving the Coos Bay Branch be more of an exploitation of TOMA concepts than saving the rest of the Siskiyou Line?  It would seemingly allow more pre-sale prep work in the basement while preserving an area-based operation.

Best wishes for a successful transition to a new home and office,

Don, you did it again

HOLLY COW!!!

I thought it was bad enough when the Siskiyou Line site went away when MHR took over but I never thought the layout would go!!!   Say it ain't so Joe!  Please do a video of the last run!!!!!!!!!

Steve