6 years 45 weeks

Yep and I still have no HOME layout.  I do have a small shelf layout with all the track and no scenery, a bunch of unitrack on the shelves I put up for my home layout, a Woodland Scenics "Scenic Ridge" layout that I want to build with the grandkids, and my Free-Mo N scale modules.

  Is that making you feel better, or worse?

Now I feel better...

I had been lamenting that after starting my layout 3 years ago and making great progress the first year, the last 2 years have seen me working on it only during 1 or 2 months out of each year. Sorry to hear of the long times with no layout work started/progressing.  Reading of the long droughts, now I feel lucky I have worked on mine even during the couple months each year.  Just did some small things last Friday for the first time in 7 months.  Might get a couple hours on it today.

I hope you get the chance to get your layout going this year.

Good luck.

Is that making you feel

I don't feel I'm on my own, that's for sure.

3 years 29 weeks

MRH member for 3 years and 29 weeks. I will celebrate the first anniversary of the first track laid on my layout in progress in about two weeks. I think I'm moving along pretty well. You can judge for yourself here: 

https://forum.mrhmag.com/post/bopc-cincinnati-west-construction-12196885

Randy

7 years 17 weeks

I was shocked when I checked my account. 7 years 17 weeks! When did that happen? But in all that time I've started 5 layouts and destroyed 4 of them.. At least I'm productive !

(No subject)

6 years and 26 weeks

And two layouts:  One in Georgia about 50% complete and my current layout ???% complete.

Gaps

Built a layout in 1989.  Moved to Arkansas in 1991.  Took down the layout.

No basements in Arkansas.  Layout in storage.  Moved to Salt Lake  City in 1993.

Layout in storage.  Moved to Omaha in 1994.

Finished basement.  Started layout in 1999.

Got 12x23 layout to operating state by about 2005.

Decided I didn't like the design.

2006 decided to change era from 1950 to 1905. 

2008 had redesign completed.  Started tearing down old layout and recycling into new layout (different footprint).

2011 had an operating layout.

2013 decided to move.  Dismantled the layout.

2014 moved into new house.  Redesigned layout with same era and territory, new footprint 23x24 room.

March 2015 began construction on new layout.  1900-1905 era, W&N branch of the Reading (Reading, PA to Wilmington, DE), handlaid code 55/70 track, NCE DCC, manual switch controls.

June 2016 half the benchwork in, Wilmington terminal about 2 months from being an operating ISL (phase 1).Goal is to have first half of layout operating and hosting op sessions by June 2017.

7 yrs 5 weeks

Wow where did that go. I have a layout in progress but it's been reworked at least three times as I learned more. Perhaps it's a progressive chainsaw one. I have learned a lot and also failed a lot, have far too many locos and not enough layout

i need to stop doing the home bores and get back into it for a big push forward. 

Cheers and I love this website as there is so much to see and read

Simon

Melbourne Australia

7 yrs 10 weeks

Funny, I thought about posting something on my 7 year anniversary, but didn't know what to post about.

I had a 4x8 layout back in 1986, but never really finished it and it got destroyed in 2003 I believe.  Wasn't a chainsaw layout, there is a backstory that no one cares about.

I joined a club in 1986 too and have that 12x65 layout as "my" layout, nice I can do work, run trains.  Only thing wrong is I had to drive 1/2 hour to get to it instead of walking to my basement, but its "complete" and I did I mention I can run trains, and could from the first day I joined.

So I don't have my own layout, but I do have a layout to use.

7 years and 18 weeks

Don't worry about the lack of layout progress. I started my rather modest-sized layout when my youngest son was less than a year old. He's now going into sixth grade this fall and roughly half the layout still lacks any scenery, and about a third of what has been done has already been replaced or destroyed because it was either so badly done or not robust enough to resist the rampages of Kittyzilla.

Jim

Right behind you!

I joined the MRH community 4-1/2 years ago after starting a new job with regular hours. This also left my home office free to build a layout. Not the ideal space but the layout has now grown, one section at a time, to fill the whole room. 

The idea of building a layout is like making soup. You gather a lot of stuff you like until it starts going in the pot. It may not come out as planned so the journey is as much fun as the end goal. I too have lots of extra ingredients.

In retrospect the idea of a small switching layout or single town could easily have occupied all this time and I would have had as much fun, or more. This is the year to get started. Two or three 2'x4' sections would suit me in On30. Let us know what you enjoy and the space you have and the ideas will come like a proverbial flood!

Neil Erickson, Hawaii

3 yrs 37 weeks

In two weeks, I will have spent a year building my O scale short line.

Obviously, no speed records are being broken during this build. However, I am enjoying every minute and every spike of it.

5 years 46 weeks

I have to echo Neil's thoughts on building a layout. "The idea of building a layout is like making soup. You gather a lot of stuff you like until it starts going in the pot. It may not come out as planned so the journey is as much fun as the end goal."

My first "real" layout was started in 1975 (Two cab DC) in McPherson, KS. I moved that layout (build in sections so it could be moved) to Montgomery, AL in 1979. Basically worked stopped with the birth of my son in 1980. THe layoutout was moved again in 1982  to Grand Junction, CO. For a lack of space and time nothing happened untill my son went off to college and a "train room" was finished in 1998. The old layout was "reconfigured" for the new space and a little different theme. DCC was put in place on the new layout. Trains never really ran on that layout. In 2004 divorce left me with no space for a layout. In 2010 I had space and time for a layout again. What you see in my signature is my current layout.

5 Years 25 Weeks

Prior to discovering MRH,  I was biding my time building rolling stock and the like and waiting on my boys to "vacate" the basement after high school graduation ( ping pong, foosball, air hockey, general tomfoolery with their buds..) then the layout build would commence. But then, horror of horrors, I was introduced to prototype operations and OpSig and my life changed drastically.  My oldest has been out for 4 years and the youngest a year, yet I am no closer to a build than I was 5 years ago.  Got the space, got a plan, but no gumption to get at it. I quite literally spend 30+ weekends a year at various ops around IN / IL / MI / OH and I'm having a blast. I've made friends with  a lot of great guys, operated on some fantastic layouts ( with quite a number of them having been published in the model press) and I'm not looking to curtail this activity anytime soon.  When the phone rings or the e-mail beckons another Saturday / Sunday session, I just can't say no.  So, even though I have no layout, I look at it as at least a trade off in hobby time as I still spend plenty of time being a throttle jockey.  I will admit it would be nice to have a crew travel to MY PLACE occasionally instead of my usual o-dark thirty departures from home.  My choice though.   Good luck to all in your endeavors. 

Jeff  "Someday?" Youst  EL Marion 2nd Sub 1964

Yes, it is like making soup that has no "use by" date

I love the "like making soup" comparison.  Thanks Neil!

I am about 3 1/2 years into my journey.  Spent a long time reading and re-reading Armstrong's "Track Planning for Realistic Operations."  Spent a long time drawing track plans that came close to fitting in the available space (11' x 7') and finally came up with something that was a good enough compromise.  Benchwork took longer than I thought or wanted, but it was completed in about a year.  I finished my "mainline" and the most important sidings about a year ago.  Using Central Valley tie strips and Microengineering rail and FastTracks filing jigs for "not quite handlaid" trackwork.  I think building the turnouts and laying the track has been my favorite activity so far.  Still left to do: my classification yard, where lots of the planned operations will occur and my roll-away staging yard.  Have barely started on scenery and structures, although there are some of each that are in place.

I gathered lots of stuff that I like, and all of it is related to my theme of Erie RR in the Delaware River area in the early 1950s.  But, I am sure (my wife knew this from day 1) that I gathered more good stuff than I probably will be able to really use.

For the last few months, events and also my mood have brought construction to a temporary  total stop.  These days, I am more likely to run a very simple freight down the mainline while drinking my morning coffee than to make further progress.  It is ok.  Everything is reliable so far

I always told myself "I don't know if I will ever finish and I don't know if I will like all aspects of building a complete layout, but I love model trains and railroad/industrial history."  This is a journey for sure.  There is so much to learn along the way.  I enjoyed reading this thread, and clearly there are plenty of us on a similar journey along the rails (or along the imaginary rails).  Then there are the modelers who complete huge layouts.  I cannot imagine how they pull that off, but they do!  This hobby has a very broad range of participants.

Dennis

The last layout I had was

The last layout I had was when I was a teenager and it was in the attic of my parents home.  A career in the Army, then a second career in local law enforcement pretty much kept me idle.  Then in 2007 I hung up my badge and gun and started back into the hobby in earnest.  3 years later, well into the planning and acquiring the bits and pieces and working up my modeling skills, I let the sheriff talk me into going back to work for him.  I spent 3 years basically just spending money on the hobby, buying locomotives and rolling stock.  I retired again, this time for good (I hope) and over the winter I built the benchwork and started on the first section of my layout.

I'm finally building the IC in 1955 from Centralia, IL to Effingham, IL.  I am building it in sections and then will put the sections together to form the layout.  The plan is to complete each section, benchwork, track, wiring and scenery before starting the next.

Jeff White

Alma, IL

7 years 51 weeks

Well, I was user account #52, and I think a lot of the previous ones were throwaway tests. 

I've got my layout to a tipping point.... it's done enough to really start having fun with it. I just need to get out there and do it. 

Right at the moment though I'm working on freight cars. 

1 year 45 weeks with MRH

Updated title of my reply from "10 years" to 1 year 45 weeks with MRH; now 46 weeks... I mistook the time-line beings quoted, in hopes to share the good feeling of being involved in the model railroading hobby; what ever the interest and "progress". BTW, My line -1 is running.

In early 2006 construction started with demolition; actually, the removal of way too much stuff stuffed into an old 1-car/shop building. With half of the junk tossed, donated, or recycled, the layout construction started with a 7 foot wide octagon bench, supporting a swap-meet purchased, used, 5' diameter, 6-level (now 4-level) helix.

My free-lance layout is 175 SF in a 325 SF room. I'm building 4 tracks with return-bulb on each end, in 4-elevations from bench to 16" elevation. The bench with buss lines and track feeders are installed with storage cabinets underneath. About 2/3 of the layout's plywood-cut roadbed is installed. Line-1 (on bench) and Line-2 tracks are laid.

This weekend I hope to get the DCC track power connected to Line-1 (Bench level) and run a locomotive.

(Oh look, it's my 1st post/reply.)

Holy Moly, 7 years 45 weeks......................

..........for me!  No wonder my next birthday is the dreaded seven oh!      Yikes, I better hurry up!

Layout is "progressing" with bench-work done and handlaid track about 60% done.  Have constructed turntable, engine house, sand house and water tank for engine servicing.  I get side tracked by rebuilding re-powering and tuning up old brass and adding good quality sound.  All my completed locomotives will run < 1 smph.  This is good as the O scale layout is small so the slower they run, the better.  Hey, it's all fun but the dream of a "finished layout" is dwindling............................

Peter

7 years and 47 weeks

I just checked my account and it says that I have been on  MRH for 7 years and 47 weeks. Not sure what user account number I am or how to check.

I met Joe at the Anaheim Convention Center, he was handing out disks with a new concept, something called Model Railroad Hobbyist. 

We were trying to get away from the Yahoo chat site.

How time flies.

--Bill B.

4 yrs 32 wks

Tore my last layout up about 1 1/2 yrs ago. Since we moved into a much smaller house I decided to start over in N scale. Suppose to be creating a space in a small barn bought for craft stuff. Due to life events that is being postponed for ?????​ So when I couldn't stand the itch anymore I set up a 3x5 in my office space, which also has my work bench and about 50 yrs worth of MR, RMC, Gazettes and a few others. It's crowded in here!!

I have come to a conclusion. I am not here to dream, but to do something, anything, and plan as I go. So I create with trains and enjoy it.

Jack

Seven years 34 weeks - time

Seven years 34 weeks - time do fly when you are having fun. Had 8' long On30 Arroyo Mines layout on the wall in Las Vegas, sold the house in November 2012 to go to Carson City for 2013 legislative session with plan to retire to Ocean View beach area home post session. Retirement became a year long transition with monthly trips back to Nevada. Finally retired end of June 2014. Plans to build RR room in half of two car garage fell victim to life and hip replacement surgery end of July 2015. Foot surgery for my wife spring 2016 created another roadblock. Now it is July 2016 and I plan to get the wall built this summer and have my POD full of trains shipped here in September. We will see.

Bill Uffelman

Know what you mean

I was doing fine on home layout kinds of things until I joined an operation-oriented club, and took on a part-time contract editing copy for an online model railroading magazine . . .