No attempt to salvage

No attempt to salvage anything?

"This weekend I tore down my

  Are you planning a new layout ? If so what will be the main difference between the old and new? .....DaveB 

The Salvage

I pulled some of the grass mats up and saved a piece of the backdrop as color refrence, but everything else is basically unuseable on the new layout. It's easier to start over from scratch really.

New Layout

Dave, check out the trackplan for my new layout:  http://mfrailroad.blogspot.com/2018/11/the-track-plan.html I've also got a Youtube channel tracking the construction process:  https://www.youtube.com/user/MFTRailroad

It's still early days, but I'll be modeling the same RR, just more of it, in a 14x20 foot room. 

Nice Concept Matt

I went through there in the summer of 1970. Lots of tall trees and sudden bursts of civilization. The scenery aspect should be fun like you said.

Jack

The first cut is the toughest...

About 2 years ago I demo’d an N scale layout I worked on for over 10 years and made the switch to HO. First cut was a though one.....once I started I never looked back. 

"check out the trackplan for

   Hi Matt, Very nice plan I like the spacing and density of features. Seems like it will capture the feel of the area quite well. Two things I might consider are adding one more track to the hidden staging so you can have the mainline open and three for trains not moving or for car storage. The room looks wide enough that a few more inches of benchwork width wouldn't be a problem there( assuming the total width would not be too much for rear of staging access?)  The other thing might be to try and add a second track to your engine facility if you need to have more engines or other equipment there( flangers, ballast cars, etc?). I think the size of the layout hits the sweet spot of being interesting to build and operate but not so large as to dominate one's life for decades. Looking forward to your progress updates...DaveB

Glue

Just a little glue and they will be perfectly fine!

Joe

Lumber ain't getting any cheaper

That is some good wood wasted.  Personally I would have saved the lumber for re-use.  When I tore down my last layout, I even saved the rail joiners, track nails and spkes, drywall screws etc.  Even the shorter pieces and scrap wood I boxed up and moved as I almost always find uses for it for risers or other things. 

Cost of lumber has gone up and saving lumber is money saved on any future layout, unless money isn't an object. 

Having been raised by depression era parents, I cringe when I see useful things being sent to the landfill when they could be re-used with only a little effort.

Good Thoughts

Thank you for the kind words and good thoughts everyone. I'd save more of the lumber, but there wasn't much of it to begin with. Plus I am using a completely different construction technique on my new layout so I'm not sure much of it would translate over very well anyway.  I did consider briefly saving the flex track as I put a lot of effort into weathering and detailing the track work... Actually, I just might go outside and rip that off the layout right now...

@DaveB As far as the new plan goes, I don't think I have enough space to work a 4th turnout into the right side of the layout before the curve. My plan is to have 3 tracks to store trains with the selected train's storage track becoming its mainline when I am running that particular train.  A second spur at the engine house is a good idea. I purposely went very conservative with my trackplan knowing that once flextrack meets plywood I might find I have enough room to squeeze in more trackwork if desired. I could also see the cement factory getting a second track as well.