Thanks for your encouraging comments guys. Geeee...I needed them.
I'm pretty frustrated with the layout at present for the following reasons:-
1) When there was only track on the baseboard, it looked as if there was an enormous space to be filled with scenery/buildings/whatever. Now that ballast and intervening areas covered with general scrub/grass etc, the space between tracks won't hold much.
2) I was happy to scratchbuild kitbash part relief buildings against the backdrop. After bashing two with lights, I find it's tedious making the interiors lightproofed and making windows that would look good by daylight AND night! Also my accumulation of HO buildings kits don't particularly fit the general theme I had in mind.
3) I have old time 36' and 40' cars plus mid 20th century 50' cars and find the "run-around" track will be "a wee bit dodgy" as regards clearance for 50' cars. This will restrict movement of some stock I have.
4) I have a fair amount of Preiser figures representing mid to late 19th century. At present I can't place them as they are mostly for streets or train passengers. I had intended changing times to suit my mood from time to time so designing a range of buildings to suit such a wide timespan doesn't come easily to me so I leave off thinking about it and just run trains on only one leg of the "L" pike.
5) My biggest mistake was to dive in with construction BEFORE thinking about preparing the room for it. I believe I am certainly not alone in doing this
. The lighting is rubbish (Two strip lights) way too close to the pike mounted under kitchen wall cabinets a mere 14" above the pike. If I relocate the cabinets they will have to be mounted in the area I've set aside for my next N gauge layout. Talk about being caught between a rock and a hard place?
.
6) I have 5" clearance between the layout frame and the work surfaces it rests upon. No way can I easily get under it to add wiring! Fortunately I planned the wiring before connecting the modues and ballasting the tracks over the joint.
There are times I sit and look at it (and look at it, and look at it
)
and am pleased with the progress ....... BUT ..... lapse into near despair because of these dimensional restrictions I've created for myself. Surely there are others who despair at times for similar reasons?
Lessons learned the HARD way????? Planning, planning, planning.....paper plans are easier to alter than a room or a pike!
Hell, at my age I should have known better... but you know what enthusiasm does to us huh?
.
I'm alone on my projects and appreciate your encouragement as well as my wife's. You guys have given me inspiration and a kind of companionship I've not had before. Thanks for being here.
I shall endure (once I have another beer
)
Errol
