Anxious to Build!

Gary S.

Senior Member
So my around-the-room layout is still in the design stages but I am really anxious to get to ripping and sawing and gluing and screwing the benchwork together, but I know I should wait until the plans are finalized. I've got the shelf rails mounted to the walls already. But I want to do some railroad work this weekend, not just sit around thinking and planning and erasing and erasing and erasing.

So what would you do in my position?

I could build some structures, but without the track plan, I want to hold off in case I need to do some bashing and redesigning to make them fit.

I could hit the LHS and buy a bunch of rolling stock kits and build those, but honestly I need to hold off on that too = everytime I go into the LHS I come out having spent about 4 times more than what I intended.

Maybe I should make a whole bunch of trees so they'll be done when the time comes to plant them?

Make some loads for the flat cars and gondolas?

Turn some 55 gallon drums?

Boxes and crates for the loading docks?

Put the tanks together for the tank farm and paint and weather them?

Hmm... weather some of the rolling stock?

all of the above?
 

MasonJar

It's not rocket surgery
Some of all of the above...! ;)

If you are reasonably sure that the buildings will need to be bashed to fit, then I would hold off for now. But all the other activities sound like fun...

Time spent making details like drums, boxes, and crates (and even trees) is never wasted. Some of the standard buildings even could be built, like the depot/station (if you have one) or the tanks for the fuel depot. Rolling stock projects are also lots of fun (I enjoy them, at least).

Andrew
 

Gary S.

Senior Member
Looks like a warm Christmas weekend for us down here, it is in the 70s and beautiful right now, bright blue skies and sunny. Perfect weekend for setting up the sawhorses in the driveway and using the power tools.

Instead, I will set up shop outside and go to town on the trees... poly fiber and hair spray! Will also get to the detail items I mentioned above.

Oh... I just got back from the LHS and have a few things to build too...
 

ausien

Active Member
I would have a beer and think about what I would do next, still cant deside.... have another beer... steve
 

GeorgeHO

Member
I am in a similar boat. I have been planning and buying and kitbashing for about a year, and finally made progress. I constructed a 2'6"x8' foam rectangle 4" thick which has a bunch of switches on it. After I check the layout for continuity and no shorts, I will set it up for single engine operation, and play with the switching, and size up my kitbashes to see how they fit. This is not intended to be a permanent layout, but the module could end up being incorporated (or modified) into a final big layout. The one advantage that I see is that I can play with the switching and see what I like for operation BEFORE I work on the permanent layout. Also the module conforms to some of the clubs who get together at the big shows, so I'm one step ahead if I decide to join.
 

Gary S.

Senior Member
Now that idea makes perfect sense! (not the beer, but the "practice" module;) )

That would give me some needed experience before I jump into the permanent layout.
 
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