When I was a teen I was crazy about Model Railroading. I loved (and still do) steam engines and I started to build this huge layout in my bedroom.
It was really way too big, and I didn’t really have any sort of track plan for it, so it never really went anywhere. It ended up getting torn down after a bit and I never really built another one.
I still bought the occasional piece of rolling stock when I saw one that I liked and even an engine or two. But it all ended up in boxes that moved with me a few times and then ended up in the basement.
When we had kids there really wasn’t any space to build a layout. I thought about the attic, and even got a land grant from my wife, but the space up there is a really weird shape and the slanted ceilings are too low. There just wasn’t any way to put a layout up there.
But now the kids are moved out and I got the okay to build in one of the bedrooms. I’m not going to fill the room with a huge layout, but rather a switching plan that fits in the corner.
I’m getting super excited about this project and I dug out all the boxes that have been in the basement since we moved in over 28 years ago.
It turns out I have way more model railroad stuff than I remembered! There was a ton of sectional track which I’m not going to use since the track made these days is far superior to the 35+ year old stuff I have. But I also discovered I probably have all the rolling stock I’ll need for a long time, including a brand new in the box steam engine.
I’ve been having a lot of fun using the SCARM (Simple Computer Aided Railway Modeller) software to figure out what I can fit in the space I have allocated. I’ve also been having fun looking at all the building kits available and choosing some for my layout.
I sold off some of the stuff I had purchased in the past that I knew I was never going to use due to the time period of the layout – early 1950’s so I can have late steam and early diesels.
I even bought a desk today (in the photo under the rolling stock) so that I’ll have a dedicated space to build the kits and work on the rolling stock.
I probably won’t start building the bench work for the layout until spring when I can cut up plywood in the garage. But I have lots of train cars and buildings to build, weather and get ready. I also discovered that I seem to have a life-time supply of Kadee couplers to install. I have no idea why I bought so many in the past.
So there will be blog posts coming about building the kits and other prep work. When I remember to make them anyway.
