I am studying options for the new house in Houston TX. Jennifer has suggested that I put a layout in one stall of the garage, leaving enough room for a car in the other, but Being able to use the second stall area when a car is parked in there, and using the workshop as a combination sitting room and work room.
Likely the TV and sterio will be out there too. I might be able to fit crooked creek down one wall of the garage, with shelves on the back wall, possibly extending into the workshop. A logging camp, crooked Creek, and staging would provide some good operational possibilities.
I 'm studying the possibility of using Harlow, southern staging, the Helix and my new gizzard at the lake. The helix nook Is 26 inches deeper than the rest of the room, so Harlow yard , and the shelf above it could be rebuilt considerably wider. Looking at my original plans, Harlow yard, and the shelf above it could be 2.5 feet wide, as wide as crooked creek, excepting the dogbone at Tom's Bend, instead of 9 inches.
Unlikely I could make the narrow gauge go anywhere; and such a set up would have limited delivery locations, but Southern Staging could be used as a destination for log trains as well as the Southern interchange, and trains could be turned down there.
Will have to do a lot of study, and negotiations on how much space will be available at the lake.
Our Neighbors bought a vacant lot adjacent to both our lots, and might sell half of it to us. Jennifer is interested in building a detached garage across the driveway, farther up the hill, so there would be no steep grade between the garage and the road.
This would remove any need to park a car under the house, and would free up space for RR, as the only competition would boat and tool storage, and laundry.
When we sell the farm, we will likely want to add onto the lake house, adding a master suite, more closet space, an interior staircase to the basement, Moving the laundry area up to the main floor. This could Create , and free up lot more basement space.
Also, Jennifer has mentioned the possibility of tearing down the garage at the new house, and rebuilding a garage with a bonus room above for trains; So there may be much more opportunities for train space in the future; so the big question is how much of my old layout do I want to hang on to.
Every time I have built something, it's been an improvement. I love the potential of my current set up, but it is the result of struggling with a difficult space for 35 years.
The pieces of my current RR all reflect that struggle. Now I have to weigh the cost and benefits of recycling layout parts vs starting over designing for the available space.
In retrospect the best I have ever done in layout design was the Bumpass modules; and the biggest error I have ever made in layout design was building a layout around them.
Putting Crooked Creek in a garage without heat or air will get me to full operations quickly, and I will be re soldering busted joints on my hand laid switches twice a year.
Part of my brain wants to save as much as possible of my current RR, And the other part wants to salvage the buildings , track and bridges, and start over, aiming at maximum use of the available space. Had I not built around Bumpass 40 years ago, Bumpass would have survived, and I’d have a portable I could take anywhere, and have 45 minutes to an hour of operations after 15-20 minutes of set up.
My big quandary now is should I save as much as possible of my current RR, or pack up the buildings and the commercial track, stow it all in boxes, and build two entirely new RRs ; or three, part of me really wants to build Bumpass squared , a small sectional RR that could easily be transported to shows.
Not very long ago , I was worried about a car shortage, And quite likely now I’ll have a large car surplus , It is hard for me to get my self to do anything for my trains right now. Perhaps If I can see the space in Houston next weekend, I can get fired up about planning.
