Mini Layouts??

Tileguy

Member
Well guys, I hate to say it,but yesterday was a clincher for me.I was working on kitbashing a building and having a hard time of it straining my eyes and got hit with a headache.I should say,another headache.It seems everytime i work on this small scale anymore i'm straining to see.
Its taking the fun out of my favorite hobby.
I ve come to a very painful decision.My n scale home layout is not going to be completed and what is done is coming out.
I will continue with the mini here and there spreading out the work until ive reached a point here it makes a nice portable display layout.
Other than that, I'm changing scales!!!
I left HO many years ago ,sold all my stuff and switched to N. Now i am going the other way except I am going to Bypass HO straight to On30.

I am not going to make the same mistake i did when leaving HO and sell everything I own in N. I am going to sell off most of my stuff though keeping only a couple favorites that fit my mini and a few pieces of rolling stock Plus what i need to complete my Mini.(and I have alot of stuff, an awful lot!!!)
This may be a boon for those of you around here that need stuff as I am going to give my Gauge friends 1st shot before going the Ebay route.

I will list in several categories the inventory I will be selling over the next few weeks starting with structures.(this will be in the buy and sell forum)
Categories will be as follows

Structure Kits (Many are brand new, some highly collectible,some discontinued ,some built or started.These are all complete)

Track, accessories DCC and electrical(some new some used.Many turnouts)

Locomotives(steam and diesel in a variety of roads + unlettered)

Rolling Stock(including many rare and hard to find and alot of MT's)

Scratchbuilding and Kitbashing material(New and kit leftovers,partial packs etc)
Misc(figures,vehicles,Kits,detail parts,wheelsets,couplers,JNJ,MT etc)

So save a few dollars of your budget,I'll be starting with structures Today :)
 

Matthyro

Will always be re-membered
I sympathize with you tileguy. For me to keep going in N means using my trusty opti-visor. I couldn't do what I do without it. Good luck with your move to On30
 

Tileguy

Member
Thanks Robin. Ive got an Optivisor but using it all the time hurts my eyes.I am not bailing completly this time like I said. I'll keep the Mini and over time i'll max it out.It will be my diversion from the main layout when i need to step back.

Somebody wrote a neat description of On30 somewhere on 1 of the forums.
It went Something like On30,when your 30 years to old for N :D

Its certainly going to be differant,i sure do like the amount of character and personality that a layout can achieve with this new kid on the block . Fortunatly,it's an affordable scale also.:)

I looked at S narrow a couple years ago but with the cost of just a couple of PBL loco's i determined it was going to take a wealthier man than me.By the time I added DCC and sound i would have had 2500.00 in a couple of low muscle low hustle mobile water heaters :D
 

Tileguy

Member
Just something that came to mind... I love your Main Street picture, and I've seen lots of layouts like the one you show, but they have one of two problems -- either the buildings front on to the tracks (which is patently ridiculous) or they back on to them, so you can't see the street itself that you've spent so much time making. How about having Main Street at the front of the layout (with or without the road at the extreme front edge), and then the scruffy back yards and loading areas can be next to the tracks?

Charles

After reading through this again Charles,one must remember that there is a prototype for almost every situation.Now that doesnt mean its plausible but it could be depending on where we are setting our RR.

For example, Have you ever been to Wallace, Idaho??

http://hometown.aol.com/Gibson0817/wallace.htm
http://wallace-id.com/photos.html

At one time the mainline went right down the middle of main street.Its one of the most colorful little old west towns ive ever had the pleasure to visit and the entire town is on the national registar of historic places.Definitly one worth modeling for someone interested in old time mountain railroading :)
 

Tileguy

Member
Yes it is easier on the eyes. I'm working on some Logging shacks at the moment.However, seeing as this thread is about a Mini Layout, Heres a couple pics of where it is at.
 

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  • Mini Layout.jpg
    Mini Layout.jpg
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atsf_arizona

New Member
Good pics, folks!

My layout is pretty small, 4 feet by 4 feet, made of two modules back to back:

small_af_Peavine_Line_12_7_04.jpg


layout_overview_Glendale.jpg


The track plan is:

My_Layout_today_with_curve_radius_noted.GIF


More about the little layout is at:

http://home.comcast.net/~j.sing/Peavine_Layout_Overview.html
 
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