Being in HO won't matter. You can still build a module. Which if nothing else, you can use for testing engines, rolling stock, etc. Get all those wheels gauged and checked. Make sure your couplers are all set. Boxcab E50
I'm seriously looking into building a 10' x 2' switching layout in my room. I have a track plan written up. I'll post it online when I get back from visiting my cousins for Christmas. I leave today and get back on the 2nd.
10x2 is a really nice sized switching layout. I look forward to seeing the kind of plans you draw up.
Hmm - 12 x 12 and insulated - how about one of those little "milkhouse" electric heaters with a fan? They run around $15.00 and have a 500 watt and 1000 watt setting with a thermostat. A small kerosene heater would warm that shed up quick - can be a little messy, though. I have a radiant heater in the garage that mounts to the ceiling and swivels so I can direct the heat. It has two settings - 500 and 1000 watts, and has a halogen light in it.
I got my layout planning thread up! You can see it here: http://www.trainboard.com/ultimatebb.php/ubb/get_topic/f/8/t/001766/p/1.html#000002 Nice idea Tim. I'll look into it.
Skipper When I got back into modeling I tried building the “whole” layout and it failed miserably. It has literally taken me almost two years to get back into doing a layout. However, all was not lost. In the meantime I decided that the best way to learn was to do things on a smaller scale, one scene at a time. I therefore began building dioramas with the intention that they some day would be part of a much layout. Eventually I got around to running a temporary layout with some of the completed dioramas hooked in. Now I finally started the layout rebuild. Doing the smaller scenes/dioramas I was able to learn and challenge myself. My first diorama was a Water Tower. It has only two structures a water tower and a shed, but it is heavy on scenery. I had to learn how to make trees, color rocks, ballast track, etc. The satisfying part was that when it was done I had completed something. On the previous layout attempt there was too much unfinished areas which in the long run discouraged me. Also on the layout my mistakes were compounded by the size. If I screwed something up like ballasted track I screwed up several feet of track. When I messed up on the diorama I only messed up a foot of track. You can look at my efforts and see how easy it is to “divide and conquer” the layout. Water Tower Diorama Passenger Station Diorama Grain Elevator Diorama Farm House Diorama I am participating in the Winter Layout Party and hopefully before it is finished one or more of the dioramas will be fitted in place.
