Best place for a modest N scale Layout?

Most of the time we have to settle for what real estate is available when it comes to a model railroad layout. However, what if you could choose your home with a modest N scale layout in mind? By modest I mean approximately 100 foot of one level bench work. Would you prefer a basement or a large family room? Would you consider knocking out a wall between two bedrooms? Would you finish an unfinished basement of use it as is? Would you prefer a walkout basement? Would a finished attached or detached garage be the better choice?

Cost of the home is a major factor and the style of home has not yet been determined; however if the consensus is I need a basement then I will make every attempt to obtain one. On the other hand I would like to explore other options and opinions.


Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

 

I would choose the walkout basement option for the simple reason that having friends over or an open house could mean not having people troop through the house.
Also the bringing in of lumber, plywood, and other material becomes easier, plus the design of a walkout with usually one wall of the basement above grade would make it easier to have ventilation for a spray booth. The option of a separate workspace is there along with a small bathroom and counter and fridge. And one with a proper slope away from the walkout portion usually doesn't have water issues. Plus you also can take advantage of the home HVAC system that you don't have using a separate outbuilding. In otherwords the ideal mancave.

 

I agree with the walkout basement idea. Also they tend to be part of houses with great hillside locations and view to match, although the bang / buck ratio can be a lot lower with this type of house.

 

Yes, in fact any layout I build will utilize the modular design concept I am considering. Even if I build an around the room design I will use the modular concept. It reminds me of the Sievers bench work concept. Once the modules are assembled the layout can be as permanent as I want it to be. I also like the fact that the sky board will be an integral part of my bench work.

Stairs are not an issue for me yet, however that is something to seriously consider over the long term.

 

All good points guys! I hope I can find the home of my dreams (with walkout basement) at the price I can afford. If not I still have to consider other options. What about a family room and install sliding glass doors to the outside?

 

If I Hit The Lottery
Given an open budget I would have a separate room with HVAC and filtered air.
In the real world I first used a spare bedroom. This was followed, (as a bachelor), I built one through my dining / living room. Now? I have reduced my footprint by 50 square feet and built along the walls in a series of shelves that are still in the dining / room.

 

I prefer the family room for two reasons. First, I would rather be closer to my loved ones while playing with my trains than I would be in an out of the way room or basement. Second, because basements, even finished ones, can get awful cold during the winter. Of course on the plus side the stay cooler during the summer.

 

Some place with better heat than my basement. Definitely.

All things considered, my dream home would have a semi-detached workshop (just a breeze way between that and main house) with an adjacent rec room featuring trains and games. The rec room would have filtered, controlled humidity air and smell of paint and saw dust. Well, the smell wouldn't be by design, but it would surely happen.

 

If I did not hit the Lottery:
For Me:
Small - short shelf layout - family room, living room, or ? anyplace with HVAC
Modest - door size give or take - stored under the bed
Large modest - Loop to Loop of any given length - anyplace with HVAC
Terms of of size are relative sooo, I have to qualify my responses. If it is to be in a family or living room then I encourage a family partisipation in some form ranging from basic design to actual construction.

 

Have heard of a few horror stories on basement or garage layouts. IF I owned a home instead of renting...trains would definately be on the same level as living area. Central heat and AC being a big reason. Consistent temperature levels makes a BIG difference. Trust this from a guy who has his dream layout in an RV !!! Dont get me wrong...I love it...has heat and AC. But going out in the middle of winter thru 2 feet of snow early in the morning...to turn the heater on and having to wait while the temperature rises from sub freezin before I can run trains is a drawback. Along with track expansion and contraction issues with those temperature swings. I hear basements and garages can have similar temp problems...and other...somewhat worse problems...so I have read. JMO YMMV

 

Jerry, There are a few more things to consider. Do you enjoy operations on your layout? Are you part of a operating group? If you plan on operating your layout with a group of people or are already part of a operating group, you may want to consider a basement or family room that has it's own entrance to the outside. That way your operators can come and leave on a operating night without marching though the house and disturbing the rest of the family. If you are a lone wolf operator, then my choice would be a spare bedroom or family room. Will you also have a work shop or will all work be done in the layout room? If all work is to be done in the layout room, you may want to choose a area where you can close the door to cut down on the noise when building bench work or the smell when painting scenery / buildings, etc. In my opinion, all things to consider when trying to find that perfect layout room with a house attached.

 

We don't have basements here in California, at least most people don't, and my garage is full of stuff (and if it wasn't full of stuff, it would have a 1:1 scale automobile living in it instead of staying out in the driveway). Plus, even if my layout was in the garage, I wouldn't want it to be home to rats and spiders and whatnot -- at least not the 1:1 scale variety.

I would love a large layout as anyone would, but honestly, I've been working on this 4x8' layout for six and a half years now, and though I have been able to run trains on the mainline since 2010, I permanently fastened the last piece of mainline track to the roadbed just a few days ago...so even if I had a large space, would I even get to all of it?

 

I'm reading you loud and clear guys! Main floor of home with HVAC, separate entrance door and possibly a door to keep the cat out. Since operations are a big thing for me a separate entrance is high on the list of needs. If a walkout basement was available it would have to be tied into the HVAC system with year round climate control. George, If an out building was available, year round climate control would be a must and a covered walk way to the house, lol. Rich, I like the idea of finding that perfect layout room with a house attached. Garages usually do not have HVAC and there are bug, bird and dirt issues to contend with.

I'm window shopping at the moment within my expected budget. These parameters will cut my search time and direct me to homes with more potential for a model railroading layout.

Thanks everyone for your incite and suggestions.

 

If you're thinking about other folks coming over for operations sessions, an adjacent bathroom is almost a must. Whether it's a shared rec room or dedicated train space, having people tromp through the entire house to get to the can not only makes for more of a mess, but also makes the disappearances longer. A distinctly different area for drinks so no one is hovering near the layout with their coffee is also very much a must in my mind.

 

I suppose the word "modest" means differing things to different people. for me, modest is nothing like dream layout, just as dream layout is anything but modest ;-)

I would want climate controlled/moisture controlled space that is simply comfortable to be in and work/play in. ideally it would be on the same level as main living space, rather being off to another level.

something that would allow size enough for a Pennsy 4 track main with lots of Appalachian Mountains and Valleys and a large passenger station.

as modestly as that could all be

peace,
Gary L Lake Dillensnyder

 

Another Calif resident here but I have a house that is on a hill and has a roughed out basement under it. Some day I plan on finishing that basement and using it as a train/hobby/work shop...some day. For now I use a spare bedroom for all of that. The garage is already full of other stuff (with almost enough room for 1 car). Current 'layout' is N Trak modules and a small layout that I want to restart as a HDC layout. Just something that I can run trains on and enjoy without having to find a place where I can set up a couple of dozen modules first.

 

Well I had the same questions, and thought I had the answer until foreseen forces (criminal activity) came to bear on my solution. I do have a home in Phoenix that I will be retiring to that has a walk in basement and about 2000 sq ft of fully climate controlled space. This was a custom house I built a few years ago with these same questions in mind. I am still thinking about resurrecting my previous solution, which was a dedicated building on some land I owned up in the mountains near George (mtntrainman), but not the the scale it was previously.

 

Climate control would be my first consideration, then location followed by ease of access. Ultimately, it is my hobby, I have to be comfortable while protecting my investment. Then, adapt to the space I have available and consider how people will visit the layout. Most folks probably won't show the layout off to too many folks anyways. If you like to show your talents off, consider a portable "show" layout you can set up at different events. I've been modeling for 35 years or more and a big empty basement sounds nice to us space challenged folks but at the end of the day, I'll take a spare bedroom anytime over a cold, damp unfinished basement with trains in it.

 

David, I have been giving that some thought before your post. Most walkout basements are on the back side of the home and usually concealed by embankments on either side. This gives any would be criminal a great place to park a vehicle and load out your valuables. Sorry to hear of your experience; however I have been there myself and it has raised my security awareness as well.

Unfortunately when you open up your house to family and friends or acquaintances you run the risk of running into a bad apple directly or indirectly through word of mouth. The alternative would be to live as a hermit. I have made conscious choices to keep my valuables out of sight, with some under lock and key and above all keep my mouth shut. I also use cheap home security methods using motion lights, fake video cams and ADT signs. If anyone asks questions, I drop the conversation.