Model RR in a mobile update

I'm all moved into my mobile home- 70'x16'- and i'll be starting with a outside wall streach that is almost 50' long with only a short wall to deal with. Better than christmas when i was a kid! Ultimate goal- all the way around the place with return loops on each side of the front door- appx. 150+ feet of model RR 1 to 3 feet deep, and this will have 2 seperate levels, so almost a football field length of 2 track mainline. Curt

 

Sounds neat Curt. Be sure and post the updates. What theme are you going to use? Also have you decided on type of operations, industries etc?
Let us know.
thanks,
Bill

 

Thanks for the interest Bill. I've been model RRing for lots of years, and i'm putting together all i've always wanted to do in this layout. My theme is centered around the "if the real RRs had done it right in Arizona" idea, and will be set in the present time. My RR, the Orca Mt. RR is a combination of the many short lines that operated in the NE mountains of Az over the years that supported the copper, cattle, coal and timber industries here, but have mostly gone out of business. In my world there is no long haul trucking because they couldn't compete with our rates and quality of service. Most finished goods are hauled in containers and LTCL is a big part of our business. I love passenger trains, so there will be a lot of commuters, excursion trains and thru traffic. It is cheaper to ride the train between towns than drive. My motive power centers around ten GG-1Ds that are GG-1s converted to diesel power. Having lots of room and two seperate levels allows me to run to an ocean port[mountains and oceans my two great loves] with a container ship dock, etc. Oh, and two track mainline all the way around. DCC with sound is coming as soon as i start my next job. Curt

 

Another Arizona buddy! Welcome!

I love your idea, I never thought about it...and some of these old are so cheap for an inexpensive weather resistant shelter...thatnks.

 

Yes Benny, i think people in most places would be surprised how inexpensive used mobile homes are. Before i decided to get one i could live in too, i looked at what are called "fixer uppers" just to build a RR in. They usually needed new floor covering, etc.-i found several up here in the mountains for 2 to 3 thousand dollars that ran 50'-60'x12'-14'. That's a LOT of model railroading space! You could build all the way around the outside wall and have return loops on both sides of the front door like i plan to-that alone in my 16'x70' is 150' of mainline-for my two level layout, i'll have the length of a football field. If you took a 14'x 60'er just for a model RR, you could run around the walls 24"s wide and have a peninsula 50'x36" down the middle with a partition down the middle of it and end up with somthing like 220' of mainline, and still have 7' of width for aisles and work space. That's why i've been dreaming of this since i was a kid. Curt

 

I'm living in my mobile right now, but in a couple months i will be going back on active duty in the Navy, so will decide when i fly down to check out the base if i'll accept base housing or stay in my mobile off base-either way the mobile will accompany me on my move. It's in real good shape outside and inside except that the previous owners had a little dog who seems to have used the carpeting as his private bathroom, so new floor covering will be installed next week. I'll start my first construction on the layout [see my thread under layout design forum] right after that. Curt