Completion isn't the goal, enjoyment is. This layout exists for no other person but you. I find it's fun to make up a little story and let that lead the way. Paint over the graffiti, (Local council beautification project) Rip out the car park (Greenies won a vote) Swap out your locos (New management fixing the mistakes of the old). Best of luck!
This Hobby is Totally different to how I perceived it to be when I stuck my Toe in 5 years ago, and my Layout has evolved along with the knowledge I’ve gained - The Beauty of this Hobby Is that its Subjective - Some are in it for the trains, others for the Scenics, and you do what makes you happy, there is no Right or wrong with your layout, it is what it is, and if people tell you they wouldn’t have done something a particular way, then that’s their choice, it doesn’t make anything wrong. If you wanna grow your Channel, stop being so hard on yourself, and make films from a more positive angle, we all make what we perceive to be mistakes, and that’s how we learn not to do it again 🤷🏻♂️ So Cheer up, it’s Supposed to be Fun 🤩 🙌🏻✨
I can relate to much of what you are saying. I’m from Kansas City (USA) and much older, but I still struggled with lack of focus. A few years ago I met someone who has become one of my best friends. He introduced me to a group of layout owners who gather at one another’s homes for operating sessions. I learned some invaluable things out of this. First, building and running a layout with friends is more fun and takes advantage of the synergy created by the joining of different skill sets. Second, your space will be better utilized if you build around the perimeter rather than in the middle of the room. Third, even a spare bedroom can provide plenty of action if you make it an industrial layout or even a double decked layout. Fourth, build it with modules. I live in a small two bedroom duplex that we don’t own, but modular construction takes the fear out of building a layout because you can always move it with you if circumstances require. Fifth, don’t add scenery until you are sure the track plan actually works like you want it to. It’s a great hobby which utilized more skills than most hobbies. Good luck! Enjoy!
So true. If I was doing my layout again it would be very different in design and build. By not being realistic/thorough in the layout design phase gave me no end of problems trying to make it work it on a separable 8’x4’ baseboard.
Hi Adam, thank you for posting this video! As a new model railway builder, I found this video so incredibly useful and interesting! You have mentioned things which I hadn't even considered! Well done on the video, the massive influx of subscribers and viewers too!
Thanks to everyone for the insane amount of support on this video, I am genuinely mind blown! I will get back to comments ASAP and thanks for the 200-odd new subscribers it’s insane! Thanks for watching - Adam
I made the same mistake of selling railroad equipment cheap then buying more again later before you did. I think the rogue thought of that event floated over the Atlantic ocean into your head. Sorry about that.
Good video 👍I’ll second the don’t sell you gear ,iv spent thousands over the years and all gone. Just starting out in my 50s again.nearly makes me cry when I look at the prices now .😪😪.
Yeah the prices are absolutely mental, even the bargains on the websites are still pretty bad, they say it’s due to inflation but I’m Not convinced! Thanks for the comment!
Thanks for being so honest about your frustrations. It made me laugh about all the stupid things I've done. It's weird how sharing failures is relieving. Keep your pecker up. You won me over as a new subscriber.
Full respect for your honesty and amazing down-to-earth approach. I haven't even started building a layout but I'm genuinely impressed by your attitude to just get on with it! Don't be so hard on yourself mate! If you're having fun then that's all that matters. And please stop with all the regrets, life is too short! Subscribing now.
Really enjoyed your video and tips. Refreshing to hear someone so honest as well. We all do things we later regret and you're certainly not an idiot. It was nice that you passed this info on to other youngsters that may be watching 👍
Love the honest appraisal of the mistakes you have made and the regrets you have with your layout. I've been 30+ years thinking about it so you're doing well really! Keep up the good work, enjoy the casual approach to the video presentation as well. Cheers, Brian
The feeder rail is good only for temporary layouts. For a permanent one, use fishplates with soldered wires, or solder wires on the side of the tracks.
When I started modelling again I built a small layout, and used it to redevelop my skills, find out what I was good at and what I needed to practice. Needless to say I made mistakes, cleared them away and did it again, or did different. The basic track plan was not altered, only the scenery. I operate on the the principle of it’s my layout I’ll run what I want, but I do have a theme. Late 50 / early 60 south midlands, but I can shift back or forwards by changing a few scenic elements.
OK! I jumped onboard at the station... great video... stumbled across it... I'm 75 yrs old and never had a train until my uncle left me part (all the projects) his four years ago. since then, I've gotten two of my grandsons through the introduction part of the hobby with each getting a 4x4 layout at age 5 and doing GREAT! the 10 yr old has moved on to baseball and video games but the younger one at 7 still interested... I'm usually critical of the way people ramble on these videos but you did a great job. very practical advise and I agree with every one of your 10 points. my only suggestion is the few negative self reflections... (don't run yourself down...) this is one of my favorite videos to date and looking forward to your next one!
Hi Adam, thank you for a great video. I am getting back into the hobby after almost 20 years, and I am making mistakes all over the [lace. But I am having a great time. Life is a journey of learning.You appear to be well on your way, just enjoy. I have been retired for about 15 years now, my health is in the toilet, but I am loving every moment of dreaming, designing etc. my trains. Your work is really impressive, keep learning and sharing! RM
Mate,... just keep up the good work... we all learn from our mistakes.. I sold all mine amd had to spend probably five fold to get back to where I was.... ho hum... well done.
This is great, I have a 00 track that my granddad started to build for me, but now I have my own N gauge and it is good to hear your thoughts on building
We all learn from mistakes, its what i enjoy about the hobby. I learned the hard ways myself. Especially ballasting. When you use a ballast laying tool like the Process one always have a paint brush, you will need to brush the ballast down off the rails before you glue it. Because with my old layout thats what happened ballast stones glued to the rails and making trains derail. Great video!
Ouch.We have all done the same and our memories will always focus on our losses so we hopefully avoid them in the future. It is the hardest thing to focus and stick to a plan as bargains will always tempt us. Wish you well with the job search. We were in the same boat in the late 1970’s but all things pass. Good video.
great video adam like what you say on the mixing of different rolling stock from other counterys i do the sane my last video was the European running session i run german and European rolling stock on what is a typical British layout but works for me we have a saying it your layout run what you like if you enjoy it that's all that matters my friend 👍look forward to your next video enjoyed my visit to your channel cheers fro now al 🙋♂️👍👍😁🙋♂️
Thanks for the excellent video from a across the pond in the Pacific Northwest USA. I know your experiences as I have gone back and forth between scales and different railroads when I did American modeling selling of my collections bit by bit on eBay. Right now I have an N gauge 4x2 freelanced layout set in the UK somewhere with locos, wagons, passenger coaches and DMU’s from Era 4 thru Era 7 essentially.
We all make mistakes in our hobby. It's part of the learning process. I mothballed my hobby for many years due to lack of space and personal circumstances. Got going again during the lock down. Glad I kept everything. I have a very modest layout which is portable. Nothing is fixed down which let's me change things. I am mainly on the changeover period between steam and diesel so I can have both. Best of luck with all your future projects. Regards Paul 🚂 🚂 🚂.
I think if you know how to do it it’s easier to solder the wires directly into the track rather than use a power track, but you could still hide a power track if you have a hidden tunnel or staging yard for example, cheers for the comment!
It's good to be able to criticise your own work and admit what's wrong with it. There's a multitude of things I'd change but the mistakes are part of the learning process.
You only gain experience by actually doing something. The only people that never make mistakes are those that are no longer with us. Learn from what you have done and your next project will be better for it.
Been there, done that! Have a look at the diesels on the Hartz Mountain line (metre gauge). If anything is outsize, they are. They are almost one and a half times the height of the rolling stock. There is one tunnel on that line (58 metres long), and I wonder how they get though it, probably with millimetres to spare. I am building a OO9/HOe layout based on a fictional Scottish setting. I have made mistakes as well. My first mistake was to buy a Bachmann Lynton & Barnstable 2-6-2. Lovely runner. It cannot go round the minimum radii that I have. If I knew that the minimum radius was 30 cm, I would not have bought it at £150 or so. Experience is a good school, but the fees are high. Electrofrogs can also be tricky; you get short circuits on some settings. I thought I knew about electrics (at my age, I am strictly analogue), until I tried electrofrogs. Complex switching helps... So don't dismiss set track. It is useful in fiddle yards on any future layout that you make. Selling my old stuff is the worst thing you can do. I have done that and I felt I had sold part of myself. This was ancient Hornby (in those days Tri-ang) stuff. Rather coarse scale, but I have been interested in trains my entire life, so it was part of me. You have had a go at scratch-building an American themed locomotive. It has come out well. You could have a go at scratch-building free-lance locos or stock, which is what I have been doing, and I have two left hands, all thumbs. I have been doing this for my line, which saves a shed-load of money (£50 for a loco, rather than £150 - 200). And very satisfying. As for buildings, there are several manfacturerers of brickpapers or plastic sheets embossed with brick/stone/tiles/corrugated iron. Above all, think about the positives. Building a model railway is creating a piece of art every bit as valid as painting a picture. If anyone views it, their imagination will fill in all the missing bits. You have the enthusiasm, and you have learned from all your mistakes, which you have been so kind to share. I could not film myself; the sound of my own voice freaks me out. And for that matter I am no longer particularly photogenic!
Great video.. hey at least you have got some track laid out and some trains running have a box of stuff that was packed up few years back due to moving to a new apartment and have never got around to restarting the hobby 👍
Great video and the mistakes made i think most railway modelers have done. without mistakes no learning happens.your railway is good and you are the one to please the expression 'my railway my rules' always applies
Hi Adam, great video. Don’t beat yourself up about the things you’ve done / not done. It still looks a great layout and you’ve got loads of time ahead to plan and make changes if you want to. I’ve subbed too btw. Best wishes Steve
For some one so young a great video, keep going just to make a start on this channel takes a lot of guts. For such a small space great little track, has in courage me to start in the small space l have. Take care hope you start a job soon. Look forward to your next video.All the Best.
9:25 _"Beer and a layout"_. Now that *is* an awesome combo. 🍺 🚂 I think your layout is quite cool for such a compact size. I too have a fetish with points and I personally prefer running freight cars and American diesels in a mountainous or desert type of scenery. Adding some signals also adds to the realism. Thanks for sharing. 😎👌🏼
Great video for beginners , my layout is northern based but I have incorporated a heritage railway which does allow me to run any era . We definitely learn from our mistakes but that is the fun of this hobby . Re-the derailing over the points , have you checked the back to back distance of the wheels on your rolling stock .
Yeah that’s sort of my plan for a future layout, modern image station based of Taunton in Somerset and the a heratige /1940s gwr branchline based off the teign valley line that unfortunate doesn’t exist anymore! Cheers for the comment!
Adam, interesting video and some good points. I have faced some similar situations as I like to model both British and North American profiles. My solutions was to have one layout and just change the buildings and rolling stock to fit whichever profile I feel like running. Essentially it is two layouts in one. So don't think of those mixed purchases as mistakes, they are not.
That is an idea I have toyed with in the past, sort of just replacing British buildings with American counterparts and in fairness I could use that in a future layout, my only issue would be that if I was modelling Canada for example then the mainline would most likely be single track whereas in the uk I’d be modelling a mainline, although I did also have the idea of a double deck layout or using scenic breaks to divide eras and locations for different parts of the layout. Thanks for the comment!
Hey, thanks for your video. As a person who has been model railway building for 4 decades, I feel for you. My "no-g0" mistake would be to be very careful buying second hand locos. I have wasted money on engines which seemed good in the store/exhibition, but only lasted for a very short time before breaking down. Non motorised rolling stock is less risky and you can sometimes get a bargain. Keep at it!
Yeah I have made a couple mistakes with second had, I paid £80 for a class 56 that was repainted into Artemis rail which you can’t on my really see in ready to run form, turns out it’s a mainline model and runs appallingly! Definitely regret that but I’m hoping It’s fixable and just need a good clean! Cheers for the comment
My interest in railways began in the tail-end of the steam era in the early 1960s, and train spotting around Clapham Junction and Waterloo, so my 'theme' is BR Southern Region steam which I'm most familiar with (along with a few early diesels).
Great advice ... thank you for sharing it. I have to say that I got to a stage with my N gauge modelling where I had to settle on a definite direction, so I spent some time thinking "what do I really WANT?" And I came to a surprising conclusion ... I wanted to do pre-grouping. So I sold off EVERYTHING that wasn't pre-grouping, and began to focus on exclusively that. 15 years or so on, I'm NEARLY ready to start exhibiting my first pre-grouping N gauge layout. It's what I want, with the trains I want ... maybe not everyone's cup of tea but so what? Make your mistakes, find what you really want, and then go for it!
@@theotherside8258 The period up until 1923, when the "grouping" of most of the railways into four large bodies occured. This covers the Victorian and Edwardian eras, which in railway terms had smaller stock and much more variety in liveries, as well as World War 1 and the immediate post-war era.
G'day Adam I'm working on a new layout and have picked up a few pointers from your mistakes I'm doing N gauge so have a lot of room on my board 3' x 5' but I have also made a few blunders and at one stage pulled up the hole lot and started again Bugger but it worked for me Keep up the good work and will check out you other videos soon
Point 7 applied to me as sadly I lost my business and I had to sell some of my trains to pay off the bills as i hate being in debt. I am slowly trying to get those trains back although I have learned from it and it will not happen again. I love my model trains and I am have some nice additions coming this Sunday as its my big day. As for your model railway. Be free to run what you want to mate. I tend to run British and Irish trains on the same layout and have some Hong Kong buses on the city scene. Its a mix but its a fictional layout. Here is a saying we use. What takes your fancy on the model railway front does you good. My Granddad always told me that when he was alive. I have subbed and please keep up the great videos mate.
Yeah it’s true, too expensive tbh people my age are wriggling to get jobs enough as it is let along pay extortionate amounts of money on trains! Thanks for the comment
Enjoyed your vid. Going to have a look at some other of your vids when I get time. You are a natural in front of the camera so keep it up,subbed,by the wat your vid showed up on my feed,just letting you know. Added thumbs up
New subscriber here. Great video with some sage advice. Certainly I can relate to many of the issues you raise. I got seduced by buying locos and rolling stock online - ended up with a whole "mish mash" of eras, some British , some American. As you say when you sell kit online or back to model shop you certainly get done! Buying online I found risky too, many of the descriptions were inaccurate - loco's didnt work, stock had missing couplings etc. I'm much wiser now, thankfully!
Yeah online shops have advantages and disadvantages, hattons properly did me over 150 for about 60 odd wagons including American ones that are impossible to get and I paid £70 in the first place and 6 DCC locos that mistake been resold for £70 each minimum lol but at least I know now! Cheers for the sub!
We all have regrets with regards to our hobby. We’re never satisfied. It’s normal. The thing is, we learn from them. Like you, I sold off some of my 00 models to fund a larger scale ( which I still love). I’ve got back to starting a 00 layout and I regret selling off some of my locomotives. I’ve ended up trying to replace them now! You’re right about selling to a certain shop. I have since bought some good pre-owned bargains from them. You live and learn. Never be afraid to start over again. It’s perfectly okay to do so. Important thing is getting pleasure from a rewarding hobby!
Hang on to that lovely American loco, you were not an idiot to buy it, they are amazing machines! I use KATO track on my USA themed layout, not based on any real location, but a Shortline style set up, so I can run " Fallen Flag" locos of different vintages. Having worked on BR as a train driver for 42 years, I wanted something different! Enjoy your railway mate and carry on making mistakes, it's part of the learning process . As long as you still want to create that 3d picture, that you see in your mind, you'll enjoy the hobby!
Too many people seem to be soo focused on prototypical setups.. why not just run whatever locos and carriages you like and choose to run.. (That's what I do) it's your layout and why can't you run what you like and want.... ?? why be worried about what others say and think when it's YOUR layout... not theirs? Slow the train down when going through the setpoints and that will alleviate the derailing issues... or put a small piece of track in between the points to make it a longer area. The large loco (in preparation for the larger layout as this is a very very small layout and you will grow out of that in a matter of months... Take the items out of the boxes and then store the empty boxes elsewhere... in a wardrobe or cupboard not being used... most of these issues you are coming up with can be very easily sorted when you think outside of the box.. pun intended..
I have same points, where I have problems I just glue a small piece of rail to guide the wheels. By running your train slow you can see at which point they stray, just put rail there pushing the wheels back in line.
Hi . I have built all my layouts out of scrap railway bits . You can hide unsitly small boxes in bushes . Also if you have a modern layout with a heritage railway in it then you can run everything.. I have run a Bigby round it and it's not that big a layout really . I also prefer constant running to shunting ,so only fake points that look good but don't move . Stick at it ..I have years off but always come back .. good luck 🤞
I fully concur with Number Two - Hornby power tracks are horrible. That was my first regret, when starting a new layout recently. Immediately swapped them for soldered droppers. The old style power clips can also be a problem, if you fit them in the wrong place (like the outside of a bend). My Duchess of Gloucester had its front steps ripped off, when it clobbered the connector. One advantage of soldering directly to a straight track (easier than you'd think), is the cost saving: R600 straight = £3, R8206 power track = £12! Another tip I learned the hard way, is never store your expensive stock in the loft. Temperature extremes can ruin it. (I've had several plastic gears split, on locos in storage).
Rule number 1 applies. It's your railway so you get to run what you want. That said if you've got something you don't really use then don't be afraid to sell it off to fund something you might want. But as you say its worth thinking carefully about it beforehand. I think Iron Horse Railways on here did z video on the subject not too long ago so maybe it's worth checking that out. Plus you could always say the bubble car is in a 'heritage' livery like the Southern 313 or the SWR 455. Personally I go from Steam right through BR green, Diesel Transition to the Blue Era and now into Sectorisation, since I grew up through the 80s and saw that era come in. Everard Junction is a good 'early' sectorisation era layout if you haven't seen it but your layout looks a lot of fun. I definitely agree on that power track though. It's the same size as an R600 straight so maybe lifting it and putting one in with the wires soldered in place would look better. It should be easy enough as it doesn't look like you've ballasted the track so it should be pretty straight forward. For points, Peco do a good range and you can often get 'new' old stock ones on Ebay for, well, beans really. So maybe that's an option. Really Hornby's set track points are too tight for even a siding. As to the big locos, maybe its worth putting together an 'American' inglenook layout for it. That way it can run without striking the DCC connector and risking damage. That might fit on a 4x1 ft board and you'd only really need a few wagons to shunt around.
Research, practice on small things before going big especially relevant to ballast or scenery, a practice on a junk piece of set track or two until happy saves a whole layout of dissatisfaction. Don't avoid trying new things. Kits and self assembled bits and bobs make it far cheaper and far more enjoyable, something to be proud of, not just something you purchased. Less is more in terms of track, less track = more space for thr track to look good and more shunting challenges.
BUT I love the look of them. I agree soldering feeds direct to track is the only way to go but I honestly love the look of these beauties anymore than surface mount point motors. I love the curvy look. But agreed
Ref Hattons' used, I play Hattons Bingo with their used listings and see if I can find the following at hilarious prices.... "Wobbly runner" "only runs in reverse" "jerky runner" "missing bufferbeam" "missing decals" "glue marks on boiler"...usually for the bargain price of £90.
about the points, i bought a brand new flying scotsman train set and mabey its because its a train set but my points broke the hour I opened the train set
Sounds like you had a steep learning curve. Its the difference between playing with trains and modelling them. New Start sounds like a good idea, plan the next one
Sixty years ago the Triang power connector clips were less obtrusive and could be connected to virtually any piece of Triang plain track. For today soldering may be easier to just solder to numerous fishplates on their underside. The dropper wires through holes drilled through the baseboards. Numerous add up to better connections. Bus wires underneath reduce voltage drop issues on larger layouts. Our very reliable club layouts have every piece of rail with a wire connected to it. Soldering to rail needs good skills otherwise sleepers melt and big obvious blobs on rails.
Hi Bud, just happened across your video and I really feel for you, or how you were then. If ever your unsure invite your friends and family round for a light-hearted 'brain storming session' where they can come up with ideas for making use of your space on the layout and different dimension. What I did was to do create a range of different scenes and ignore the 'got to be prototypically correct' idea. I made a few bases that could be used as a 'pattern' and then I have to option to change the theme from time to time; why, because you can !!! It also keeps the create mind alive and less chance of getting bored. I hope your more interested these and I wish you happiness with you layout. Cheers, chin up etc. x
You have obviously cracked it as I see you have 2.2k views, that is substantial. I have been on TH-cam for about 10 years and have only about 650 subs although some videos have over 10k views, this could be because I have covered a variety of subjects and as such, the audience us divided. I have collected trains probably for nearly 20 years on and off because I travelled for work and I didn’t have a layout. It wasn’t until about two years ago I started a layout, my wife having affirmed me a 9’x9’ room. My dreams of having that big layout with big locos speeding down straight runs were dashed. I managed to get one track laid in a big loop and had the Coronation, Flying Scotsman etc pulling full rakes but eventually added a few more tracks and points. I didn’t plan it out too well and haven’t isolated any sections and cannot cross over. I must think that through before I start cutting track. Many times I have thought I have collected too many locos and coaches, steam, diesel and electric locos covering a span of fine but I enjoy them all. My layout is DC as when I first began to buy trains that was all that was around and before I knew it I was too far in and the cost to add chips was . So I endeavour to service and maintain my locos and stock and get a great deal of enjoyment from small successes. But I did buy a Hornby Digital Controller and have one chip so I might dedicate one track to DCC So keep up the good work. Regards
Yeah I think the title was the main reason it got views, it draws people in I guess! I’ve been doing this on and off for about 5 years I think, but it’s good you finally managed to get a layout and somewhere to run all your stock! Honestly I know nothing about electrics and isolating stuff so you probably did it better than I would lol, I have one DC controller for both tracks which isn’t optimal tbh! Cheers for the comment!
@wilbury Castle Hi Fred, watching the Monday Club right now. Have done a couple of videos on servicing my locos and just had to give up on my class 29 as I lost one of those tiny springs! Who do you recommend for parts? I did a live video last night about the Chevrolet Camaro, that had its own live challenges but it ended well. That was episode 5
The advantage of soldering to the track rather than the fishplates is that you're not relying on the fishplate / rail interface to supply power. With the track live it doesn't matter how tight the fishplates are.
I have never finished a layout.Its been abandoned,rebuilt,etc.I also scour jumble sales,cheap stuff on eBay,broken ,etc and subsequently I have ended up with z,n,ho,oo,o,g scale locos,rolling stock,buildings n scenery,etc.I even bought an absolute heap of tt gauge track cheap with nothing to go with it.Along with all my other hobbies and stuff I got do I don’t get much time to fiddle with all this stuff
Yeah that’s one of the problems with it existing, if it exists I wanna buy it! I’ll end up with a similar problem lol I have interests in both N and O so we will see! Cheers for the comment
I'd enjoy the modelling work but I know when i got everything completed I'd be wondering what do i do with it and get bored. I guess some will say the work is never completed (like gardening), but that sounds like 'd just be setting myself an everlasting chore.
It is always better to sell privately (e-Bay, etc.). Shops such as Hattons need to make a profit (as they have overheads that have to be taken into account), else there is no reason for them to involve themselves in the second-hand market. A person might have paid £600 to buy a number of new rolling stock items. When a company buys 'day to day' second-hand goods, they typically offer 25% of the original purchase value (say £150). They will then sell it on at around 50% of the original price (say £300) as they are used items. Sought after and rarer items might be worth more to them, therefore they are likely to offer more, typically they will want to sell the item at least at double the cost that they paid the seller. Most of us have done exactly the same sometime during our lives, but hopefully we learn not to repeat the action.
Adam, your railway is your railway! Rule 1 applies------ it's your railway........ In time you can take the lessons learned with this layout, and develop your next one. As you say, don't rush it. Have fun, it's allowed!
my layout isn't the best - its just a simple 4x8 track .... but the THEME is what gets me the most compliments !! .... the rolling stock AND the accesories are from similar time frames !!
Please stop calling yourself an idiot ! Everyone of us human beings learns by our mistakes. So call yourself a student, or a learner, or an improver, or something like that. This will be good for your personal self-respect, which will help other people to respect you. The things you buy at first may be a bit random, but you can often sell them for almost as much as (& sometimes more than) you paid for them. There is a massive secondhand market in model trains. Use Ebay etc, or bring & buy stalls at clubs & exhibitions. In building a layout, look for ways of doing things that can allow for easy change, modification & improvement. Your unloved car park is easy to just paint over & restart from scratch, or to cover with houses, industrial buildings, a farm, a lake, etc. And your "little diorama" can become a section of a bigger modular layout, something you may one day show at exhibitions.
Its a pilot or cow catcher not a plow, my layout is even smaller than yours 4'6" square I used Peco set track not really another suitable option. I fully agree with have a focus as my trains are of necessity short so have to choose carefully I found I had to get trains up and running quickly the rest I just do as and when I feel like it. Keep the layout as clean as you can very helpful. We all have bits we wish we had done done something different. Never be afraid to rip something out you are not happy with and re do it as something better, that is how we improve our skills and our layouts. Your honesty is refreshing but you do not need to run yourself down. To err is human to stuff things up completely takes a computor
One thing I really hate about model railways is the really tight corners. I realise that you can't avoid them due to space, but they always look terrible. Mind you - I don't have a model railway, and likely never will do...
I would join a local model railway club. What you cannot run on your layout at home, you can run on the the club layouts as well as getting advice on what you want to build at home.
![CAMPปลิ้น | EP.76[2/2] เดินมาสิบกว่าป่า วันนี้รู้แล้วว่าโจโฉกลัวอะไร!](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/R7Yor-t2Au0/mqdefault.jpg)
Tanks for all the support on this video!
You c as n fund my latest video here: th-cam.com/video/4BjIsLLIv_w/w-d-xo.html
Completion isn't the goal, enjoyment is. This layout exists for no other person but you. I find it's fun to make up a little story and let that lead the way. Paint over the graffiti, (Local council beautification project) Rip out the car park (Greenies won a vote) Swap out your locos (New management fixing the mistakes of the old). Best of luck!
Yeah there’s a story behind most my locomotives , for example all my broken engines are owned by a restoration company! Cheers for the comment
Swap out my locos? Never
I like to think: There is never an end, there is always more
This Hobby is Totally different to how I perceived it to be when I stuck my Toe in 5 years ago, and my Layout has evolved along with the knowledge I’ve gained - The Beauty of this Hobby Is that its Subjective - Some are in it for the trains, others for the Scenics, and you do what makes you happy, there is no Right or wrong with your layout, it is what it is, and if people tell you they wouldn’t have done something a particular way, then that’s their choice, it doesn’t make anything wrong. If you wanna grow your Channel, stop being so hard on yourself, and make films from a more positive angle, we all make what we perceive to be mistakes, and that’s how we learn not to do it again 🤷🏻♂️ So Cheer up, it’s Supposed to be Fun 🤩 🙌🏻✨
I can relate to much of what you are saying. I’m from Kansas City (USA) and much older, but I still struggled with lack of focus. A few years ago I met someone who has become one of my best friends. He introduced me to a group of layout owners who gather at one another’s homes for operating sessions. I learned some invaluable things out of this. First, building and running a layout with friends is more fun and takes advantage of the synergy created by the joining of different skill sets. Second, your space will be better utilized if you build around the perimeter rather than in the middle of the room. Third, even a spare bedroom can provide plenty of action if you make it an industrial layout or even a double decked layout. Fourth, build it with modules. I live in a small two bedroom duplex that we don’t own, but modular construction takes the fear out of building a layout because you can always move it with you if circumstances require. Fifth, don’t add scenery until you are sure the track plan actually works like you want it to. It’s a great hobby which utilized more skills than most hobbies. Good luck! Enjoy!
I reckon most of us have the same or similar mistakes. Retrospect is a wonderful gift.
Certainly is! Never gonna be able to get my hands on my old stock again!
Hmmmm.. maybe the word 'Hind-sight' would be better, but a great comment none the less.
So true. If I was doing my layout again it would be very different in design and build. By not being realistic/thorough in the layout design phase gave me no end of problems trying to make it work it on a separable 8’x4’ baseboard.
Hi Adam, thank you for posting this video! As a new model railway builder, I found this video so incredibly useful and interesting! You have mentioned things which I hadn't even considered! Well done on the video, the massive influx of subscribers and viewers too!
Thanks to everyone for the insane amount of support on this video, I am genuinely mind blown! I will get back to comments ASAP and thanks for the 200-odd new subscribers it’s insane! Thanks for watching - Adam
I made the same mistake of selling railroad equipment cheap then buying more again later before you did. I think the rogue thought of that event floated over the Atlantic ocean into your head. Sorry about that.
Good video 👍I’ll second the don’t sell you gear ,iv spent thousands over the years and all gone. Just starting out in my 50s again.nearly makes me cry when I look at the prices now .😪😪.
Yeah the prices are absolutely mental, even the bargains on the websites are still pretty bad, they say it’s due to inflation but I’m
Not convinced! Thanks for the comment!
TOMORROW'S PEOPLE CRY ! EVEN MORE !! NOW !!
Sooner or later the manufacturers are going to start wondering why their sales are falling.
Thanks for being so honest about your frustrations. It made me laugh about all the stupid things I've done. It's weird how sharing failures is relieving. Keep your pecker up. You won me over as a new subscriber.
Fantastic layout Adam and great update! Fantastic response too! All the best and good luck with the progress! Paul
Full respect for your honesty and amazing down-to-earth approach. I haven't even started building a layout but I'm genuinely impressed by your attitude to just get on with it! Don't be so hard on yourself mate! If you're having fun then that's all that matters. And please stop with all the regrets, life is too short! Subscribing now.
Really enjoyed your video and tips. Refreshing to hear someone so honest as well. We all do things we later regret and you're certainly not an idiot. It was nice that you passed this info on to other youngsters that may be watching 👍
Love the honest appraisal of the mistakes you have made and the regrets you have with your layout.
I've been 30+ years thinking about it so you're doing well really!
Keep up the good work, enjoy the casual approach to the video presentation as well.
Cheers,
Brian
Thanks for the comment!
The feeder rail is good only for temporary layouts. For a permanent one, use fishplates with soldered wires, or solder wires on the side of the tracks.
Yeah I will do in my next layout whenever that gets started! Thanks for the comment!
When I started modelling again I built a small layout, and used it to redevelop my skills, find out what I was good at and what I needed to practice. Needless to say I made mistakes, cleared them away and did it again, or did different. The basic track plan was not altered, only the scenery. I operate on the the principle of it’s my layout I’ll run what I want, but I do have a theme. Late 50 / early 60 south midlands, but I can shift back or forwards by changing a few scenic elements.
OK! I jumped onboard at the station... great video... stumbled across it... I'm 75 yrs old and never had a train until my uncle left me part (all the projects) his four years ago. since then, I've gotten two of my grandsons through the introduction part of the hobby with each getting a 4x4 layout at age 5 and doing GREAT! the 10 yr old has moved on to baseball and video games but the younger one at 7 still interested... I'm usually critical of the way people ramble on these videos but you did a great job. very practical advise and I agree with every one of your 10 points. my only suggestion is the few negative self reflections... (don't run yourself down...) this is one of my favorite videos to date and looking forward to your next one!
Hi Adam, thank you for a great video. I am getting back into the hobby after almost 20 years, and I am making mistakes all over the [lace. But I am having a great time. Life is a journey of learning.You appear to be well on your way, just enjoy. I have been retired for about 15 years now, my health is in the toilet, but I am loving every moment of dreaming, designing etc. my trains. Your work is really impressive, keep learning and sharing! RM
Mate,... just keep up the good work... we all learn from our mistakes.. I sold all mine amd had to spend probably five fold to get back to where I was.... ho hum... well done.
This is great, I have a 00 track that my granddad started to build for me, but now I have my own N gauge and it is good to hear your thoughts on building
Just starting out building a layout for my kids. Great vid with usable advice. Thx
Hope it helps!
Really enjoyed the video. I will continue following because I wish to see the choices you make.
We all learn from mistakes, its what i enjoy about the hobby. I learned the hard ways myself. Especially ballasting. When you use a ballast laying tool like the Process one always have a paint brush, you will need to brush the ballast down off the rails before you glue it. Because with my old layout thats what happened ballast stones glued to the rails and making trains derail. Great video!
Ouch.We have all done the same and our memories will always focus on our losses so we hopefully avoid them in the future. It is the hardest thing to focus and stick to a plan as bargains will always tempt us. Wish you well with the job search. We were in the same boat in the late 1970’s but all things pass. Good video.
Thanks for the comment!
I found this useful. Regular bloke sharing the kind of pitfalls we all face. Made some very valid points.
great video adam like what you say on the mixing of different rolling stock from other counterys i do the sane my last video was the European running session i run german and European rolling stock on what is a typical British layout but works for me we have a saying it your layout run what you like if you enjoy it that's all that matters my friend 👍look forward to your next video enjoyed my visit to your channel cheers fro now al 🙋♂️👍👍😁🙋♂️
Yeah I like to run whatever it’s sort of a blessing and a curse lol! Cheers for the comment!
Thanks for the excellent video from a across the pond in the Pacific Northwest USA. I know your experiences as I have gone back and forth between scales and different railroads when I did American modeling selling of my collections bit by bit on eBay. Right now I have an N gauge 4x2 freelanced layout set in the UK somewhere with locos, wagons, passenger coaches and DMU’s from Era 4 thru Era 7 essentially.
That’s great, hard to make up your mind sometimes! Thanks for the comment
We all make mistakes in our hobby. It's part of the learning process. I mothballed my hobby for many years due to lack of space and personal circumstances. Got going again during the lock down. Glad I kept everything. I have a very modest layout which is portable. Nothing is fixed down which let's me change things. I am mainly on the changeover period between steam and diesel so I can have both. Best of luck with all your future projects. Regards Paul 🚂 🚂 🚂.
Enjoyed the video very much hope there more to come.
In this video you made some very good point and you've given me one or two thing to think about, the power track being one of them and how to hide it
I think if you know how to do it it’s easier to solder the wires directly into the track rather than use a power track, but you could still hide a power track if you have a hidden tunnel or staging yard for example, cheers for the comment!
It's good to be able to criticise your own work and admit what's wrong with it. There's a multitude of things I'd change but the mistakes are part of the learning process.
You only gain experience by actually doing something. The only people that never make mistakes are those that are no longer with us. Learn from what you have done and your next project will be better for it.
I don't think my layout will ever be finished, in fact it's not really started yet! Thanks for uploading.
Been there, done that!
Have a look at the diesels on the Hartz Mountain line (metre gauge). If anything is outsize, they are. They are almost one and a half times the height of the rolling stock. There is one tunnel on that line (58 metres long), and I wonder how they get though it, probably with millimetres to spare.
I am building a OO9/HOe layout based on a fictional Scottish setting. I have made mistakes as well. My first mistake was to buy a Bachmann Lynton & Barnstable 2-6-2. Lovely runner. It cannot go round the minimum radii that I have. If I knew that the minimum radius was 30 cm, I would not have bought it at £150 or so. Experience is a good school, but the fees are high.
Electrofrogs can also be tricky; you get short circuits on some settings. I thought I knew about electrics (at my age, I am strictly analogue), until I tried electrofrogs. Complex switching helps... So don't dismiss set track. It is useful in fiddle yards on any future layout that you make.
Selling my old stuff is the worst thing you can do. I have done that and I felt I had sold part of myself. This was ancient Hornby (in those days Tri-ang) stuff. Rather coarse scale, but I have been interested in trains my entire life, so it was part of me.
You have had a go at scratch-building an American themed locomotive. It has come out well. You could have a go at scratch-building free-lance locos or stock, which is what I have been doing, and I have two left hands, all thumbs. I have been doing this for my line, which saves a shed-load of money (£50 for a loco, rather than £150 - 200). And very satisfying. As for buildings, there are several manfacturerers of brickpapers or plastic sheets embossed with brick/stone/tiles/corrugated iron.
Above all, think about the positives. Building a model railway is creating a piece of art every bit as valid as painting a picture. If anyone views it, their imagination will fill in all the missing bits. You have the enthusiasm, and you have learned from all your mistakes, which you have been so kind to share. I could not film myself; the sound of my own voice freaks me out. And for that matter I am no longer particularly photogenic!
Great video.. hey at least you have got some track laid out and some trains running have a box of stuff that was packed up few years back due to moving to a new apartment and have never got around to restarting the hobby 👍
Great video and the mistakes made i think most railway modelers have done. without mistakes no learning happens.your railway is good and you are the one to please the expression 'my railway my rules' always applies
Thanks very much for the comment!
Thanks for the advise and great video
Hi Adam, great video. Don’t beat yourself up about the things you’ve done / not done. It still looks a great layout and you’ve got loads of time ahead to plan and make changes if you want to. I’ve subbed too btw. Best wishes Steve
Thanks for the sub and the comment!
For some one so young a great video, keep going just to make a start on this channel takes a lot of guts. For such a small space great little track, has
in courage me to start in the small space l have. Take care hope you start a job soon. Look forward to your next video.All the Best.
9:25 _"Beer and a layout"_. Now that *is* an awesome combo. 🍺 🚂
I think your layout is quite cool for such a compact size. I too have a fetish with points and I personally prefer running freight cars and American diesels in a mountainous or desert type of scenery. Adding some signals also adds to the realism.
Thanks for sharing. 😎👌🏼
Great video for beginners , my layout is northern based but I have incorporated a heritage railway which does allow me to run any era . We definitely learn from our mistakes but that is the fun of this hobby . Re-the derailing over the points , have you checked the back to back distance of the wheels on your rolling stock .
Yeah that’s sort of my plan for a future layout, modern image station based of Taunton in Somerset and the a heratige /1940s gwr branchline based off the teign valley line that unfortunate doesn’t exist anymore! Cheers for the comment!
Adam, interesting video and some good points. I have faced some similar situations as I like to model both British and North American profiles. My solutions was to have one layout and just change the buildings and rolling stock to fit whichever profile I feel like running. Essentially it is two layouts in one. So don't think of those mixed purchases as mistakes, they are not.
That is an idea I have toyed with in the past, sort of just replacing British buildings with American counterparts and in fairness I could use that in a future layout, my only issue would be that if I was modelling Canada for example then the mainline would most likely be single track whereas in the uk I’d be modelling a mainline, although I did also have the idea of a double deck layout or using scenic breaks to divide eras and locations for different parts of the layout. Thanks for the comment!
Hey, thanks for your video. As a person who has been model railway building for 4 decades, I feel for you. My "no-g0" mistake would be to be very careful buying second hand locos. I have wasted money on engines which seemed good in the store/exhibition, but only lasted for a very short time before breaking down. Non motorised rolling stock is less risky and you can sometimes get a bargain. Keep at it!
Yeah I have made a couple mistakes with second had, I paid £80 for a class 56 that was repainted into Artemis rail which you can’t on my really see in ready to run form, turns out it’s a mainline model and runs appallingly! Definitely regret that but I’m hoping It’s fixable and just need a good clean! Cheers for the comment
My interest in railways began in the tail-end of the steam era in the early 1960s, and train spotting around Clapham Junction and Waterloo, so my 'theme' is BR Southern Region steam which I'm most familiar with (along with a few early diesels).
Good efforts,keep plugging on.🚂🚃🚃🚃🇨🇦
Thank you!
Great advice ... thank you for sharing it. I have to say that I got to a stage with my N gauge modelling where I had to settle on a definite direction, so I spent some time thinking "what do I really WANT?" And I came to a surprising conclusion ... I wanted to do pre-grouping. So I sold off EVERYTHING that wasn't pre-grouping, and began to focus on exclusively that. 15 years or so on, I'm NEARLY ready to start exhibiting my first pre-grouping N gauge layout. It's what I want, with the trains I want ... maybe not everyone's cup of tea but so what? Make your mistakes, find what you really want, and then go for it!
As someone not involved in this hobby, I'll ask a stupid question, what is pre-grouping?
@@theotherside8258 The period up until 1923, when the "grouping" of most of the railways into four large bodies occured. This covers the Victorian and Edwardian eras, which in railway terms had smaller stock and much more variety in liveries, as well as World War 1 and the immediate post-war era.
G'day Adam I'm working on a new layout and have picked up a few pointers from your mistakes I'm doing N gauge so have a lot of room on my board 3' x 5' but I have also made a few blunders and at one stage pulled up the hole lot and started again Bugger but it worked for me Keep up the good work and will check out you other videos soon
I would like an Indian Pacific or Ghan. I figure all need is a bucket of sand and a few green brown things and Neville.
Like to see the younger generation getting into this hobby. I’m 15 and rarely see people around my age interested in this
People our age need to stay in it lol or it’s gonna die out bro so keep modelling!
Point 7 applied to me as sadly I lost my business and I had to sell some of my trains to pay off the bills as i hate being in debt. I am slowly trying to get those trains back although I have learned from it and it will not happen again. I love my model trains and I am have some nice additions coming this Sunday as its my big day. As for your model railway. Be free to run what you want to mate. I tend to run British and Irish trains on the same layout and have some Hong Kong buses on the city scene. Its a mix but its a fictional layout. Here is a saying we use. What takes your fancy on the model railway front does you good. My Granddad always told me that when he was alive. I have subbed and please keep up the great videos mate.
Good luck with the debt, sounds like a shit situation, thanks fir the comment and more videos soon!
Not to many young people in the hobby. Thank you for your time. And your layout looks good.
Yeah it’s true, too expensive tbh people my age are wriggling to get jobs enough as it is let along pay extortionate amounts of money on trains! Thanks for the comment
Enjoyed your vid. Going to have a look at some other of your vids when I get time. You are a natural in front of the camera so keep it up,subbed,by the wat your vid showed up on my feed,just letting you know. Added thumbs up
That’s good to hear and thanks very much !
New subscriber here. Great video with some sage advice. Certainly I can relate to many of the issues you raise. I got seduced by buying locos and rolling stock online - ended up with a whole "mish mash" of eras, some British , some American. As you say when you sell kit online or back to model shop you certainly get done! Buying online I found risky too, many of the descriptions were inaccurate - loco's didnt work, stock had missing couplings etc. I'm much wiser now, thankfully!
Yeah online shops have advantages and disadvantages, hattons properly did me over 150 for about 60 odd wagons including American ones that are impossible to get and I paid £70 in the first place and 6 DCC locos that mistake been resold for £70 each minimum lol but at least I know now! Cheers for the sub!
Alll good, interesting points you make. Some definitely apply to what I'm planning. Others? AH, we'll wing it.
Thx for the comment!!
We all have regrets with regards to our hobby. We’re never satisfied. It’s normal. The thing is, we learn from them. Like you, I sold off some of my 00 models to fund a larger scale ( which I still love). I’ve got back to starting a 00 layout and I regret selling off some of my locomotives. I’ve ended up trying to replace them now! You’re right about selling to a certain shop. I have since bought some good pre-owned bargains from them. You live and learn. Never be afraid to start over again. It’s perfectly okay to do so. Important thing is getting pleasure from a rewarding hobby!
Thanks for the comment!!
A good honest overview and good advice
Thank you!
Thanks for the tips!
Good info enjoyed this video well done
A good video and I like your philosophy of 'you have the rest of your life to complete it'.
A most impressive view count there! Things develop over time, as long as you have fun that's all that matters. Mike.
Hang on to that lovely American loco, you were not an idiot to buy it, they are amazing machines!
I use KATO track on my USA themed layout, not based on any real location, but a Shortline style set up, so I can run " Fallen Flag" locos of different vintages.
Having worked on BR as a train driver for 42 years, I wanted something different!
Enjoy your railway mate and carry on making mistakes, it's part of the learning process .
As long as you still want to create that 3d picture, that you see in your mind, you'll enjoy the hobby!
Too many people seem to be soo focused on prototypical setups.. why not just run whatever locos and carriages you like and choose to run.. (That's what I do) it's your layout and why can't you run what you like and want.... ?? why be worried about what others say and think when it's YOUR layout... not theirs? Slow the train down when going through the setpoints and that will alleviate the derailing issues... or put a small piece of track in between the points to make it a longer area. The large loco (in preparation for the larger layout as this is a very very small layout and you will grow out of that in a matter of months... Take the items out of the boxes and then store the empty boxes elsewhere... in a wardrobe or cupboard not being used... most of these issues you are coming up with can be very easily sorted when you think outside of the box.. pun intended..
I have same points, where I have problems I just glue a small piece of rail to guide the wheels. By running your train slow you can see at which point they stray, just put rail there pushing the wheels back in line.
Just got your video on my top list... Well. I am a new subscriber. Very nice video.
Huh this video is doing wel then that’s never happened before! Cheers for the sub and thanks!
I open your video, I see loads of trains with Welsh flags, I like and subscribe. Layout looks awesome too.
Hell yeah lol, not welsh myself but my missus is and I’m up there quite a lot! Thanks for the comment!
Hi .
I have built all my layouts out of scrap railway bits . You can hide unsitly small boxes in bushes . Also if you have a modern layout with a heritage railway in it then you can run everything..
I have run a Bigby round it and it's not that big a layout really .
I also prefer constant running to shunting
,so only fake points that look good but don't move .
Stick at it ..I have years off but always come back .. good luck 🤞
Excellent video mate
Thank you mate
Very helpful thank you 😊
Hi from Amman Jordan, nice video, keep it up
I fully concur with Number Two - Hornby power tracks are horrible. That was my first regret, when starting a new layout recently. Immediately swapped them for soldered droppers.
The old style power clips can also be a problem, if you fit them in the wrong place (like the outside of a bend). My Duchess of Gloucester had its front steps ripped off, when it clobbered the connector.
One advantage of soldering directly to a straight track (easier than you'd think), is the cost saving: R600 straight = £3, R8206 power track = £12!
Another tip I learned the hard way, is never store your expensive stock in the loft. Temperature extremes can ruin it. (I've had several plastic gears split, on locos in storage).
Tip: if you aren’t on a tight budget, DON’T USE DC. Use DCC whenever you can.
Rule number 1 applies. It's your railway so you get to run what you want.
That said if you've got something you don't really use then don't be afraid to sell it off to fund something you might want. But as you say its worth thinking carefully about it beforehand. I think Iron Horse Railways on here did z video on the subject not too long ago so maybe it's worth checking that out.
Plus you could always say the bubble car is in a 'heritage' livery like the Southern 313 or the SWR 455.
Personally I go from Steam right through BR green, Diesel Transition to the Blue Era and now into Sectorisation, since I grew up through the 80s and saw that era come in.
Everard Junction is a good 'early' sectorisation era layout if you haven't seen it but your layout looks a lot of fun. I definitely agree on that power track though. It's the same size as an R600 straight so maybe lifting it and putting one in with the wires soldered in place would look better. It should be easy enough as it doesn't look like you've ballasted the track so it should be pretty straight forward.
For points, Peco do a good range and you can often get 'new' old stock ones on Ebay for, well, beans really. So maybe that's an option. Really Hornby's set track points are too tight for even a siding.
As to the big locos, maybe its worth putting together an 'American' inglenook layout for it. That way it can run without striking the DCC connector and risking damage. That might fit on a 4x1 ft board and you'd only really need a few wagons to shunt around.
Research, practice on small things before going big especially relevant to ballast or scenery, a practice on a junk piece of set track or two until happy saves a whole layout of dissatisfaction.
Don't avoid trying new things. Kits and self assembled bits and bobs make it far cheaper and far more enjoyable, something to be proud of, not just something you purchased.
Less is more in terms of track, less track = more space for thr track to look good and more shunting challenges.
I think the problems with settrack points can be avoided by careful track laying and designing out reverse curves etc.
BUT I love the look of them. I agree soldering feeds direct to track is the only way to go but I honestly love the look of these beauties anymore than surface mount point motors. I love the curvy look. But agreed
Ref Hattons' used, I play Hattons Bingo with their used listings and see if I can find the following at hilarious prices.... "Wobbly runner" "only runs in reverse" "jerky runner" "missing bufferbeam" "missing decals" "glue marks on boiler"...usually for the bargain price of £90.
The hippie-painted Matilda was adorable, as British as OO scale itself.
Great video. Excellent points made, looking forward to more.
Cheers mate!
about the points, i bought a brand new flying scotsman train set and mabey its because its a train set but my points broke the hour I opened the train set
Same happened to me made in China
Same here but hornby replaced them the same week for free so all good 👍
Great video! What size is your base board please??
6x4 ft I believe
@@Locoforce super thanks :)
Sounds like you had a steep learning curve. Its the difference between playing with trains and modelling them. New Start sounds like a good idea, plan the next one
Sixty years ago the Triang power connector clips were less obtrusive and could be connected to virtually any piece of Triang plain track.
For today soldering may be easier to just solder to numerous fishplates on their underside. The dropper wires through holes drilled through the baseboards. Numerous add up to better connections. Bus wires underneath reduce voltage drop issues on larger layouts.
Our very reliable club layouts have every piece of rail with a wire connected to it.
Soldering to rail needs good skills otherwise sleepers melt and big obvious blobs on rails.
Thanks for the comment!
Hi Bud, just happened across your video and I really feel for you, or how you were then. If ever your unsure invite your friends and family round for a light-hearted 'brain storming session' where they can come up with ideas for making use of your space on the layout and different dimension. What I did was to do create a range of different scenes and ignore the 'got to be prototypically correct' idea. I made a few bases that could be used as a 'pattern' and then I have to option to change the theme from time to time; why, because you can !!! It also keeps the create mind alive and less chance of getting bored. I hope your more interested these and I wish you happiness with you layout. Cheers, chin up etc. x
you hit the nail on the head its your railway and what pleases you is all that matters
You have obviously cracked it as I see you have 2.2k views, that is substantial.
I have been on TH-cam for about 10 years and have only about 650 subs although some videos have over 10k views, this could be because I have covered a variety of subjects and as such, the audience us divided.
I have collected trains probably for nearly 20 years on and off because I travelled for work and I didn’t have a layout.
It wasn’t until about two years ago I started a layout, my wife having affirmed me a 9’x9’ room. My dreams of having that big layout with big locos speeding down straight runs were dashed.
I managed to get one track laid in a big loop and had the Coronation, Flying Scotsman etc pulling full rakes but eventually added a few more tracks and points.
I didn’t plan it out too well and haven’t isolated any sections and cannot cross over. I must think that through before I start cutting track.
Many times I have thought I have collected too many locos and coaches, steam, diesel and electric locos covering a span of fine but I enjoy them all.
My layout is DC as when I first began to buy trains that was all that was around and before I knew it I was too far in and the cost to add chips was .
So I endeavour to service and maintain my locos and stock and get a great deal of enjoyment from small successes.
But I did buy a Hornby Digital Controller and have one chip so I might dedicate one track to DCC
So keep up the good work.
Regards
Yeah I think the title was the main reason it got views, it draws people in I guess! I’ve been doing this on and off for about 5 years I think, but it’s good you finally managed to get a layout and somewhere to run all your stock! Honestly I know nothing about electrics and isolating stuff so you probably did it better than I would lol, I have one DC controller for both tracks which isn’t optimal tbh! Cheers for the comment!
Charlie you don’t do to bad my friend hope all’s going well with the live streams. 👌😎Fred
@wilbury Castle Hi Fred, watching the Monday Club right now. Have done a couple of videos on servicing my locos and just had to give up on my class 29 as I lost one of those tiny springs! Who do you recommend for parts?
I did a live video last night about the Chevrolet Camaro, that had its own live challenges but it ended well. That was episode 5
You can buy fish plates with wires already soldered to then.then drill very small holes to feed the wires through the board.very discreet!
The advantage of soldering to the track rather than the fishplates is that you're not relying on the fishplate / rail interface to supply power. With the track live it doesn't matter how tight the fishplates are.
I have never finished a layout.Its been abandoned,rebuilt,etc.I also scour jumble sales,cheap stuff on eBay,broken ,etc and subsequently I have ended up with z,n,ho,oo,o,g scale locos,rolling stock,buildings n scenery,etc.I even bought an absolute heap of tt gauge track cheap with nothing to go with it.Along with all my other hobbies and stuff I got do I don’t get much time to fiddle with all this stuff
Yeah that’s one of the problems with it existing, if it exists I wanna buy it! I’ll end up with a similar problem lol I have interests in both N and O so we will see! Cheers for the comment
We all started somewhere and made alot of mistakes, but thats half the fun 🤣
One thing the class 31 would run next the class 20 and would work together mostly on steel trains and random goods but still a good video 👍👍
Oh I always drilled a hole and fed wire through now that explains why I went through so many controllers
Yeah I thjnk if you can get one a soldering iron is the best choice! Cheers for the comment
@@Locoforce will do, ive got a few already and solder
I'd enjoy the modelling work but I know when i got everything completed I'd be wondering what do i do with it and get bored. I guess some will say the work is never completed (like gardening), but that sounds like 'd just be setting myself an everlasting chore.
It is always better to sell privately (e-Bay, etc.). Shops such as Hattons need to make a profit (as they have overheads that have to be taken into account), else there is no reason for them to involve themselves in the second-hand market. A person might have paid £600 to buy a number of new rolling stock items. When a company buys 'day to day' second-hand goods, they typically offer 25% of the original purchase value (say £150). They will then sell it on at around 50% of the original price (say £300) as they are used items. Sought after and rarer items might be worth more to them, therefore they are likely to offer more, typically they will want to sell the item at least at double the cost that they paid the seller.
Most of us have done exactly the same sometime during our lives, but hopefully we learn not to repeat the action.
Yeah I certainly will avoid selling privately again, I think eBay takes a commission though? I’d have to look into it! Thanks for the comment!
It's all about planning and taking your time. It can take me 30 hours to build one wagon kit.
With the power track i hide the connector in a lineside hut👍
Adam, your railway is your railway! Rule 1 applies------ it's your railway........ In time you can take the lessons learned with this layout, and develop your next one. As you say, don't rush it. Have fun, it's allowed!
my layout isn't the best - its just a simple 4x8 track .... but the THEME is what gets me the most compliments !! .... the rolling stock AND the accesories are from similar time frames !!
Please stop calling yourself an idiot ! Everyone of us human beings learns by our mistakes.
So call yourself a student, or a learner, or an improver, or something like that.
This will be good for your personal self-respect, which will help other people to respect you.
The things you buy at first may be a bit random, but you can often sell them for almost as much as (& sometimes more than) you paid for them. There is a massive secondhand market in model trains. Use Ebay etc, or bring & buy stalls at clubs & exhibitions.
In building a layout, look for ways of doing things that can allow for easy change, modification & improvement.
Your unloved car park is easy to just paint over & restart from scratch, or to cover with houses, industrial buildings, a farm, a lake, etc.
And your "little diorama" can become a section of a bigger modular layout, something you may one day show at exhibitions.
Its a pilot or cow catcher not a plow, my layout is even smaller than yours 4'6" square I used Peco set track not really another suitable option.
I fully agree with have a focus as my trains are of necessity short so have to choose carefully
I found I had to get trains up and running quickly the rest I just do as and when I feel like it.
Keep the layout as clean as you can very helpful.
We all have bits we wish we had done done something different.
Never be afraid to rip something out you are not happy with and re do it as something better, that is how we improve our skills and our layouts.
Your honesty is refreshing but you do not need to run yourself down.
To err is human to stuff things up completely takes a computor
Loved the hair. As a 56 year old losing hair, I thought you were showing off :D. If you've got it, flaunt it :D.
I used to be indecisive---but now I'm not sure!
One thing I really hate about model railways is the really tight corners. I realise that you can't avoid them due to space, but they always look terrible.
Mind you - I don't have a model railway, and likely never will do...
great video
Thank you!
I would join a local model railway club. What you cannot run on your layout at home, you can run on the the club layouts as well as getting advice on what you want to build at home.