Some Big Changes

Lately I've made a few changes in my train room. I actually don't have a dedicated train room, just an otherwise empty area that I use to work on my trains. I had a small 2 foot by 12 foot layout in that space, but the reason I've never really talked about it on here is because there has never been anything to talk about. Recently I decided it was a waste of space and I tore it down.

One of the biggest things preventing me from tearing it down for a while was that I had a bunch of modeling supplies underneath the layout and I had no other home for them. I wasn't sure I'd be able to find a home either. So before I tore down the layout, I cleaned and organized everything underneath. I put all the tools in a toolbox and found a home for that. I have two rolling cabinets with modeling supplies in them and cleaned them out. Supplies directly related to building a model railroad, such as track and foliage and wire, got put into plastic bins which are now in my closet. The rolling cabinets were then filled with other modeling supplies, such as paint, styrene, and decals. I had a big box full of code 100 track, but where I don't use code 100 and most of it wasn't any good, I threw it all out. Finally, I have two small bookshelves where most of my trains are stored, and I left those where they were. I then tore down the layout and got rid of the tables.

This leaves me with a big open space. I am not giving up on modeling, I am just changing my focus. Since I have no layout at home, I am going to focus on building my fleet of rolling stock and locomotives for when I do have a layout. This means I am going to use the space for a workbench. I already have one workbench where I assemble kits and do repair work on my models. I am going to keep that one and use it for kit assembly and such, and I am building a second bench that will have a built in test track, and will be used for decoder installation and other electrical work. The two workbenches, the two rolling cabinets, and the two bookshelves as well as a third that I need to get, will occupy the now empty space where my layout used to be. I still have a display case, and that will stay where it is.

The workbench I am building will be a pretty nice one, if I say so myself. I found a cheap desk for sale, and I am modifying it for my needs. It will certainly not be pretty, but it will be functional. The top surface will be where I do my work, and I will have a roll-out test track, similar to computer desks with roll-out keyboards, so that I can test the things I am working on without needing more space dedicated for a test track. The test track will be able to run both DC and DCC locomotives, and it will also be a fully functional programming track. When that workbench is finished, I'll write a blog post about it, focusing on the electrical work powering it.

Also, a little update on the Lakes Region Model Railroad. Chris and I have not had time to work on it lately, because of the cruise in February and because we both have been getting more hours at work recently. However, his grandparents come home from Florida in two weeks, and the layout has to be back in storage by then. They are planning on selling the house this summer, so we will not be able to use that space again, so the layout is once again being stored indefinitely.