When I was coming up with the concept for my layout 4+ years ago, I was visualizing a layout that I could get to a near “completed” state in 10 years. I had an area 13’ x 15’ to use. I chose to design a 12’ by 14’ L shaped layout that left much of the available square footage empty. My goal was to have a layout that was big enough for decent operation yet not so big that its size would stymie my motivation. My problem now, being only 4 1/3 years into my 10 year project is that the layout will be at a nearly completed state in less than a year! Five years ago I wasn’t into model railroading at all. Hell, I hadn’t even flipped through a Model Railroader in over a decade. I didn’t think I’d be so motivated to work on it as regularly as I have. My wife initiated a discussion a few days ago where she told me I was free to use most of the basement in the future (she had previously wanted a pool table). I don’t really want to expand my current layout, which is my first. So, I’ll be faced with the desire to tear it down in the next year or two as I run out of things to do with it. I have been keeping a list of things I’d do differently on the next one so the thought of tearing it down and starting over isn’t all bad. Though my next layout will be bigger, I still don’t plan on using all the available space. I feel intuitively that there is a size that would be too big for my motivation level. For that reason, I think I’d rather build a layout that’s too small than too big.
