Finding A Place To Run Trains!

[Mountain]

This is not always easy as what seems straightforwards may not always be the case, but before one chooses a location, one needs to consider a few things.

What do you want to do in the space? Is it just for a layout or are you a bit like me who uses a layout more of a testing ground for the things one creates? (Not to say I would not attempt to add some scenery or to make it look like a railway).

For me it needs to ideally be part workshop, part testing ground, and the testing ground needs to double up for use as a model railway.

Ideally one needs some space that is usable and free to do what one wants to in that space. Some spaces are available if I happened to be ultra tidy in that whaever is set up needs to be put away in the evening or after one has finished using it... But this to me is not really suitable because I am one who has projects half completed and they need to sit until I have the enthusiasm to finish them and ideally such a space would cater for this, or it would be nice if I could do that!

Now I am aware that whatever I do it is only for a temporary time period as thisis my Mums property and we no longer keep animals so keeping the land down can take time away from other things. Nice to have land and I am not used to living in a populated area, but the plan is to relocate and downsize, so I have to bear this in mind... So to make a scenic layout for me it will have to be portable but there is nothing wrong with making a comfy place to enjoy my trains in while I can!

So I will share possibilities here.

Attics can be suitable and so can cellars but each can also have problems. Attics get very hot or cold depending on the seasonal weather and may need adapting with potential planning permission. We have three attics here. The main one does not have the head height. The other two are a bit small to be honest because after one has made them suitable by squaring them off etc, the potential space left would not really be large enough to use.
Cellars (If one has one) are usually known to be cold and damp. Not always though, so it depends on each house that has one. They could be the ideal solution. Don't go digging your own cellar though. Houses are extremely heavy things and there are rules and permissions for doing this and rightly so!

Moving back to solutions, in the larger scales one can use above door height railways. Track must be spot on and protectice edges preferred as is high up there! Access needed to clean track will need to be considered, and cats love such places!

A spare room is ideal but not all of us have this as an option, so a careful look at suitable buildings one has on ones property is the next option to consider, even if one is to have one built, and another possible option is to convert an old touring caravan because most of these have electric hook-ups that would not be too difficult for an electrician to put in a suitable socket from near ones house. Bear in mind that internal caravan walls and cuboards need to be retained as they give the caravans structure its strength, though if one knows this one can strengthen its structure in other ways. The great thing about this idea is as long as the caravan is still safe to go on the road, if one should ever move house one can bring it with you!

Sheds and outbuildings can give good potential and some more suitable then others. They ideally need to be lined depending on the sheds construction. Wooden sheds can be used though may I recommend a few pointers based upon experience. We live on a hill near the sea so have sea mists so wood needs protecting. Modern wax based paints dry out the wood so the wood tends to shrink and expand kore than in the past, so I have personally found in my climate tonge and groove to be probematic and our chalet has recently had the weather exposed side rebuilt in shiplap which was screwed into place mostly at the upper side of the boards so the boards are free to expand and contract, and using screws does add a little extra security, though any wooden shed with thin boards be they tongue and groove or shiplap is not going to do much to a determined person who wants to break in, but as long as one does not leave anything expensive in there, wooden sheds can be a suitable solution. One may need an electrician though some have been known to use extension leads from the house and to unplug and reel them back in after use. Whatever one does ensure that it is safe and any plugs ad sockets or electrical equipment remains dry. If in doubt ask an electrician or employ an electrician. Wooden sheds ideally need to be lined and insulated though just lined is better then nothing as with most wooden sheds only use thin wooden boards.
Personally these days I would be more inclined to make a shed rather than buy one, or to buy one and improve it with stronger timber uprights and things like that. I was surprized our chalet only had a framework of 3x2's even though it cost a small fortune to buy. Is worth asking which size and shape of shed is the most economical as if my parents wanted a longer but thinner building though with a similar square foot of area, they could have had one at nearly half the price especially if they went without windows. Shorter timbers used in the other shed size and shape is why the costs would have been lower.

My personal preference for a shed is to make a nice solid wooden frame and use corrigated metal sheets for walls and the roof because I have found that the wooden sheds and chalets felt roofs rip easily in the winds we get up here. Our chalet had to have a replacement felt roof but this was put on the proper way with a blowtorch and underfelt. Felt tacked on as most sheds are just does not work if one lives up here! Another two wooden sheds have been rebuilt with corrigated metal roofs and since then have not given any problems other than usual board replacement with age.
Corrigated metal sheds do need to be lined and any gaps outside need to be sealed to prevent the weather from getting in and lined and insulated to help prevent condensation and to make them warm and cozy as there is nothing nicer than being in a nice shed on a wet rainy day and watching the rain through the windows knowing that one is nice warm and dry!

Maybe the ultimate form of shed is the outbuilding made out of stone or brick which is suitably weather resistant and has a window or two, space to use and an electrical supply.

Lastly if all else fails and one really wants ones dream model railway and has no option, then a possible house move to a more suitable dwelling maybe on the cards but ask advice. A couple I know happened to move house a few doors away round the corner and into the next street just to have a bit more garden space!

[Photos show a shed with potential. The old workshop. Light and airy inside with windows that let the light in. Solidly built and lined inside with wood. Ideal!]

[Mountain]

Sometimes one may not see an obvious option in regards to finding a space, so one needs to expand on the available options. There are a few options available. The first is the possibility of a garden railway in a larger scale (00 gauge and upwards though the larger the scale the less issues one has when it comes to battling the elements) though bear in mind that if any mains electricity is involved one will need a dry shed or building to keep all ones control equipment in. A good idea to consult an electrician if going down this route.

The other options are to choose a much smaller scale or simply build a smaller layout. May I give a hint here. While most modellers tend to model in standard gauge, narrow gauge lends itself to small spce modelling as by their nature, narrow gauge trains are often chosen for their bility to turn sharp curves and operate in small industrial spaces be they factories, quarries, docks, mines... The list is endless! And while certainly in the UK, narrow gauge passenger railways were fairly rare, there were far more industrial narrow gauge railways for many years in the UK than there were standard gauge railways.

Though regardless of the hinderances of finding space, think of it as a challenge and one can't go wrong.