John's O-scale amazingly compact layout with LOTS happening is all of
encouraging, an incentive and bright beam of hope. His later post
explaining his choice of O, personal capabilities, bit of apology for
'tinplate' complement his overall philosophy of intention of having
FUN [it's not fun if it's too small for possibly arthritic hands or
too expensive for tight budget]. But I'm recalling my good ol'
American Flyer days [s-o-o-o-o regret letting 1952 set "get away" in
mid '80s] of constantly pulling track apart and fitting [possibly
sometimes "forcing" a bit with the rather forgiving robust track] into
new layouts on the 8x10 pull-up-to-basement-ceiling (removing or
laying over structures) plywood flat.
SOME Plasticville buildings, but also multiple kid-constructed signs,
structures, chalk roads and fields. It certainly wasn't a "model" RR,
but it was FUN. And we kids' imagination filled in any blanks.
In MY still new OAP/old far. . uh, old codgerhood I risked selecting
N-gauge because of greater space constraints. And I opted for
Kato-track because of "change-ability." SPACE currently is still
underway, although shortly after employer final paycheck I ebayed WAY
too much obtaining other's N-scale cast-offs so I already have
"things," although yet in boxes and drawers. (Stover boxes with foam
padding outstanding for N-scale rolling stock, and other items)
"New room" was needed anyway, so RR will be relegated to a three-side
shelf-layout. But John's Cleveland-flats shows what can be done, even
with tight space constraints and in O scale. With my so much still
"in the head" I'm thinking N-trak or T-trak modules, even. Perhaps
even some "duplicates"; first with TP and paper towel tubes and ice
cream bar or match sticks and legal-pad bottom buildings, then the
"duplicate" but with all parts fully dressed-out and painted and
weathered and no longer sticks or tubes or cardboard. I DID early on
read/take to heart "Only thing in an N-scaler's waste bin FITS in an
n-scale waste bin."
FIRST gotta FINISH THAT ROOM! (still sanding drywall seams, AND
working around and needing shift "stuff" because an empty room has
become a catch-all already !)
I'm thankful I still can do much of what I AM able to do.
Particularly considering the number of my contemporaries who already
have "left."
Russell Warzyn
RURAL West Tenn. (no cell signal, only
2d year into BLAZING fast DSL at 0.8mbs)
cityslickerfarmhand
