Withdrawal symptons-where next?

[bvm]

I am 83 and for over 60 years have always had a model railway layout of some form. Recent years and house moves saw me scale back from a whole room in OO to half a study in N gauge.
However we have now moved to a retirement village and our accommodation doesn't allow space for any layout really. I have a desk top 200cm by 60cm but that has a lot on it already, computer, printer file tray etc.
But I have severe withdrawal symptoms and I am looking for ideas?
A model railway club would be a possible remedy but there doesn't appear to be anything within a reasonable distance.
What other ideas do people have?
Brian

[jollysmart]

Have you considered any of the specialist societies that have local group meetings, they are often welcoming to modellers of other scales basically people are interested in how others do things and if you look on their websites they often list the local groups which could be a good starting point?

[Papyrus]

You don't say where you live, but have you found the NGF map of members https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?topic=675.msg5622#msg5622 ? There may be somebody not too far away who may be happy to share the hobby and let you 'play trains' every so often. If you are a member of the N Gauge Society they may be able to suggest something similar.

Otherwise, would you have room for a small shelf layout above your desk, or something portable that could live in a cupboard and be brought out as required? Not the same as a whole room devoted to it, I know, but possibly worth considering.

Hope you find an answer.

Cheers,

Chris

[port perran]

How about a layout in a boxfile (or a few boxfiles)?
There ate quite a few examples of boxfile layouts on the forum.

[Papyrus]

Agreed. Have you checked out @Phoenix 's Windmill Hill https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?topic=39207.msg726866#msg726866 to see what can be done in a really small space?

Cheers,

Chris

[Newportnobby]

As dear old Arfur Daley would say "The world is your lobster", Brian.
As others have said, either a box file layout, small roundy roundy, coffee table layout or small/large shelf layout are all possibilities and depend upon your own capabilities and whether you can make such mods to your home such as adding a shelf.

[Phoenix]

Thanks for the mention Chris 

If you have any questions about Windmill Hill Brian, just let me know and I'll be pleased to help 

All best wishes

Kevin

[Bealman]

I ran into a fellow recently I hadn't seen since I was in a club back in the nineties. He reckons he has given physical railway modelling away (because of health reasons, I assume), and is now a virtual railroader.

I am presuming he is talking about the various railway simulators that are available.

That is an option, which you could certainly achieve on your desk!

[Steven B]

You may not be alone - have you considered putting a note up in a communal area asking if anyone else is interested in model railways and wants to start a group? The retirement village my mother-in-law lives in will offer help to groups wanting to set up new hobby groups.

You could build a small layout that fits in a cupboard, or alternatively, a large pile of Kato Unitrack which you can get out and spread over your desk a couple of times a week (or whenever you feel the need to!).

The UK Model Shop directory has a list of clubs all over the country:
https://www.ukmodelshops.co.uk/

There's also the NGS Area Groups.
https://www.ngaugesociety.org/sandpit/area-groups/area-groups-index/

Steven B.

[joe cassidy]

Do you have a dining table ?

If so, I would suggest building a portable layout on a sheet of 10mm thick foam board, 140 x 70cm.

This would give you room for a double track main line, plus sidings, with 12" minimum radius curves and allow you to run 5-6 coach trains.

[JanW]

Have hou considered a 'no space' layout?
Iain Rice gave that name to small layouts that can easily be moved and stored.
These can be put away on top of a cupboard or on a shelf.

I'm building such a layout for the 2mm scale association diamond jubilee. If it ever takes place because it was postponed twice because of Covid19

Here a few photos I just took.
















Of course a portable layout doesn't have to be this small but the challenge was to build a 60 cm layout for the 60 year jubilee.

[JanW]

Another option is to build a layout in small modules that you can easily set up on the dining table.
There is a system for such modules based on Kato unitrack.

A description can be found here:
https://www.ntrak.org/Modules-and-Layouts
https://www.ntrak.org/T-TRAK-History

Jan

[bvm]

Thank you everyone for your ideas and helpful suggestions which have given me some things to follow up.

Regards Brian

[AlexanderJesse]

Here is an example of a simple timesaver in an enclosed box. (sorry it is in german, but the pictures speak for themselves, in case of questions on details just ask) https://www.stummiforum.de/t142593f64-Spending-time-on-a-timesaver-Ein-Paradox-mit-Spa-faktor.html

The nice things:
- lightweight
- fully enclosed (just one box to stow away)
- fun in operations

[NScaleNotes]

Have hou considered a 'no space' layout?
Iain Rice gave that name to small layouts that can easily be moved and stored.
These can be put away on top of a cupboard or on a shelf.

Jan that looks amazing.

Brian, I'd recommend Iain Rice's books too, particularly Finescale in Small Spaces (ISBN 0906867851). Even if you're not a finescale modeller almost all of the advice is useful to someone building a realistic small layout in a small space.