When I look at Youtube videos, especially of American layouts, I take a lot of notice not only of the layout itself, but also I look at the room the layout is located in.  In the background, you can see nice lighting, usually pale blue walls, a nice fascia, and if the video is far enough away, you can even see curtaining hanging from the fascia and carpet on the floor.

As my layout is in a garden shed, I never really paid much attention to the environment.  I put a bit of old carpet down, sure, but that was pretty much it.

So, my latest project is to make my shed, as nice an environment as all those great American basements.  I have started painting the shed walls a soft blue colour, have put better flurorescent tubing in the lighting, and have picked out some new carpet tiles from B & Q.  I even have room for a small beer fridge and TV! 

I cleared out a lot of accumulated junk this afternoon and already the layout looks better.  Now this is gone, there's room for me to have a guest along to play trains some time.

Has anyone else put much thought into their layout room, before building a layout?  Do you have any photos which may give me more inspiration?

Many thanks

Andy

Being a single bloke my bungalow has become a series of layout rooms:-

Conservatory - houses the 'big' layout under construction 'Kimbolted'
Lounge - currently has my ironing board holding up the centre scenic section of my smaller layout under construction 'Bletchford' + my railway books in a bookcase
Bedroom - fully 1/3rd of my rather large wardrobe is full of model railway stuff
Office/study - contains other bits of the above layouts + all my locos/rolling stock + railway DVD's + forum stuff etc etc
Garage - full of old bits of previous layout baseboards and other assorted detritus.
The kitchen is free of model railway stuff but that can also vary from time to time.


Not sure if this is any inspiration to you unless you aspire to be 'Stig of the Dump'

Still got to build my shed, (been busy laying the slab foundations) Its 20' x 10' and will be lined with foam insulation sheets, then
clad in tongue and groove boards. After painting, wiring and fitting lighting the layout itself will be built. It will be approximately
19' 8" x 3' 6". A gap along the back of 1' 10" to gain access if needed. Only real luxury I'm going for is a diesel drip feed heating
system  Don't want to get cold in the winter months do we 

Roger

I'm unfortunately one of these 30 year olds that have had to move back with mum & dad cause of the state of the housing market that we keep hearing about on the news.

When I had a place of my own I had oodles of space for a railway but no chance of affording it, now I'm "at home" I've the money to build the layout of my dreams but nowhere to put it.

I've a plan (and have even offered to pay)  to have the cellar converted into a habitable space so I can have 2/3rd (about 30*12ft) of it as long as I'm here for a railway room.

It'd be waist height baseboards on 2.5 sides, workbench in the remaining space on that side, racking/draws/cupboards  below the framework hidden behind a curtain, LED lighting throughout so I had plenty of light but wouldn't burn my head on the bulbs on the low ceiling!

Best of all I could have a scale 4 kilometer loop... 

... But dad doesn't want too loose his Aladdin's cave of all the crap he's been hoarding for 15 years and 3 house moves in case it comes in handy  :'(

My layout is in the garage the only luxury I have is an old fan that acts as the air-conditioning !

My Man Cave is (supposed to be) turning up in the next two weeks.  Very much it's a case of how to integrate the railway in a neat and tidy way. 

Currently working on what needs to go into the "Cave", not only for Railway stuff but tools (modelling & non modelling), my other obsession - model aircraft building (at last stock take about 40 not started or WIP).  Oh and the shelves for my book collection (several hundred).

So I need to fit in. 
Model Railway (which will be redesigned to make use of extra space),
Lockable storage units x3,
Book Cases x 3
Display Cabinets x 2,
Work Bench,
Beer fridge,
Heater,
Work chair
Armchair (for Mrs Gb)
Aeroplane Picture Gallery
Curtains (mainly to keep prying eyes away)
Alarm,
TV,
Games Console...

Yes, the Americans are very good at that sort of thing. Some even have a "crew lounge" with sofas and a library of railway stuff, for heaven's sake!!!

Bealman's layout goes around the garage walls, and when it's finished will have the underneath curtained off and maybe pelmet lighting.

Sure.

Bealman will be pushin' up the daisies long before!! 

I suppose the main reasons why the Americans can afford "crew 'lounges' (er, shouldn't that be "cabins" in railspeak? ) and all the rest is probably because the stock etc seems to cost far less there than it does here and they seem to operate in groups whereas we British are more "one man bands"! I hope no lady member gets upset by that terminology. In simple terms they generally have more money available, and cheaper equipment.
Also they seem to build their layouts in massive basements whereas we tend more towards the 8 x 6 garden shed (if we are lucky) :'( so they have more room for such comforts.
Meanwhile I'm sure we British do our best!

Well I have planned my railway room when my lad moves out in 2 weeks time, I also am having carpet tiles, the walls and ceiling will be painted in pastel shades to reflect the sky, and I think it is so important to create an ambiance in the room to make it feel welcoming to anyone who comes to see it.

As for Americans they can do things on a much bigger scale than what I can, but that does not bother me it is what I can do to make my layout to make it interesting to others.

The best thing about having your own space is you can reflect what you are feeling, passion is paramount in a model railway and if you can even give anything to others by your hard work then all I have to say it will have been an acheivement.

Well said, buddy. 

Always nice to read about other folks railway environments.

I'm a little envious of those large basement installations but our house move (when, oh when?  :'() includes hobby space for both of us.

My new layout is designed around 'the railway room' - or bedroom 3 to quote the estate agents, measuring around 11' x 9' already equipped with carpet and a radiator, so will be quite happy.

There's space for an c11' x 6' L shaped 3' deep board as well as storage and a workbench/desk (equipped with beer mats) and a visitor or two.

Hoping we'll be moving in by the end of September, if we are able to arouse the Rip van Winkles that are acting as legal advisers.

Dave G

Good luck with that, Dave.

George

OK, well work is progressing quite well with the painting, although the colour is different to what I expected.  Still good though.  I am already feeling like the shed is becoming a better environment.  Just painting the walls makes it seem cleaner.  The American basement is more common than an attic room for their layouts, and as you all say, we can only look on with envy at the fine jobs they make of their rooms.

I think the real trick for me after painting will be to get tools, spare boxes, scenic materials and so on into a more tidy and better order.  That way I think the place will be more welcoming.

I'll try and remember to post photos once the renovation is finished.

Andy

My layout is housed in a 7th floor small storeroom (a Trastero), and nestles against 3 walls of the storeroom. Rather than buy a few rolls of scenic backgound sheets, I painted my own scenery directly onto the walls (see pics) using a mixture of water colours and oils. The layout in the pictures has since been considerably modified, but the background remains the same showing mainly hills and mountains, and of course the Sun beating down with just a few white clouds in the sky. In the top left picture, when I took the photograph I hadn't yet painted the left hand wall, but have since done so following the same theme.

The walls are painted, the carpet tiles are laid down.  All I need to do now is find places to hide all the junk, er useful items which I have collected over the years.

Andy