What do you like least about your layout?

[scottmitchell74]

Of course we all generally like our layouts. They are personal and meaningful and unique to us. However, if you're like me you're never quite (or even nearly) satisfied with the end result. So, what are the least favorite aspects of your layout?

1) I hate my water. It just didn't turn out how I wanted, and now I'm scared to death to tear it up. I don't know what kind of collateral damage might occur.

2) My Atlas switches (points?). I'm generally pleased with my Atlas track. It's been very forgiving of my lack of skills and the abuse it's seen over the years, but I hate those obtrusive, starkly plastic switches. Gak! They ruin the look of the track and scenics in the area.

[Ray Haddad]

The worst part of mine is that it is still on paper right now. Moved here from Australia two years ago and just a few weeks ago managed to unpack all of the engines and rolling stock.

[Claude Dreyfus]

The fact it does not have (a) auto uncouplers - soon to be rectified I hope - and (b) is not a continuous run - no chance with a width of 1' 6". Other than that, I like it very much, but of course there are always areas for improvement.

[D1042 Western Princess]

Too late I discovered Code 55 track is far more difficult to use (all those loose sleepers at the pointwork) than Code 80 - it might look better but I was seriously tempted at one time to tear it all out and relay with the older stuff  . To add insult to injury, having purchased all the points on the same day I then discovered that the newest offerings from Peco have solved that problem by now having fixed end sleepers!
I am still not happy with the looks at the station throat area but having glued it down I'm literally "stuck with it".  Having said that, the layout works well electrically and it's only for my own use so not a total disaster.

[cjdodd]

I just wish mine was the size of a house so I had more to 'play' with, sorry 'model' with. As soon as you do a layout you always wish it was bigger.

[Pengi]

Loads of reasons but the main one at the moment is . . .

. . . trees - cheapo ones never get them looking right. For the number of trees I need, I can't really justify shelling out on the high quality ones One reason why I want to go more urban

[ParkeNd]

Nothing really. If I didn't like something I would change it.

Moaning about something rather than fixing it is not a "man thing"

[Geoff]

At the moment all I have is a baseboard with track on it, and it is totally bare of any scenic's but that will change as soon as I get the layout automated, having a little trouble with my Digitrax PR3 talking to my windows 8 pc but once that is sorted the scenic's will go in, why is the computer the hardest to sort out, I am no software engineer so why do they not make it easy.

[Wingman mothergoose]

Setrack points and small radius curves! Had to use the curves due to board width, and I'm stuck with some of the setrack points, they work fine and everything goes over them ok so I'm leaving them. But next time.....

[4x2]

I love my layout bar one thing.... I didn't build it ! 

Elvinley did a cracking job building the baseboard from card and creating such realistic scenery, but it's made it difficult to change things without ruining all his hard work, every little job has to thought about carefully so as not to loose the 'feel' of the layout.

I want to build my own layout, but don't have the space yet... (I'm working on it) I've started many layouts and never got close to finish any of them, maybe one day !

[ParkeNd]

Setrack points and small radius curves! Had to use the curves due to board width, and I'm stuck with some of the setrack points, they work fine and everything goes over them ok so I'm leaving them. But next time.....

As a newbie on here I have noticed that sagely advice about Setrack and small radius curves is the most ignored advice.

[trainsdownunder]

The worst part of mine is that it is still on paper right now. Moved here from Australia two years ago and just a few weeks ago managed to unpack all of the engines and rolling stock.

I'm the same only the journey is almost reversed - Moved from UK to Australia 2 years ago (anniversary next week) and most of it is still in boxes

[4x2]

Setrack points and small radius curves! Had to use the curves due to board width, and I'm stuck with some of the setrack points, they work fine and everything goes over them ok so I'm leaving them. But next time.....

As a newbie on here I have noticed that sagely advice about Setrack and small radius curves is the most ignored advice.

The trouble is that lack of space is the enemy and Setrack is the weapon of choice !

I've tried loads of different track systems over the years, but keep coming back to peco - it's well made and reliable. 1st and 2nd radius curves allow a double track mainline on a sheet of  4x2 of say MDF or chipboard - this is probably where most people start in N....

[Wingman mothergoose]

That's the thing though, my short radius curves and setrack points work fine, there's one point that my friends Farish A1 doesn't like, and my two ?Union ?Mills locos need longer drawbars, as the pickup wire gets caught between loco and tender. Aside from that, even my friend's 9F went round with ease! And this nonsense about Blue Riband coaches not going round tight curves and points is a myth too, the only issue I've encountered is my N Gauge Society inspection saloon doesn't like running with my Farish class 25 as the buffers have a tendency to lock...

[ParkeNd]

If your Setrack and small radius curves work fine - what is it about them you like least about your layout?