First Post

 I personally “think” problems through much better if I “Talk” them out, I doubt I have any serious insights to offer other modelers, but this blog will help me, I think, designing the Atlantic Inland. This will be the second version of the AIR.

AIR 1, as it has come to be known, lasted for ten years in a purpose built building at our previous home in Burbank, Ca. AIR 2 is the next version, planned for the basement space in the new home we are building in Virginia.

My wife and I are building the house ourselves. We wanted to hire subs to help, but no one wanted to work or they wanted an amount of money we simply felt we could not or would not pay. So in the end we have driven every nail, every screw, installed every shingle and siding board, all the wiring, plumbing, drywall, tile, hardwood, paint, etc, etc…

It’s been slow going.

The initial plan was to build a building for the trains, but to be honest, we simply could not face building another building! The decision was made to let the trains occupy the basement space. I’m very happy with this decision. First, I don’t have to build the room! This layout space is built and moves the time-table up by at least two years. Second, I like the proximity of the space. My wife can simply shout down the stairs, instead of going out to another building when she wants me. To be honest, my laziness kept me from walking out to the train room on AIR 1, so this is better for me.

Third, this space is about 1/3 larger than on AIR1. The previous space was 1260 sq. Ft. This is 2000 sq. Ft.

My layout always was, and will again, be a 3-D game board. It was never visually pleasing. This is a reflection of my modeling skills as much as anything else. On AIR1 I found I like operating better than building, so once I got the track in place, I began operating and it became another “Plywood Plaines”. 

With the demands of work, and life in general, most of my hobby time was spent re-staging for the next session. I did not GENERALLY view this as bad, but over time I found I enjoyed building structures, kitbashing or scratch building, and I had little time for that. 

On AIR2 I hope to design it to reduce the re-staging time required, although I enjoy staging the layout. 

Other goals are I found I enjoy TTTO operations and want to make that one of the layouts main focus. With this in mind a long main line run is being planned in, currently around 600’

On AIR1 there were several large and demanding switching jobs, which I like, and I hope to include these “switching districts” in the design.

Regular and visiting operators always claimed they had fun on the AIR, so with that fantasy in mind I’m going to do it all over again. 

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