Hi There

If you have not got the space just keep it simple, I started in the hobby at high school many many years ago, but have only just gone back to it again seriously, since I retired ! it is amazing how much I have forgotten and space is the same age old problem it has always been! very few of us have large spaces to run all the things we would like! One thing I have learned is, it is not worth making a rod for your own back tried to fit too much in, it is always better to keep it simple and spend time on the detail to get a bit more from any project?

That's certainly going to be my approach when I get to the nitty gritty of my next project, I don't have the space for double track main line, so it will be country branch with a canal insert as I have always wanted to build a canal into a layout !

Over the years I have been in the hobby, with many breaks for bringing up kids, work projects abroad etc I have always had a lot of enjoyment in the detail, not just running trains, we all like to do that!! The hobby caters for all so, if you can't do it one way do it another! You don't say what gauge, so I am thinking you are doing 00 gauge one suggestion would be to drop to N gauge or similar if you want to do a lot, in a small space.

I've not long been doing the blog thing either! but the information which is out there now is great and the members have all been helpful with comments, everyone is in the hobby to enjoy and that is what it is all about!

All the best in your endeavours!

Reemgee

I think most people have been through a similar thing to you at some point. I found myself getting frustrated. I then found rmweb and became inspired by the 'less is more' approach used by many.

Although you may wish to cram as much in as you can, don't. I've gained much more enjoyment from a simpler but more realistic layout than I ever did from a layout full of track.

I don't know if this is an option but if you wanted to run more with less space then you could consider changing scales. It is a big decision but with the space you have you could do a lot in N Gauge as Reemgee says. You could have a double track mainline with plenty of sidings and other features with the ability to run many many trains. The downside is that N Gauge is not as DCC friendly in that the space required for the larger and mort functional chips is not as easy to find in tiny N Gauge locos (but saying that I have seen chips in even the smallest of locos).

I have to say that I am an N Gauger myself and would not be able to model a decent layout with the space I have if I were using OO so it is definitely the space saver. With the innovations that are coming through from the main manufacturers there are incredible levels of detail that were unthinkable 15 years ago.

Whatever you end up doing good luck and keep us posted.

Thanks for the comments, i think if i had thought about it more when i first started maybe i would have gone for N gauge.

But the money and time spent kinda makes it a no for me to change gauges.

I will keep blogging when i get some more news on what i am going to do.