Taking apart a layout due to unexpected home move

[Ruth]

Apologies if this isn't the right place to post this. My husband has a layout in a small bedroom. Sadly he had a stroke earlier this year and can no longer access the room, and it seems unlikely at the moment that he would be able to have the use of both hands in order to do modelling. We are relocating to a bungalow and there isn't any room atm that could be used as a train room. He wants to keep all his rolling stock (it'll be a fun job packing all that up!). Then I am left with the problem of what to do with the layout. Can I have some opinions whether someone might be interested in coming and taking all the reusable things off it or shall I just get someone to come and assault it with an electric saw. Its not even something I could do myself, either emotionally or physically. 

[KeithHC]

So sorry to hear your on going issues. Could you gives us a location you are in please not your address but your town. Then I am sure someone local on here will be better able to help. Also your husband may well enjoy keep up with rmweb as we are not all layout owners but can look on in amassment.

 

Keith

[ITG]

Terrible news, and you are brave to tackle the challenge. Yes, location will be relevant to those interested / able to help. Have you any idea what scale it is? And the size of it roughly?
 

Edited December 3, 2021 by ITG

[Dungrange]

Sorry to hear your news.  Photographs may also help ascertain how much could be carefully removed and reused.  I'm assuming that it was never built to be dismantled?

[Ruth]

Hi, we are in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. And no the layout was never made to be dismantled although it would always have to be at some point but not at this stage in life.  Its in what is a box room, our son did use it as a bedroom but it was a very tight squeeze. I will take some photos later and post them on here. And its OO gauge. 

. 

[Ruth]

Here are the photos of the layout, obviously I have shall have to remove all the trains, cars, buses etc. I suppose without them it isn't actually that much. 

[Dungrange]

3 hours ago, Ruth said:

Here are the photos of the layout, obviously I have shall have to remove all the trains, cars, buses etc. I suppose without them it isn't actually that much. 

 

The trains, cars and buses will be the easiest to remove and probably constitutes the greatest value.  Given that the layout wasn't designed to be taken apart, it probably has to be scrapped.  In pre-COVID times a couple of our club members used to attend a swap-meet in central Scotland to dispose of unwanted items (which had often been donated to us).  I'm told that buildings were easy to sell, but didn't make much money.  What the buildings are made of will determine how easy it will be to remove them without too much damage.  The building on the right of your first picture looks to be made from card, but the ones in the centre of your second picture look more like they're made of plastic or resin.  The Goods shed in the middle of the third picture looks like the Hornby model, which is plastic, but that may have been glued to the baseboard, in which case it may be difficult to remove without damage.  The buildings in the last photograph look like they are sitting on expanded polystyrene, so may be salvageable by destroying the polystyrene that they are sitting on.  I guess the question is whether or not your husband would want to keep any of these (if possible).

 

You may also want to disconnect the controller (it's the cream coloured item sitting on the chest of drawers in the third picture which has four knobs on it).  It looks to be a DC controller that can drive two trains with brake simulation.

 

You've said that you live in Huddersfield and a web search reveals that there is a model railway club in Huddersfield.

 

Their website ( https://huddersfieldrailwaymodellers.weebly.com ) indicates that they are based at "BATH MILLS (FIRST FLOOR) ALBERT STREET, LOCKWOOD, HUDDERSFIELD HD1 3PY", but it doesn't seem to have any contact details (although it does have photographs of the committee).  They have a Facebook group ( https://www.facebook.com/groups/77104421962832 ), but again, I couldn't see any contact details, but I did find contact details for them on this website - http://www.modelrailwayclubs.co.uk/clubs/west-yorkshire/huddersfield-railway-modellers

 

 

Email Address: contact @ huddsrailwaymodellers.co.uk

Telephone: 01924 848623

 

I assume that these are the details for the secretary (Graham Beckwith).  Someone from their club may or may not want to salvage anything from the layout - it will probably depend on how close they are to you, but you could always try getting in touch with them.

 

I don't envy your task.

Edited December 3, 2021 by Dungrange
missing word

[Ruth]

Thanks for that information, I will try contacting them via social media

 

[Michael Hodgson]

21 hours ago, Ruth said:

Hi, we are in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. And no the layout was never made to be dismantled although it would always have to be at some point but not at this stage in life.  Its in what is a box room, our son did use it as a bedroom but it was a very tight squeeze. I will take some photos later and post them on here. And its OO gauge. 

. 

The problem with layouts like this is that they are built to fit the room.  When you move, even where there is space available you invariably find the rooms in your new home are different size/shape, so layouts very rarely relocate easily, even if they are easy to dismantle.  |Looking at the photos, it may be possible to remove the buildings and box them up for possible use elsewhere, but I would be surprised if the track can be recovered from the boards without damage. Some of the backscene seems to be stuck to the wall, so that won't be recoverable even if you managed to dismantle the baseboards.

Best wishes to you and your husband.

[brianusa]

A lot of readers may be in the same position.  My tinplate layout is in the same situation being fixed to the walls, so sadly I am faced with a similar decision.  In my case, the man with a big power saw will reduce the baseboard etc, to more manageable pieces and so to the dump!

The trains and accessories, both British and American, have a certain value but will it be enough to go through the selling experience with all that entails.  Not something to be wished for at any age!  So the whole thing may follow the baseboard to the dump as well, not that it will concern me then, as many trains have gone this way before.  I have some lovely trains but it doesn't pay to be sentimental over their fate!

     Brian.

[Ruth]

Thanks for the various comments. In a way its reassuring to know that in some ways I don't have to feel guilty at destroying the whole thing. I doubt that the trains will ever be used again in a property that we live in but I have an obligation to pack them up and store them in case I am mistaken. As I posted the photos I can see that even though its his pride and joy its very personal and actually rather sad looking. 

[bbishop]

Ruth,  many of us, possibly including your husband, began with a six foot by four foot board.  Perhaps you could salvage what you can from his layout and lay an oval of track.  Just watching the trains go by can be very therapeutic. Bill

[KeithHC]

Maybe the Huddersfield club could help with that. It would make an ideal project for a junior section or maybe local Scouts.

 

Keith