After several years of a stunning lack of progress on my home layout, I have decided to scrap the Ceresco & Wolf River RR and join the Ripon (WI) Area Model RR club. It makes a lot of sense for me. What I enjoy most is building structures and scenery. I could probably be happy building a room-size diorama in HO scale with a single loop of track. Joining the club means I can run trains during their twice-a-week operating sessions and build structures and scenery for the layout. They have given me two corners of the layout to remodel with a small industrial district. Most of the buildings I have already built will go on the club layout. I'm selling off most of my Peco Electrofrog switches and all of my DC-powered locomotives. I've purchased an Alco 2-6-0 with DCC and sound and a Digitrax controller. And one of my 0-6-0 tank engine switchers had DCC on board. I'll be the only club member running steam alongside modern diesels. I don't care, and neither do the other club members.
We are still working out a proper operating system for moving freight and passengers, and it will be fun to be part of that. The home layout had become a millstone around my neck, making me feel guilty for the lack of progress. Tearing out half of it one day last week, I felt a sense of relief. I also now have room in our basement for a proper shop area for woodworking and building large dioramas. I'll post photos of the club layout soon.
I was actually a co-founder of the club years ago when it was a modular club with no permanent home. I dropped out for a long time, but now it has a large home in the basement of a church and a permanent layout, and I'm excited to be part of it again. I'm also happy that there are a number of youngsters in the club who are getting addicted early.
UPDATE: 17 March 2024
I'm working on a simple operating system for the club, one that can be expanded later if we choose. My Spectrum 2-6-0 is weathered and running well. It's not the only steam on the club layout; I was passed by a UP Challenger this afternoon and went into the hole for a NYC 4-8-2 coming the other way. I also bought an Athearn GP9 in MILW Road colors -- nice engine, great sound, plenty of oomph.
The layout has 2 levels, two helixes, and 50-odd places for spotting freight cars, two small yards (not counting the huge fiddle yard in another room), and 400 feet of mainline in a continuous loop that can be operated out-&-back or point-to-point. Most of it is scenicked, but there is room for lots more detail.
I have decided to keep a few feet of track, and one of my DC 2-6-0s. I have several FSM kits and a bunch of scenery ideas that won't fit on the club layout, so I will begin planning a small British-style layout -- single track, point-to-point, a couple of switches, with lots of scenery and kitbashed and scratchbuilt structures -- more of a diorama than a model railroad. I have a space 2 ft x 16 ft to play with, and I might build it as three or four distinct modules with a small fiddle yard. That would give me the most flexibility.
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