Moving... to bring the railroad or start again, that is the question.

So the exciting news is we'll be relocating early next year to continue my ministry training. We're in the process of looking for somewhere to live and of course, a prerequisite is that any house/garage must have space for a model railroad. I'm just not sure if that space should house THIS model railroad or a new version of the Thoroughfare Gap Railroad.

Taking the current version of the Thoroughfare Gap Railroad in some ways is easier. Yes, it will be a challenge but it can be done. My practical-minded friends and our moving company all have good ideas for shifting it safely. Inevitably there will be some damage and some time will be needed to set everything up and troubleshoot issues. But I could be running trains again pretty quickly. My internship is for two years, so we will be likely moving again soon. Perhaps I'm getting ahead of myself, but I'm not sure I'd want to move the layout twice (but then again, why not).

Starting a new version of the Thoroughfare Gap Railroad (ie dismantling this one) sounds exciting, but also daunting. Do I really want to be building a new railroad during this season when I'm still focused on my training? While I may be pressed for time, starting again does have some advantages. I'd build something modular so that it could be moved easily. This would mean I can also build just a couple of modules at a time so there would be no pressure to get the whole thing done. Furthermore, it would be a good opportunity to fix all the design issues I have with the current layout, the core of which is 15 years old. There are things I'd not do again. Is this an opportunity to start again with a clean slate? Of course, it would not be a complete build from scratch. I'll keep all my trees, buildings and scenery details, and possibly some bridges could be repurposed. But, the landscape, backdrops and trackwork will have to be new.

Currently, I'm oscillating between the two options. I do enjoy the creative outlet of building scenery. But, I also really enjoy running trains. While I'm making up my mind, I want to share the railroad with others. So I'm preparing to have an open house where I'll be inviting people to visit the layout before its move. I also plan to take more photos of the layout, which I'll share here too. 

Have you had a similar situation? Did you take your layout with you or decide to start again?