At some point Locolawyer will recognize that a primary reason for Eliot's delay in building is to watch Locolawyer go crazy. SLOWLY. That way the beginning portion of his handle will have a double meaning.

It is amusing.

Gerry

CharlesP34....sorry I didn't respond to your question before now but didn't notice it. I don't have any wiring done under the layout yet but will soon be installing the system I referred to on page one of this thread. At that time I will submit some pictures.

Eliot...WOW!!! 50 to 58 inches off the floor!!! I had considered something like that height but decided not to go that high because from past experience, I got tired of standing while watching and operating the trains. I decided to get the same affect of eye level height by using a bar stool as a gauge and then built the layout with the height being determined by sitting in the bar stool. It turns out the main benchwork height worked out around 44 inches.

Alan

Looking forward to eyeballing the NEVERLIST I guess its called?
Hoping for that gem that saves me hours of effort or
increases fun exponentially.

L

I've ballasted Atlas O switches with a water glue mixture and never had a problem. You have to be careful around the points and the throw bar.Byt as long as you keep the ballast below these areas, you can ballast a switch.

Dennis,

I am at the "end game" of my planning stage and I will post a photo of my track plan ASAP. I am happy to report that I have devised a way of eliminating any duckunders. I will have a "Sans Duckeroo" party when the layout is completed in the Spring of 2024.

Many thanks, once again, for your wonderful companion guide. I have it by my side.

eliot

Guilty of #1 and #5.

GOOD POST!

Thanks, Eliot. Take your time and have fun building your empire. One word of caution, however--50 inches may be too high. It will restrict how far you can reach, making it difficult to work on. Seriously contemplate what Alan said. You can always sit down to get an eye level view.

Dennis Brennan

When I planned and built my layout, I thought I wanted a single mainline with lots of sidings to drop off cars and pretend I am running a real railroad. Soon I realized a wanted a second loop to run two trains parallel. Now I wish I had a third loop. This is because when people come over, they want to see trains run, and I can't be doing switching manuevers and all that. I need to get some trains running and not have to watch them, for the enjoyment of the guests.

Multiple loops are a fun way to give your guests a taste of your railroad.

quote:

Multiple loops are a fun way to give your guests a taste of your railroad.

Yep, I use the outside main to run 2 or 3 consists, the inside main is for switching and operations. That way there is always plenty of action to keep the folks interested.

To me a details in a layout are like cooking with spices, a little goes a long way. Overdo it and it upsets the balance of the whole meal.

I belong to a large club with a great large layout, but when i do redo my layout, it will have high-end facades of buildings on the walls done with meticulous detail, and/or rock formations framing the 'fantasy' without cluttering the actions of the trains. I am not interested in filling up every inch of the layout with people, cars, and/or actions.

Things I will have:
- A Passenger station.
- An open bridge, no tunnels, or maybe a short one -especially no long ones.
- Wide open spaces of just brush dirt and grass in order to see the trains. And in that 'expanse' it will be flavored with just enough 'spice' (small details) to keep them and the layout special.