Recent content by SAZ

Well I have a made a number of revisions to the design over the last month or so. I've given up on the dual layouts at this point, mostly to simplify construction. I have gotten permission to remove the door rather than have it swing into the room or the hall. The angle in front of the closet...

Thanks for the comments Mike! Right now I'm planning to provide access to all tracks in order to avoid a nasty run in with murphy's law. I plan on using tall open top hills around the edge of the layout where I otherwise would not be able to reach the staging tracks from the back. The plan is...

At this point I would suggest that you consider the type of equipment you would like to run. Everyone (myself included) tends to over-estimate how equipment will work and look on curves. I suggest you review the NMRA standards: http://www.nmra.org/standards/ The curvature standards vs equipment...

I'm in the planning phase of a new HO layout, and I have been looking at the Walthers on-line catalog to get ideas of structure kit dimensions and availability. A number of Walthers brand kits have great pictures, and reasonable cost - seem like a good value. Its really impossible to tell the...

You could try an L shaped dog bone type layout along the 21' wall and the 11'4" wall. The area between the closet and pipes/meters could be access to staging - and access to storage closet and pipes when needed.

Hmm... seems I've confused folks a little. Main level is for main line trains, and the logging branch is almost like scenery. The intent is they would be entirely separate layouts connected only by scenery. They in theory connect some place "off-stage". If I did connect them... it wouldn't...

Been working on my layout design, and going back and forth on what I think I want. Attached is a graphic of my current thinking (credit to Mike Hammer for the surround staging concept). I have been thinking about how much yard and how much staging I want to have, and any advise would be...

I agree with MasonJar's comments, he (and most everyone else) have been doing this much longer than I - so listen to them. Since I'm also in the planning stage (for about the same size of area) I can add that whenever I try to sketch up something without a scale - I end up with more than can...

Thanks Zedob, yah that looks like a great layout, and certainly a concept worth considering! I'be been struggling with XTrkCad, here are the 2 different layout concepts I'm currently considering. You can see how much surround staging digs into the size of the room. It leaves space above the...

Hello all, I've been lurking here for a bit, reading and learning. Thank you for all the inspiration and advise! :) I need some help with designing a new HO layout. I want to have something I will enjoy for the long run. HO is the scale... I know I could get much more operational interest by...