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I'd hook the layout up to run and do some actual switching from train to industry or industry to train to help find out switching conflicts. I wouldn't worry so much about mechanical fidelity of your track until you are making it permanent. If the two sidings you are talking are in photo 1...

That's going to be a really nice layout once you get the scenery on it's way. Except for the previous addressed issues I don't see any outstanding conflicts. If the layout is operational I would run it to death by switching cars in and out by trying different switching scenareos. Maybe even...

Go with the flex. Once you use it, you'll never go back. AS for the crossing, yes, an over and under would work, but if you are considering two levels I'd wait and see what method of assention will be used. That will play a big part as to determining how the rest of the layout is laid out...

I agree with the yards. I was just suggesting options for a continuous run walk-in design, nothing more. This is a tight room and I like the idea of two levels, but that's not for me to decide. It does open up more possibilities.

How about doing a little flipping of the main up around "Square Mountain". I played with it a little and it looks like you could squeeze in some extra walking room if the track crossed over itself and get to use 24-26" curves to boot. You could make the crossing "at grade",but it wouldn't make...

If the bridge doesn't have to move then it's fairly easy, if it's just an extension of the regular benchwork, i.e. duck-under. If you want have it swing out of the way, then it gets alittle bit trickier, but I have seen excellent examples of this type of bridge here on this forum. You don't...

Now you have to build and detail for the digital camera.

I can. I feel it helps with the ultimate illusion, but you are right about it being over-rated and that shouldn't be considered the main objective for realism. Sometimes, we have no choice, too. I have seen plenty of beautiful layouts with parallel to the edge trackage and since it is only...

I don't have much of a choice concerning the layout's straight edges because it's the only way it will work in my situation. On the other hand, there is very little tangent track in the whole plan (layout not started, yet) with most of my track being either curved track or spiral easments...

Wow, smithing in Pheonix! Brutal! Nice work. i'm impressed with the knife. Excellent job for a beginner.

What about turning the dogbone section counter-clockwise and getting rid of the oval section for walk-in ability(Put a bridge in if you need the oval). The top loop of the DB could be turned the other way to fit better into the cornerwall coner. You'll have to play with it to see if it will work.

You are using an inherently poor option for elevating track. You are better off jigsawing (straight skill sawing in this case) your trackplan out of a piece of 1/2" plywood. The transitions will be much smoother, giving that the joint between two peices of plywood isn't located at the top of...

Yeah, it's better to untrain the cat now. They have a nasty habit of not listening, or caring, until a projectile motivates them. It may be benificial to put up a small shelf for the cat's dish to help keep the cat away from the layout area, plus your mom will like not having to bend down to...

Boy, I hope your parents don't come driving up, tell you thanks and park their car in there after you finish cleaning it all up.:curse: You didn't JUST find the dog's dish, did you?.:D

Bragdon Enterprises http://www.bragdonent.com/ They have all kinds of rock molds and materials for the DIYer rock makers.

short answer, yes, the below the track magnets work fine. The trick is to place them where the cars to be uncoupled are in a straght line so that each coupler pulls away from the other without hanging up on each other.

Toothpickssign1 all I can picture in my mind is that old cartoon where they turned a big log into a tiny toothpick. 1 ft in HO is equal to .138", multiply that by 50 and you get 6.900"

Funny that you brought this up. I was looking through the August MR's "How to build Realistic Layouts" and on page 17 there is an article about Bill Alrich's NYNH&H Shore Line Layout where he describes how he did exactly that. The ballast actually holds the track up above the subroadbed. He...

Better subject matter than Warhol's. :thumb: Wave if you agree:wave:

Technically you can go down to 1-13/16", but most use no less than 2" between centers. I have a double crossover that is 2" on centers between the parallel tracks, so that's one of my gages. On curved track I let it range between 2-1/8 to 2-1/2, depending on the radii. The tighter the radius...