John C. posted:Mark Boyce posted:STOP THE PRESSES! STOP THE PRESSES!
Major development came up over the weekend!! As we are cleaning out stuff left over from when our two daughters lived with us, my wife asked me if I wanted to build the layout in the family room adjacent to the "train room". This encompasses the area the Ceiling Central Railroad is in plus a slightly larger space on the other side of the duct work bulkhead. All along I wondered why we needed three sitting rooms, the living room, sun room directly above the train room and the front half of the family room; but I never once spoke up. The furniture in the family room consists of a rocking love seat and single chair her parents discarded to us about 15 years ago, a small dresser with a television on it, and a folding table she uses for jigsaw puzzles. She says it is too cold to sit down there in the winter, which is true.
So, I am waiting for it to be brought up again as we finish cleaning out, but as you may guess, it makes me think I will put a hold on layout construction; not that I have much time for it this time of year anyway.
The room is 12 feet wide at it's widest, the part farthest from the train room. After 12 feet, it narrows to about 10 1/2 feet for the rest of the way. It is 24 feet long. Now, the one caveat is that I have to keep a walkway open all along that 10 1/2 feet wide section because here are four doors along it, two on the end. So the workable width at the front is 12 feet, then it would be about 7 1/2 feet width until I get to the end, where the exterior door only leaves 5 feet. This is a quick diagram of the room. I still have a lot of measurements to do. I still want the same theme. I'll need to rewrite an updated list of features wanted, but basically it will still be a loop to loop design with a town at each end and a long steady climb up the mountain.
CONGRATULATIONS Mark! Sounds like you are back to square 1 with all the additional space. I'm very glad for you. Instead of going round and round consider a point to point setup. You can have a "continuous option" on each "end" if you want to let one run hands free occasionally. SUPER great of your wife to recognize your passion and allow you more area. :-)
John, Thank you!! I am going to consider just what you said. Maybe I could fit in a wye at each end for turning engines and then have the continuous option as well.
My wife of 33 years has always supported my hobby. She likes to help by finding scenic items to add, sometimes funny ones, and sometimes ones I wouldn't pick, but I never discourage her.
