Layout Help just moved to Colorado Springs

Congrats Will on your new layout space. If you want help with your benchwork, give Tim at Mianne Benchwork a call. There's a link to the website at the top of the OGR Forum homepage or you can look up Mianne on the internet. I have no woodworking skills either, so I went with the Mianne system for my own layout that I'm starting to build. Tim is great to work with. All you have to do is send Tim your track plan and room diemensions.

Looking forward to photos and videos of your new layout build.

Thank you! I spoke with Leapin Larry and we are discussing changing the measurements of the extension and main track. I really want to have a roundhouse and turntable on the extension. Making the extension 1 ft larger both width and length will provide just enough space. I just cut a cardboard circle to represent the 34.5 in hole for a Mill House 34" turntable and It fits so far! Now I need to do some research on the roundhouse. I'm gearing towards an Altoona Model Works one but I'm looking to incorporate a UP, SP & AT&SF style roundhouse.

Benchwork or trackplan first; the old chicken or egg conundrum.  Personally, I would suggest settling on a trackplan first and then build (or hire someone to build) the benchwork.  But, for the record, you don't have to be a master carpenter to build satisfactory benchwork.  There are a number of books and old magazine articles on the subject that you can read and then implement their ideas.  Just remember that construction methods vary between big and flat surfaces (tabletop) and multi-level surfaces (open-grid or cookie-cutter) or some combination of the two.

Chuck