So like most other people it seems, what better way to spend lockdown than layout building!
I have space in my shed, and my daughter out-grew an old bed that was a perfect start for a layout, so I based it off of that and added a 4' x 5' extension. As I'm finishing up the bench work, I'm going through the track plan and am trying to figure out what kind of switches I should use. The layout will use all Lionel 0-27 track, as I have been adding on to my dad's old collection for quite sometime and have a nice stockpile. Plus I like the lower profile of it and how easy it is to work with.
I have some of the Lionel and K-Line 42" diameter 0-27 switches, but I noticed on the K-Line switches that longer cars hit the switch machine. From my research it seems that Ross and Gargraves switches have the same height profile as 0-27. I know the general consensus is that Ross switches are better, but are there any other slightly more budget friendly options that match 0-27 height?
Here is the trackplan I drew up in CAD. To follow along I color coded the center rail and outside envelope limits: 27" diameter is in green, 42" in blue and 54" in red, with an outside lines approximately 3" from the center rail to make sure I'm spacing properly. I'll probably figure out how I'm going to connect the elevated line with the main level when I build it, and there might be some small gaps where I got to lazy to draw the custom cut sections. Any input is definitely welcome.
