Mark: I think Bob has got a great idea for the lower level. You could take out the vertical support board and put in a couple of round columns using any kind of round stock. Like a clothes hanging rod would look sharp and have a great car shop on the lower level. Could even leave it open for folks to view and give you something else to detail. 🚂😁
Thank you, Jim M, Rick, Santa Fe Jim, Bob, Brian!!
Rick, I was intending to leave the doors on the back next to the backdrop closed. Of course, I could leave them off as well.
Bob, I think that is the reason most of us post descriptions of what we are doing and photographs; to encourage the enabler to point out something the writer did not see or think of. 
I suppose there are some showoffs, but that isn't the case with me or you.
Brian, is certainly an enabler as well!!
There are two ways to take a siding off the curved mainline. I had thought of the case where the switch would be under the overpass and the tracks would be parallel to the edge of the layout. I think that is the thought leading to the two level house or carbarn under the enginehouse. I had thought of that, but it wouldn't work with the siding I had put facing the opposite direction after the suggestion a couple months ago. I thought it would a good place to park the 2-6-6-2 when not running. My giant crane isn't hefty enough to be lifting that engine off and on the layout much. 
That would lead to tracks underneath as shown here. Of course, the nearest track would be pushed farther back since the support would be changed.
The other option would be to take the switch off the other tangent, the one shown in the last photograph. It would have the cars going perpendicular towards the rear wall, and probably shorter tracks and one fewer track. It would enable me to keep the track on the other side of the overpass where the big engine is sitting now.
Now is the time to take it apart, buy a couple more switches and provide for better storage and operation. I can take the plywood off the supports by removing screws and changing the supports wouldn't take much more.
Attachments
ENABLERS 1- MARK BOYCE 0
I used 1" dowel for my upper level Mark. They are nice and sturdy. A car barn would look nice under the engine shed.
Bob
Bob, You miscounted. I counted 3 enablers. It is more like ENABLERS - 3 , MARK - 0
Reminds me of a Pirates or Penguins score! 
And here my younger son-in-law's boss, who is from Long Island, was looking forward to another Islanders-Penguins series. Well he will have to wait until next year!
Jentz, I just happen to have 4 5-foot long rake handles my father-in-law passed on to us when my mother-in-law sold us the house. He used to do that; when he needed something, he would buy 3 or 4, because you just never know. Oh, the stuff he left behind. They happen to be 1.1 inches in diameter. Discounting the one end is rounded and the other is tapered for the rake, that makes 9 supports out of each handle. I haven't needed any of them in the 9 years we have been here, so I think I have ready made stock.
Measuring from the tangent track on the other side of the overpass, it's center rail is 13 inches from the layout edge. Looking at the enginehouse/carbarn end, I think I could get three 36-inch long tracks in there.
Moral of the story; The Penguins and Pirates deserve to lose! 
But the Enablers provided me with a great idea!
Mark, lots of great ideas flying around here. I especially like Bob’s idea for a two story building. That would be a unique and interesting feature. You are wringing every inch of space out of this room!
Andy
Thank you, Andy!
I spent some time removing the supports of the overpass that were in the way of the lead track for the little yard. Then I laid some cork for a roadbed. I ordered some switches, but when they arrived I realized I forgot to order a right hand switch instead of a left hand switch. Today a good Forum member came to the rescue with the correct switch for sale, so it is on the way.
With that project on hold, I decided to go to the other side of the room to see how I could fit a town in between all the tracks. This will be a work in progress repositioning buildings and deciding what else I need before I make any bases, streets, and other features. Here is the first rendition. I think it will work out better than I thought when I started. Please note the Menards Train Shop and the Plasticville church are actually sitting on the brick window sill. I might as well use that to give a little more depth to the town to suggest it goes beyond the tracks since there will be no backdrop there.
It is a rather nice vantage point to see the layout from while doing laundry.
Attachments
Slow but sure wins the race. It's coming along nicely, Mark.
Ahhhh! Laundry. One of the easiest chores for me. I like the sky you painted. The light color just above the hill/tree line contrasting with the darker blues above works well. I might try that if I can ever get around to it. Lot's of cool buildings!
Thank you, Pat and Pennsynut!!! The sky worked well. Actually I bought the backdrops from Forum member George (G3750). He had them painted for his PRR Panhandle Division Version 1. I do have to do a little more painting and will get my artist daughter to help me pick matching colors to try to blend in the best I can. We have examined the technique, and it shouldn't be a problem once I have the right colors and learn to mix properly. That will be a winter project. Since she and her husband live less than a mile away, I can get her inspections almost any time. Our other daughter and her husband live a whopping 2 miles away, so I get input from them also.
Mark, things are really looking good on the Blackwater canyon line! Keep up the great work and keep having fun doing it!
Thank you, Mike! Scenery is my favorite part of the hobby besides running trains.
@Mark Boyce posted:Thank you, Mike! Scenery is my favorite part of the hobby besides running trains.
Your more then welcome Mark, I am getting that way! But I also still like scratch building things!
Looks great Mark! Things are coming together nicely.
Andy
Looks great, Mark! I needed that - haven't done a lick of work on my layout all summer, so your pics help a lot. 
WOW, the put together town looks like a well planned part of your layout! Great job 😀
Thank you Andy, Firewood, and John,
Starting to really look like a layout now Mark. Nice to have your vision come to life.
Bob
@Firewood posted:Looks great, Mark! I needed that - haven't done a lick of work on my layout all summer, so your pics help a lot.
I know the feeling. For months I got too busy on other things to run trains let alone tackle long thought about modeling projects. As a result of staying home and restrictions on traveling, I am refocused. Reading posts by the folks like Mark who are building or rebuilding layouts and others who have great imaginations and scratch build really cool things is inspiring.
Thank you, Bob! You are right about it being nice to see it coming to life. It was 4 years ago when our older daughter, last to get married, was cleaning out this room, her art studio, and moving things to the house they bought. Her husband-to-be was living in the house by himself until the wedding Sept 10th. I opened this topic in early January 2017. It was a somewhat rocky road getting to 2017 and a similar road developing plans, facing missteps, and reconfigurations, as you well know getting the layout going. This is Plan D as I like to call it. Good things do not come easy. That makes them all the more satisfying!!
I think it is a good time to once again thank each and every Forum member for his or her suggestions, constructive criticism, and encouragement. This layout would not be what it is today without all of you members and the OGR ownership and staff for providing this venue!!!!
@Firewood posted:Looks great, Mark! I needed that - haven't done a lick of work on my layout all summer, so your pics help a lot.
@pennsynut posted:
I know the feeling. For months I got too busy on other things to run trains let alone tackle long thought about modeling projects. As a result of staying home and restrictions on traveling, I am refocused. Reading posts by the folks like Mark who are building or rebuilding layouts and others who have great imaginations and scratch build really cool things is inspiring.
I understand completely!! I spent too many years in a rather limbo state trying to get layouts started but life got in the way. That is a huge reason why we share what we are doing here; to encourage others as we have been encouraged. Thank you both!!
MarK, very nice work !
Thank you very much, Leandro!!!
Looking good Mark.
Thank you, Dave!!
Looking great Mark! Come a long way from since I last saw it! Keep up the great work!
Thank you, Lance! I hope you are getting time to work on your layout too!!
Yesterday I received the GarGraves 042 right hand switch from Sidehack Ray that I needed for the yard. I assembled the tracks for the yard and placed 40-foot boxcars on to see how many the yard will hold. It looks like 8 if I foul one switch with a car. If I filled the yard with 2-bay hoppers, I should be able to get one additional car on each of the two longer tracks. It would be nice if the tracks were longer, but this isn't bad for a small layout that I want to emphasize mountain scenery. None of the yard tracks are wired or fastened to the roadbed yet. I did run a train both ways through the new 054 right hand switch leading off the mainline and all worked well. I still have lots of wiring to do.
Attachments
Looks good Mark, great job on making adjustments ad hoc!
Thank you, John!! Ad hoc seems to be the way of it for me! The trouble is, I have so many left over parts and pieces! 
I'll have to have a GarGraves-Ross discount sale when I get all the track finally in for good!
The yard looks great! I always think high density track areas look exciting.
Thank you, Bill! I wish I had more room, but I am glad I have what I have!!
HOLY CANNOLI MARK!!! Nice work! Yes... I have 21' but you have *Depth*!!!
~~~Maybe my wife doesn't *really* need to go upstairs~~~~
dennis - the envious
Mark,
You have been moving things right along as of late. It's great to see your progress. Your yard is nice and the boxcars look good there.
Dave
Mark, Wow, I like your new yard, cool idea, nice work. Your layouts coming alive in a vibrant way. Keep the pictures coming. Your friend in Tennessee.
The wisdom of your approach to the construction is manifest in the way these problems get worked out. Plan, yes: but then lay the thing out for real and adjust for the inevitable disparities between the plan and reality.
Every one of the disparities has become an opportunity for you, Mark, and you have a talent for making the most of them.
Mark really looking good is that the area that was underneath the 2 stall engine house? No space goes to waste smart use of limited real estate.
Thank you, Dennis, Dave, Larry, and Palallin!!
Dennis, there you go; each of us sees the good part of what the other has. We both are very well off!! I think your wife will want to go upstairs and use that great kitchen and bathroom you posted over on your topic!!!
Dave, and the funny thing is, I wasn't even going to put in switches there, just a shelf to hold cars for moving by hand up top. Bob, Brian, and others convinced me to do this. Smart men!!
Larry, It is coming alive. An extremely dry and hotter than normal July and August gave me incentive to stay in the train room more than normal. It may not look the prettiest, but all but the track will be covered up at some point.
Palallin, I had a manager many years ago who would say, "Mark, I have an opportunity for you." Maybe he contributed to my ability.
I was looking at the three 042 GarGraves switches for the yard. All the rest on the layout are Ross-Ready switches which are pre-wired underneath. I think they spoiled me, since I will have to put more attention into wiring to make sure all the tracks have power no matter which way the switch is thrown. The right hand one directly under the overpass is manual, so I ordered a DZ1000 and a tie extender to make it automatic. I still have to wire up all the DZ1000s, I have just been sliding the little button on the DZ1000s manually to change positions. There are so many things to do on a layout of this size, I can't imagine building a layout that takes up most of a basement.
@RJT posted:Mark really looking good is that the area that was underneath the 2 stall engine house? No space goes to waste smart use of limited real estate.
Thank you, Rick!!
@Mark Boyce posted:Dave, and the funny thing is, I wasn't even going to put in switches there, just a shelf to hold cars for moving by hand up top. Bob, Brian, and others convinced me to do this. Smart men!!
Mark- would you mind if I frame this and show it to my wife....she never believes me when I say it.
The yard looks great. It will give you some nice options when running trains.
Bob
