I have finally been able to get back to building my long in the process layout (like 25 years, talk about slow) and just wanted to share some of my experiences with it. My prior layouts had all been using tinplate track, relatively simply track plans (limited resources helped) and weren't big (like 4x12). When I finally had the basement fixed up and had the time, I decided I wanted to go with an updated approach. I went with Ross track and switches, and decided to design the layout using a program (in my case, rail modeler pro on my Macbook air).
1)I found, as many have said, that you don't need to build the layout to allow an elephant to sleep on it. I build it using a standard ladder frame using 1x4's, with 2x2 legs. The top is 1/2" plywood, with 4" of foam on top (an experiment, never have worked with it) to allow easily building sub track level features. It is plenty strong, I am not a lightweight, and I have had to go on top of the table at times and it didn't flex or anything.
2)If you are building a layout, use levelers on the legs, it saved me a lot of grief. Mine is in a basement in a relatively old house, and it made setting it up easy.
3)Plan for unexpected delays. The benchwork went easily (surprising for me, given my woodworking skills), but the rest has been slow. Some of it was having the money to order the track I wanted (as noted , Ross sectional and switches), others time or simply having stretches where I wasn't motivated or didn't have time. You kind of have to take a long term approach to it I found.
4)Using software (to me) is a big boon. The biggest is so far I am not finding I over or under ordered anything, if I had done this the old fashioned way, given my skill set, likely would be like when I go to buy lumber or plumbing parts, too much or too little. My layout is not complicated nor particularly large (9x14 U), I don't have grades to worry about or complex curves (all sectional track) ,but having that parts list made it really easy.
5)As GRJ and others warned me, there still will be the inevitable tinkering. The track plan so far has worked amazingly well, given how I had to estimate some of the table size things in the program, specifically a nasty column that runs near the mainline on a curve. I am probably going to need to change where the track curves near it, probably too close, and also to get the center to center distance on my curves further apart (I am running 072 and 063 curves on a double mainline). Thing is, if I did this the way I used to, either on graph paper or just putting track together, I likely would have the same thing. I actually am impressed with how close it has been so far, was expecting something like a famous (joke) poster of the golden spike ceremony where the right rail of track coming from the west was connected to the left rail of the one coming from the east, with a suitable epithet of "Oh -!"
6)Non traditional tinplate track is a bit more delicate to deal with. With curves, it is a lot easier IME to end up with them kinked because the pins will bend, something with trad tinplate track and its pins not easy to do. The insulating pins with Ross track are pretty fragile especially, had more than a few of them disintegrate in my (admittedly) clumsy hands. Pushing them together took some finesse as well (not a complaint at all, just an observation).
7)There will be modifications needed, for example, with a crossover done with Ross switches (straight # switch, not O72) the switch ties needed to be trimmed to make it work (not a problem).
Overall I am pleased so far with it, the track looks great, I am really happy I went with it (I had an idea in the back of my head I might want to try hand laying it after seeing a website where the guy did 3 rail with scale track, glad I didn't try it now).
