This weekend I finally decieded to get up and start a layout. I have retired and moved for the final time so this is the last layout I will build. I know the space available and had the idea of a 1' x 16' shelf. To be based on the Strasburg RR Museum, in N scale. As I was looking everything over I found out I could have a 24"-30" x 10' area. I thought how about a HO scale city scene switching layout. More to do than just run a train back and forth. Then ... what about a 2'x 10' with a 1' x6' extension! Now this would work with either idea! That is my dilema for now. A museum railroad with little switching, but no restrictions on equipment, or an HO switching layout in the WWII era using an 0-6-0 for the duties. Pro's and Con's anyone?
Well.... How about 2x10 with N scale trains rolling along a large oval with a city and some country and some hills....Otherwise I think the HO layout sounds great too! Here is option #3: A shelf layout in HO scale with a switcher plying some industries on one shelf. and a N scale running layout on another shelf. I have a door panel I'm slowly planning a N scale layout on. I also have a 7'x10" plank with some HO track tackede to it for switching. BTW- My 2 cents on HO switchers. When I was looking for a switcher I test ran alot of different brands to find the one that ran smoothest and had the nicest detail. I chose the Lifelikes as they are just awesome. Detail and smooth running. I do not know if BLI makes a HO switcher with sound, but if they did I'd get that. I figure if you're going to have just one engine you may as well get something you really cherish.
Personally, I'd go with the 24-30x10 in N scale, because then you can turn it around if you have too. Both of the others mean you can never turn, and I've usually found things like that arent important until you've got no choice, then they get REALLY important
An interesting layout that you might take a look at is Bill Denton's Kingsbury Branch, which is a 21" by 12' N scale switching layout that was in Model Railroader a few years ago. While having continuous running might be nice, I think you'd get more out of your space with a switching layout, whichever scale you choose. Another thing you might consider is using part of the 1x6 extension for staging.
A small continuos layout can get boring very quickly - the problem with the Woodland Scenic foam layouts modeler's can purchase. However, I'm guessing you've been in the hobby long enough to know that. I'm an N scaler but one of my favourite HO small layouts I have seen in planning books is only one foot by seven feet. One item that made this small layout interesting was the incorporation of a barge for "interchange" and "staging." In N scale, a barge about two feet long or a foot and a half long, triple tracked would allow you to remove or add an entire train to the layout. In our Vancouver Ports area, a rail barge is still in service and is triple tracked. If at one end of the layout you have a barge and at the other end of the layout you have a ship with receiving area, you can literally have any type of freight you want on your layout (more fun in purchasing cars) as a ship can receive just about anything, from containers to oil, to wheat, automobiles, etc. Along the way, you can have specialized industries that use either the barge or the ocean going shipping interchange. So the barge could deliver plastic pellets freight cars to your plastic factory, and product from the factory could be shipped out over seas on your ocean going vessel.
I made an excutive type decision. It wll be a shelf 15" x 185" , N-scale city/industrial switching layout. Ya, I know a bunch of straight track, but if I get a train running in a circle and a cold beer in my hand that is all that will ever happen.
Big advantage to that form of layout. You can _almost_ always work it or part of it into a future layout.
