I've had the rolling stock and track since November but have just played "choo-choo" with it thus far while I decided which route to take. Since my wife had selected the Loco since she thought it was really "pretty" - a Spectrum 2-8-0) I decided I'd do a loose proto on something along the ex-Southern (now N-S) from Alexandria VA to Charlotesville VA. Lat week we took two of her vacation days to follow the line south and found an interesting station and cluster of buildings in Orange VA that looked good. A bit farther down the road however we came to Montpelier Station and hit the perfect grouping for our very micro scene 31x33" layout to be. Montpelier Plantation itself was the former home of President James Madison and was bought in 1904 by William DuPont who contructed the depot, spur and baggage shed for use by his family and guests. The plantation itself is now being resotred to original but also has both and steeplechase and flat race track as well as barns, etc. that will be over time incorporated into the center of the layout so that my wife can added her "horsey's" and "cows" to the scene. Since we own a 1 BR condo and have no intentions of moving the space we have is pretty limited but using the location we can get lot of detail into very small space. The structures, overpass, etc. will be scratch built (have started using basswood, etc.) and I am adding both an NS diesel for the mainline and will have the 2-8-0 on the siding at the depot with passenger cars to represent an excursion train which sometimes do go for tours of tha plantation. Wish us luck. I'd done a scratch built layout in HO for my son many years ago but this is my first attempt in N-scale. http://community.webshots.com/album/144929274pYcpGw Montpelier Station VA
Good luck! It sounds as though you've got a good handle on what you want to recreate, and I hope you send up pics as your layout progresses! Pat
Indeed, in addition she is also quick to pickup on train shows, enjoys "railfanning and helping out with the layout in progress. As far as progress is concerned I have been spending lots of time this week working on terrain features and track layout plan. Since I'm limited to 31x33 " overall I can have but so much trackage, structures, etc. so my plan is to make terrain features a major attraction. Will have so phots next week as I have been taking several shots a day as we discuss and throwout or proceed with ideas,
I can see the picture of this layout in my mind, but I can't remember which MR it was in, but a chap did a wall to wall layout in N and both ends could be extended so that it was putting pressure on the wall to hold it up. I think he had on leg on the layout in total. This way you can have a layout that will be portable to another place - and - not leave any holes in the wall.
