Then there's the portable layout - love it. It's huge, actually it's too huge for one person to operate. You stand in the middle which means you can't see what's going on behind you, so you turn around to check, then something happens on the other side. It's too big for many of the exhibition opportunities so it's likely to get used barely two times per year. Then there's the design - I'd like a run around loop. I have one in the loft, I need one on the portable layout. I'd like the boards redesigned so that I could include some scenery, nothing too major but with the right design I could leave the signals and stations in-situ, even the TPO. Then if we add hills and raised sections, why not add a raised third and fourth loop? - four train running! Makes more sense with so much rolling stock sitting idle. And maybe a small village terminus so that I can run round locos etc.
After much thought and debate, I took to SCARM again one evening. I'm still not overly expert at this thing but managed to mock up a suitable 16ft x 5ft layout - same length as the current on but narrower. I can stand behind the layout and watch the whole thing...
The bone shaped track is how I envisage a raised section looking. Currently only one loop but potentially there would be a second.
This is only the first draft but already this design would give me much more siding storage than I have at present, with the potential of up to four trains running, plus a small terminus station and a run round loop. The beauty of three rail is that there are no polarity issues to worry about as the centre rail is constantly live.
Just need to work out the costs, I have the track but the boards will need to be custom made.
Time to start saving...
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