I go to Conway a couple of times a year to see family. I’ll come by and check on your layout. And bring some of my MP steam engines to run!

Pat Flory

You can have a 2×8 switching layout. That’s all I had for a long time. Over here in MS I have (2) 2×8 in an L. A town in esch one with 3’ of travel between! But! I can pull the interchange, switch a couple of local customers, build a 6 car local, go to the next town pretending it’s miles away, break up the train, switch the customers, build the return train and go back. And it takes 2 hours to do it!

This little layout is outside! Under a covered area but still outside air! So you need a fan in the summer and my former law enforcement tactical jacket in the winter. But most of the times it’s more or less ok.

So you don’t need a basement! Or even a room! Just a roof!

I’ve been trying to attach some photos but I’m unsuccessful. Maybe later it’ll work.

The local ready to leave the interchange:

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Point B. 20 fictional miles away but only 3 actual feet of line.

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This fall when it cools off I’m adding simple ground cover, a simple backdrop, and a very few cheap plastic buildings. Cats get up on this at night so can’t have anything valuable or delicate. I’m looking at insect screen protection for the area. This layout will never be anything that Tony Koester or George Sellios will want to see, it’s just a little switcheroo to stay busy with.

I’m eventually going to separate these two areas with another 2×8 between to make a U. The middle section will probably hsve a short passing track and a team track.

Executive summary: if I can make a layout in a lousy space like this, you probably could do something too!

Jeff, I used to want a big layout. But now I’m older and want something I can maintain. I can barely keep the track clean on this little L.

I have another layout in my house outside of New Orleans where I lived before I retired. It’s like two of the outside L’s just pictured joined together, in a U except the bottom of the U is (3) 8 foot sections, 24’ long. Scenery is almost complete on it. But the time is coming to sell the house. I’ll give the layout to a friend when the time comes.

Pictures coming. It’s a jointly owned MP/Frisco shortline.

@[email protected] wrote:

Thank you for the warm welcome Charlie and Jerry!

Pat, I think you might be right. I’ve got a little space that may be right for something like what you have. We’ll see what I can come up with. Thanks for the inspiration!

Jeff
You might look at the ‘free-mo’ concept. You can built a section at a time and add to the layout as you get room. One of the most time consuming parts (switching) on my layout is Russellville where there’s only an industry siding with a Kent feed mill and grain elevator and a spur into a lumber yard. http://www.free-mo.org/standard/

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