@ChessieFan72 posted:CJ,
My apologies, it takes forever to type out a response on my phone 🤣
Showcasing smaller scenes around a mill would definitely help in a compressed layout. Another idea may be to cross the mill siding from the outer main over the inner main with a crossover. This will allow you to run the two loops closer to the edges of the layout and open up more room in the middle.
Instead of running the river perpendicular to the edge of the layout, you could run it at an angle to give you more options. This could open more space for support buildings and allow you to keep the upper level.
No worries! The reason the inner loop pulls away from the outer loop is because I want to be able to pull away the right-most portion of the table (last two feet) but still have a functioning track loop. This is doable if I move the outer looper next to the inner loop and then move the siding to the outside, but it's not possible if I stretch the inner loop to the outer loop. Handy for if I need space for other things but still want to keep the table up 
I don't think the location of the river is inhibiting the upper portion of the layout's placement? Regardless, I did think about that, but the switches are a problem: I was planning to buy girder/short truss bridge kits for the over-stream bridges, they won't work with the switches.
@SteveH posted:In addition to the other good suggestions already made here, if your table space would allow you to make your layout about 1" wider, there are a few small changes that would close the 3/8" gaps at the ends of the outer loop. These minor changes that you might want to consider are in the attached alternate plan. In between the pairs of switches I added a 1 3/8" section between each switch pair (Orange color). These 1 3/8" sections have a removable jumper underneath that when disconnected allow center rail isolation between connected track on either side of it. The green colored track is what would now fully join the outer loop without gaps.
Unless you're already running all Lion Chief,TMCC/Legacy and/or DCS, this isolation of the inner and outer loops would allow simultaneous running of two conventional locos on the lower level (or a combination of a conventional loco with another remote controlled loco) from 2 different power sources.
The 1 3/8" pieces between the two switches is an excellent idea! However I can't expand my table workbase, and I just realized I might have a problem with my original layout. There is zero track clearance between the outer loop of track and the edge of the table. How do I construct the side of the mountain (and thus the tunnel wall) without any table to build on? I might need to get rid of one set of switches and close the gap so I can have some extra construction space.
And THANK YOU for those SCARM tips! I have been wondering what the layers tab is for! That will make life dramatically easier, thank you again!
@PRR1950 posted:You have not indicated how you plan to support your "on the table" layout, but it's pretty clear you are planning to use FasTrack. I strongly recommend you use some sort of foam sheet for your layout base, securely wrapped by a wood frame edging for stability. Using foam sheet will kill two birds with one stone: 1) allow you to dig out a little for your creek/river, and 2) quiet the noise created by running trains on FasTrack with a wooden support system. After all, you don't want the noise to cause the landlord to evict you.
Chuck
I posted a thread asking people what they used a few months ago and I was looking at using insulation foam board. Someone here on the forum recommended I read How to Build Realistic Model Railroad Scenery by David Frary and I am waiting for that book to come in the mail now, so I am just waiting to read that and see what it says.
If it makes no difference what I use, then I was thinking of picking up three 1-inch sheets; the bottom sheet will form the base of the stream and allow the scenery to exist completely independent of the table; the other two I was planning on carving the stream into to give it some depth, as well as add some sloping topography to the layout in-general. And you're right, I don't want to be a noisy tenant - I've had to deal with loud neighbors and I don't want to cause the same problem to others. I had a Ready-to-Run set setup on the table today but even after turning the volume down, the train was still so loud running down the track that I just decided to take it down and put it on the carpet floor beneath the table. Much quieter! 
