I'm starting to get some ideas together for how to tackle this layout... I'll get some sketches together and share tomorrow for some opinions.
Right now my plans revolve around an exterior dogbone mainline. One end under the stairs and the other in the 37' x 10' corner. Inside that mainline is a parallel running figure 8 mainline - which crosses over at the water shut-off. Each dogbone features an smaller radius interior reversing loop - allowing each mainline to reverse on one end of the layout. I'm thinking walk-ins for each of the ends of the dogbone so you can have views observing the track around-the-room and from interior vantages. Curve-wise I'm pushing towards 100" diameter - my drawings all call for O80/089/096.
I visited a local store today and got to check out the 89' and 86' Lionel auto carriers and boxcars and am seriously considering these as some primary freight for my layout. They are right for the period I'm interested in and should work with the size of my layout. My main concern is getting the mainline curve spacing correct.
While I like the Atlas ties better, I'm leaning towards Gargraves and Ross combo for the track / switches. For those that use Gargraves / Ross - would I be better off using Flex or sectional to achieve the curves? If sectional: Gargraves or Ross?
