TNHokie:
Interesting thread and comments. Some folks have "visions" of what they ultimately want. Others have visions that evolve over time and experience with trials and discover things they like and dislike about the first and second or more trials. Sometimes there are true errors like measuring once and cutting twice (I do that now and then), but other times its about experimenting. I used graph paper to help me stay within limits of basement space when designing my existing layout. I kept tweaking track configurations for months until I finally settled on a plan. Another thing that I think is important is deciding what type of trains you want to have. Scale, semi scale, tinplate, or all types. I started in semi scale and eventually went to scale. Fortunately my initial design had O72 curves with some O81. I may have gone bigger if I had envisioned scale originally because my 18 inch passenger cars are really close to having a little too much overhang for my taste. Take heart, planning time for a big "permanent" layout is an individual sport, and rushing it may lead to some regrets. But keep in mind that change for most of us is inevitable. We become more knowledgeable, improve our skill sets and our tastes and other circumstances change. Very interesting observations on this thread.
