Love this thread! The 9.5'x13.5' layout I'm planning will be chock full of accessories for a 5 YO boy and 8 YO girl. It'll begin conventional with outer two loops (one elevated 7-8") for Daddy's nicer trains but inner loop for yards (Inglenook), industry operations etc. Received my final PW accessories today - ice station, cattle car and forklift (pics attached). Hope they work but if not kids will help with repairs. Main industry is lumber: will have an On30 gauge route between two mountains for logging, then regular O gauge cars for log unloader, MTH/RK sawmill (that also loads flatcars with cut lumber), forklift station for unloading lumber and finally the pièce de résistance - Vetter Door and Sash Company. May need a cabinet shop. Daughter is crazy about horses (she is equestrian) so on the lookout for Churchill Downs or Bryer Horse car and corral. There will be 1:12 scale Bryer horses all around my layout I suspect.
I also just received 6 operating cars related to space/television/satellite and the obligatory exploding bunkers and car (pic attached) in various stages of disrepair. I'll need help when that time comes. Also have a NIB Lionel Locomotive Backshop that may need rewiring to run off switches.
Now going only conventional could be an issue for them. So I'm going to experiment with a BlueRail board and see how I can incorporate that into a GP9 or other diesel I have with operating couplers. If isolated from the tracks it should work fine for the kids to operate with an iPad on battery.
Lots to do. Should have two more tables built over the weekend then just need to build a swing out door to allow for loop running. My city will be the last thing I worry about but it'll have a back-and-forth street trolley.
