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Reply to "Blackwater Canyon Line - Mar 25, 2024 - Sanky Wanky Coffee Co Kit, Scenery Hill"

I like the idea of storage shelves.  Even when you have a basement, the space for storing cars in yards goes quickly.  On the Glacier Line, we have a fiddle area under the basement stairs landing that holds approximately 125 cars on shelves.  We have three bookcases in a hidden area that hold roughly 200 cars.  These are fiddled on and off the layout.  If every car was on the layout, the layout would be overwhelmed and you couldn't operate.

In my book, I wrote of this subject for small layouts.  For whatever the reason, people don't consider using fiddle areas on small layouts when it is the wisest thing to do!  People are stuck in the mindset that you must place all your cars on your layout.  You do not have to.  In Great Britain, many modelers use the fiddle yard because on average they seem to have much less space than we do.

Yesterday, I saw a rolling "shelf" at a store.  It had 6 drawers and was 38 inches tall.  The drawers were 15 inches deep and 12 inches wide.  I thought to myself how perfect something like that would be to store cars under a layout yet have easy access to roll out and trade cars!

Do NOT get your wife upset, but IF and I mean IF you decide to use the laundry room, it would be an ideal hidden fiddle area.  All you need is one track. and shelves for the other cars or cassettes.  

I lost track of the fact that that window is in the middle of the wall.  The 4-way switch or switch ladder isn't worth the expense for the small extra yard you would get.  I'd still give some long serious thought to a hidden staging lane with shelves ONLY if the wife was really okay with it.... 

OGR Publishing, Inc., 1310 Eastside Centre Ct, Suite 6, Mountain Home, AR 72653
800-980-OGRR (6477)
www.ogaugerr.com

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