Hello fellow train guys and gals!
I have been away from the forum for the longest time and even longer since I worked on the layout. This is my layout that I have been working on for almost a year, if not more. Some history, this started out from one of the forum member track layout - Ken O- Scale... he had a track layout 5 x 12 uses the 22 degree X crossover... I was hooked. It gave me what I wanted - a 5' deep layout with a few trains on it. The crossover was the key component.
Two things I just could not duplicate; Ken used O-60 turnouts, I have 12 - O-72's, what could go wrong? I could make that X crossover to work with out a) buying more switches, or without looking ugly. I had to keep it no more than 5' to clear my furnace and chimney ( they are almost 6' long) which is why it curves the way it does.
Then the KISS method came into play. I couldn't figure out how to wire this layout with the crossover, it look ugly so I shelved it with the questions; ' What do I want out of the layout? How many trains?
It hit me again, run two independent loops. It has worked for generations, no block wiring, no fuss... I can run two trains.
First hurdle done. I really wanted a passing loop - so that I could park a train, I know how to wire a toggle switch.
O-48 curves are good... O-60 are better! but there goes my 5' dimension... then again... light bulbs... just add onto the bench work. So now I have access on three sides, but man if you think 5' is deep... try an extra foot and a half.. my knees are sore and my head has hit the duct work and plumbing work far too many times... 
But... the track is down. Yesterday I put on a greatest hits album from Billie Holiday and said 'I'll work on the train table till the album finishes'
I made the passing loop slightly wider to accommodate the Lionel station platforms, trying to find those 1 3/4 Fastrack pieces while your knees are screaming... and then seeing the knee pads on the table... how do you spell relief KNEE PADS
Billie played her last song of the night and I came off the table. The outer curve is down and the inner curve O-48 needs a few more 10" pieces - they are buried in the garage somewhere.
Still... I am excited again. The wiring has all been run underneath - buss style, 3 wires each. I have my trusty MTH Z-4000 ready to handle the throttles. Next, drill holes into the wood for the wiring and make a number of connections.
I have the Homasote in the garage, I will wait till the track is up and running and have used it for a while before I remove it to put the Homasote down.
The outside track is a mix of O60 - O72 - O84 with O-72 switches and the inside is O-48 with a simple reverse loop.
I will take some pictures of the layout after I get some better lighting. I have a 60w bu;b waaayyyy on the other side of the layout... makes working on the layout very hard in the dark.
