Reconsidering a three room layout.

With Winwood gone from my shop and Piedmont gone from my office, I had a one room layout. The space opened up in my shop by removiing the Winwood benchwork was quickly allocated in a general rearranging campaign that worked out well. The access holes that allowed the track to pass through the wall separating the layout room from the shop remained open because the possiblity of extending the layout back into the shop is just too awesome an opportunity.

In the dim and distant past, I have built layouts that extended into the shop before. A long, narrow shelf along the wall with a few staging tracks was never the issue that Winwood became. It did not impose significantly on the space, did not require someone to spend a lot of time in the shop switching cars. It did not draw attention to the generally cluttered, dirty disposition of the shop or its lack of climate control.

Extending the layout into the shop is not a bad idea, but trying to build a scenic, detailed, finished section of the layout there proved to not be a particularly good idea. Suited for staging or fiddling, the shop can add a lot of operating interest even if it isn't an ideal environment for a layout. Having a one room layout is good, but the configuration of the space my layout occupies is very conducive to a three room layout, which is better. Now I know. The Piedmont and Winwood sections of my layout that I deleted were good ideas that could have been better.


the area in question; adding what will be a hidden turnout

A better idea for Winwood starts in the southwest corner of the layout, which is the far right corner when you are standing at the door.


Preliminary track plan for shelf in shop

A turnout in the corner would direct trains to a narrow, removable shelf in the shop that would sit on the long workbench that runs across the back of my shop. Normally stored out of the way, the shelf should be quick and easy to install for layout operation. When the shelf in the shop is not installed, the corner turnout could be thrown to divert trains through the shop scene, allowing for continuous running.



Positioning a Fast Tracks # 6 turnout

The new turnout being installed in the corner will eventually be hidden which makes me a bit nervous, but it will not be thrown very often.


Placement of wooden ties

I will weather the ties and ballast the track up to and through the new turnout in the corner since I don't yet know how much will be hidden by the scenery in this area.


New turnout spiked down, Tortoise switch machine installed

I am looking forward to having the layout extend into another room again. The impression that gives of the trains actually going somewhere is amazing and could hardly be overstated.