As I have previously alluded, I have been a returnee to railway modelling only since the beginning of last year. So what have I achieved thus far....? Well - I've spent far too much money for a start off...! I have a mountain of boxes which contain a dizzying miscellany - primarily the result of starting from zero, - and I have become, at least a little, better-informed, well, - arguably...
My original target of a train on the mantle gestated into a vague idea of some sort of 10' x 6'....until the realities of scale set-in...... Thus - having bought basically all the stock etc I need, I have had to focus on building the railway. The first priority being somewhere to actually put the darned thing...! I did look at building it inside the house, but that was clearly a non-starter. Next, I looked at converting space in an old cider-mill apple loft, but again, the realities of space indicated too many compromises - and being on the first floor really messed-up my plans for an extension out into the garden. Back to the drawing-board..... The last options were to rebuild an old building in the front garden - but again the footprint was too small - or to extend & rebuild an old woodshed in the back yard. However - like many things in life, this isn't as simple as it sounds, as the ground has a slope on it, and this requires a lot of excavation for a retaining wall and footings. Thus - having hired a small excavator for some other jobs anyway, it was put to work with my old dumper 'Duggie' - and most of the basic earth was removed, save a margin that awaits the flowering of some Iris's before they can be rescued. (This is after the demolition of an old porch was delayed by Blue Tits, themselves delayed by the poor Spring weather. Even the ducks on the pond are late, so I'm merely 'going with the flow'...!).
Whilst there is then a short delay on clearing the site, I have been trying to decide on how best to build using all of the available space - and yet not spending astronomical amounts of cash. Fortunately, I have plenty of bricks, thanks to the demise of some old farm buildings. That said, brickwork needs bigger, more expensive footings - as well as copious insulation. Keeping an open mind, I've been considering a timber-framed structure, metal-clad to the rear and roof at the least, on a substantial 6"x2" framework. This would be clad in shuttering-plywood both sides of the framework and packed with insulation - the main house uses almost 12" of insulation. The plan is to also utilise the new roof to mount a solar-panel array.
This will be a rather odd building in several ways, as it's front will have an overhanging-roof to double as more log-storage, and much of it will be windowless, as it's warmer, more secure, and mostly in shadow anyway. One section at the end, where it's much lighter, will have a raised-floor to allow the lower-level lines out into the garden. This area will be fashioned in the style of a signal-cabin, with windows on two sides, and one side having sliding-panels to access the main layout via a swing-out section of lines and down a coupe of steps to the main building level. (The raised 'cabin' will contain all of the controls for the OO lines and will have line-of-sight down the 'Lickey Incline' into the garden. The P4 branch, which will not be suitable for automation, will be locally controlled from the line-side by plug-in points about halfway down the building.).
My current problem is trying to maximise the depth of the building - yet not get involved with time-consuming and expensive revetment. If I go for a 45 degree bank - I'll save money, but lose too much space. A concrete or blockwork revetment will save space, but use-up time and money.
The benefit of maximising the available space should be that I can lay most of the main-line with the scale lengths and curves. There will be one 'warping of reality' to 'bend' the diorama through 180 degrees at the end of the building, via a six or seven-foot radius curve, but that's the only concession. If it offends my eyes too much when laid I may simply hide it under a tunnel.
I always view model railways rather like the old Christmas globes with Santas in liquid and snow in them. As children - we always used to be fascinated by that whole microcosm contained in little more than a wine-glass which came to life when we shook it. It's magic you see.....

Methuselah.

NB;-

First Image; The site of the north-western end - the 'cabin' will sit roughly where the pile of junk and cuttings are.

Second Image; The NW end and mid-section. The SE end of the building will replace the old woodshed, the end masonry of which can be seen on the right margin of this image.

(The photos are a little deceptive, as the full length will be approximately 50'. The width is dependant on the rivetement used, but around 12' - 15' is likely.).