Melton Junction

[TrainMaster24]

Hello everyone. I have built about five layouts in my life so far. One was a 4x8, three were a 4x6 and my most recent one was a 2x4. I am at college with only a year left and I want to start planning for "the" layout. I plan on getting a house and since I met the woman of my life and plan to marry her, I want to plan a layout that has enough interest to carry me on until I retire. I have been working on a few designs on xtrakcad. I want this layout to be a 4x8 so I can have a medium sized layout. 4x6 was way too small for long trains and coaches to wind around those tight radius curves. I own some Peco and Hornby track and I am not the richest person so I am trying to keep my budget up, but trying to make progress at the same time. I am currently selling some O gauge USA stock, some ERTLs and looking to sell my Bachmann Thomas locos. I have my heart set on the upcoming 8F from Hornby, as well as a Black 5, a Jinty, a 7F, and a Duchess in LMS red, but mainly the 8F. My layout is being designed for DCC, since I want to make it to where I have two loops and a big yard and a small yard. Also, an essential part to my layout has to be a turntable. I used to have one for my second 4x6 layout. It was a Dapol turntable, but the tracks on the turntable were not live and the trains had to be slid onto the track. Anyways, to make a long story short, I want this to be in the last days of steam era, but I want it to have complex trackwork as well.

 

Here are some "drafts":

[Katier]

Could you extend slightly to 4'6" or 5' - gives the possibility of something on the outside.