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@jwdthanks. I am finding it easier to work these things out while doing them practically. I'm the same with the diagrams, I put the pieces together as I read the plan. I'll have a go tomorrow and come back to you. I appreciate your help.

I might need to to ask you for a little bit more step-by-step on this as we may be thinking of a different 'right hand' side. The last photo I posted is looking end on rather than straight on at the board. I can't quite see which piece I need to move and how. Sorry I'm still getting my head around the terminology but I would like to try out your design if possible.

Brilliant, thank you I'll call my model railway dealer about them on Monday. I wonder if they might help with my derailment issue (see above)? UPDATE: I just looked them up, and actually I think I might have some on the layout, higher up.

Thanks again. At the moment, if I'm not in the 'railway room', I'm reading your information on how to model the layout - really helpful stuff. Unfortunately, I haven't had a shower or washed a shirt in days! I've ordered some extra R600's (I ran out for some reason) for I'll look at ending the siding when they come. I've also got a lot of curves (R605, R605, R607, R608 & R609), not sure how I ended up with so much and no idea what to so with it. I have considered a 'programming track' for the DCC locos, but can't think of anything else. I've come across an issue of derailment on some of the points on the lower sidings, especially where there is a series of points. I'm fairly sure it's a problem with the locos and not the track. The Hornby R48 Ruston shunter tens to derail at the flatbed wagon. It's OK when there's a bit of (very gentle) downward pressure on the loco, so, I may need to find a way to add some weight to it. My Bachmann Class 2MT Ivatt 2-6-0 tends to derail at the tender. I had already added some weight under the tender (a couple of large nuts) as I had read about this issue with the Ivatt. If I keep up the speed I can usually get it through the points, but not always.

I've never heard of them, but I will try and find some. Do you know if Hornby make them? If not who else might in code 100?

@Going SpareThanks for that. I was fairly sure I had used it but couldn't remember where. I found it with your help. What's really weird is that the gap seems to close now!

I am relieved to hear that I'm not the only one tormented by the Zarg Space Elves . I am suddenly acutely aware that my limited grasp of the Russian language, is infinitesimally greater than my grasp of model rail speak! Thank you for the compliment. The guy who made the baseboard has just offered to make me a ledge for the bottom edge, as he also commented on the proximity of the track to the end of the world, when I sent him a photo. If you can advise on how to take the outer road northwards, I would be very interested to hear about it.

The guy who makes the baseboards also mentioned the lower edge camera and he has offered to make me a ledge. I really do like the plan it feels very grown up and has made me determined to take it forward seriously, rather than just playing with a train set.

@Kris @RJS1977 @The Johnster Well, the layout, is complete minus a few omissions including one very important, but small, track piece. The R643 I received by courier yesterday has gone missing (unless it's hiding in another part of the track). So, I had to order another one. I also found myself short of some R601's, assuming I read the plans correctly. I'm going to clean it with a track rubber later and check all the connections. Interestingly, I am getting power throughout the layout with just a 4 amp transformer and the Hornby Select controller. I won't be leaving it like that, and the soldering iron has been ordered. I am 75% decided that I will tackle the wiring myself (rather than bring someone in to do it). But, I'll practice on some spare track first - I seem to have loads of curves, but no R643. Thanks again for getting me started. @Kris and @RJS1977 I really prefer this layout to the one I had been planning originally and your help in invaluable. Keep the thoughts on the layout coming everyone...e.g. would you put a fence on the extreme bottom edge of the board, along the lowest siding? I may start several new threads soon, when I get into wiring, ballasting and scenery.

Thanks again @Krisit's very useful. @RJS1977 also sent me a written explanation. I'm looking forward to working on the layout again today using both. Give another 10 years and I might be able to work it out for myself.

I realised I had put it down the wrong way around after I took the photo. Can you let me know what the 2 blue lines, and the single red line indicate, when you have time please? I assume the other red markings are footbridges. Also, are you advising that the engine shed straddles the track (as in my Metcalfe) with the warehouse behind it, although there is no road access? This is brilliant help, I really appreciate your time.

@RJS1977thank you so much. Invaluable advice and exactly what I need. I'll print it out and have a good read tomorrow.

Me too! Thank you for the great layout plan. I'm ticking off each piece of track as I lay it, to keep on top of it and I've even marked where I start tomorrow, on your diagram. I'm not sure if I've got every piece I need, but there is a lot on the board and even more on a side table, so fingers crossed.

So, the baseboard arrived! I managed to put it together on my own (somehow, as it's very heavy) and I've even made a start on @Kris's layout (see below). I was quickly on new learning curves. For example, I remembered that someone here mentioned 'simultaneously connecting 2 sets of points'. I discovered that I had to get the fish-plates about one-third of the way attached, on each piece of track, before pushing them 'home' at the same time. I also found that track didn't line up as on the diagram, and then found myself thinking 'oh, maybe that should be a R607, and I've used a R609', or similar. I had that thought more than once, which is both frustrating and encouraging, if you get my point(s). So, let the trains begin. I'm really looking forward to the new journey.

I took my advice about the 4 amp transformer from a model rail dealer in Dublin. There will always be conflicting viewpoints in forums, so I've just had to make a decision on some things. But I will watch out for overheating. So far, it's been running ok when testing locos on a basic oval. Bit confused about the holes in the floorboard thing. Scroll up page 1 and you'll see the baseboard on legs.

That's brilliant, thank you. I'll print it out. Not sure about the message issue, I wrote for 5 minutes, and tried to send it but it just said you couldn't receive messages. I was asking what you think should go where on the layout (station, goods yard, engine shed etc.)

Old habits die hard. It was what I knew of from being a lad I suppose. I didn't even know of Peco until I had ordered the Hornby track. But, that said, living in Ireland it's been really hard to get a lot of railway 'gear' from the UK. Even some parts I did buy have been delayed - I'm still waiting for 2 Metcalfe models from Hattons for over 3 weeks. Not to mention my £3k saxophone that went missing 6 months ago when sent for repair! The only model rail dealer in Ireland (3 branches and online) has mostly Hornby as a lot of his other UK supply dried up and I can get it from Amazon reasonably quickly.

Thanks @The Johnster More coffee-time reading! I think I need to buy more cake! One thing I will say about myself is that when I do something, I go very deep and always over-prepare. For example, in my career I started as a tea-boy in a hospital and retired as the head of a hospital teaching department. I haven't had a photography lesson in my life, but I've won numerous international awards, and made a second career photographing for books, magazines and multi-national corporations - plus being the associate editor of a prestigious magazine for 10 years. The boasting is really just to say that I got the idea of having the layout in April this year, and I've watched dozens of hours of YouTube, bought several books and read umpteen magazine articles since. Not to mention spending £2k on gear. So, I've covered some of the ground you mentioned, at least in my head. I'm already off and running in theory, but the practical may see me fall at the first fence. So your help is extremely welcome.

Thanks for the invaluable advice everyone. I've bought the additional track for the layout suggested by @Kris and my accountant says...that's enough for now! I've started a Word document that holds all of the alternative suggestions and tweaks, such as from @RJS1977 and @The Johnster et al. All of which I appreciate very much. I'm told that the baseboard should be with me tomorrow (4th Nov). If anyone has any thoughts on how the main areas of kris's layout should be used: where the station, goods yard, industrial area etc. can be placed and where the locos would start from - if that's not daft question - please let me know. @Kris I tried to message you about this but got an alert saying you can't take messages. Thanks again all, it's a pleasure to be here.

Thanks again for great advice. as mentioned above, I currently have 2 steam locos and a small shunter. My intention is to model steam - with the occasional diesel shunter (because my dad drove one). Probably an industry-based layout, albeit with one station, given the previous advice from @The Johnster and others.

So far, I've only got 3 locos (as mentioned above) but I'll try and avoid buying ones with long wheelbases - as soon as I know what they are! More gadgets to buy - which I love to do, much to the chagrin of my bank manager! Interestingly, I managed to do just as you suggest (pre-assembling sections with points and half-circles) when I laid out the trakmat. But purely by instinct, rather than because I knew it was the 'correct way'. Thanks for all the advice, it's much appreciated. I'm ordering more candles as we speak!

Just seen them. Very funny.

According to my calculations (and I'm rubbish at that stuff), I was short x9 R601's and x1 R643. I've ordered them and will try and see if I can put your layout together over the weekend, if the baseboard arrives by them. Thanks again, as it looks much more like a grown-up layout than the trakmat one.

Thanks for that. I've been giving a lot of thought to power and wiring, as it will involve more than one learning curve for me. I am using DCC, and at the moment, I've only powered the track (just the trakmat section up to pack F on the floor) with a 4 amp transformer. There seems to power across the track. I only tested it with one loco, the Ruston shunter, and it was running fairly slowly, but that may be the loco and not the power feed. Advice on checking power on the track with a multimeter - which I have bought - is welcome. Until the baseboard arrives (I'm told Friday), I don't want to do any more regards the power, as I may well change the whole layout to the one suggested by @Kris. But, I'm seriously considering learning how to solder or spending more than the price of a good loco with DCC sound fitted, to have someone do it for me.