Hi all,
Hoping that some of you creative people can help me out.
I have buy-in to have an N gauge layout in the living room of the house that we're moving to soon. I'm however struggling to find a collection of ideas that satisfies me, that fits within the space.
The layout could be either of two configurations:
Two alcoves: one alcove (1.41m wide), across the chimney breast (1.52m wide and 0.48m deep), and into the second alcove (1.07m wide). Overall width is negotiable but 0.33m across the chimney and 0.8m into the alcoves so as to not dominate the room.
Using the right hand alcove (1.07m wide) and extend along the wall next to the kitchen (2.87m). Baseboard joints can be wherever suitable.
I model 70/80s blue diesel; and am taken with rugged scenery and stone mill towns such as the pennines and parts of derbyshire
What I want to get out of the model:
Be interesting to look at scenically, and fit in as well as possible with the living room; there will likely be storage above and below
Have a loop so that visitors can easily run a train round if needed (previous layout was a terminus-fy with not much run which was a bit of a barrier to easy enjoyment for visitors)
I like system layouts, or at least different types of trains going to different places
I like trains to go 'somewhere' and return- so either some form of dumbell or terminus to fiddleyard
I would like to be able to operate with someone else, and have the other person have interesting things to do
I would like to be able to run a 5-car HST, but this does not need to run everywhere on the layout. Otherwise most of the formations I have are engine+3 coaches
Each section to be able to be taken out and be a 'unit' with backscene and fascia, so that each part can be worked on elsewhere, and as a whole is portable
I can show ideas I've tried unsuccessfully, if helpful. It may just be that I am being too ambitious with the space that I have available.
Thanks for all the contributions here to read through
Zac