Texas Southeast Belt

[Chuck]

If you are looking for a crowded, industrial area like an urban or dock area, or just trying to fit a few more industries in, put your spurs on an angle to the backdrop and possibly run your mainline at an angle to the edge of the layout so it is not paralleling it -- you can then put industries along both sides of the main. Basically, on one side of a wall length will have 2" to the track from the edge, and the other end would be 3-4" from the backdrop to the track. Your buildings will not be flats along the wall -- they will be at an angle to the backdrop, looking more realistic and having depth. There was an article in MR -- I think it was titled "Building on a Bias", but I am not sure. The Union RR series by John Pryke in MR is a good example of industrial spurs on an angle instead of having them run parallel to the backdrop. Phase one of my layout is built on a "bias" because I wanted more industries in a given space, and I wanted a more "cramped look" --



Just something to think about since you are not set on a plan yet.

Chuck