A hole in the wall X4 - a liftout bridge (page 12)

[TrainNut]

My only suggestion would be to remove the entertainment center for additional space - would make a nice work bench. As it's drawn, it seems like you would gain two or three feet of space. Also, I can't imagine anyone being able to really watch the TV in it's present location anyways.

That's a good idea except that space back in there is a very useful storage space. If I cleaned that out, I'd have to find someplace else for all the junk that's in there. As far as the TV, that's the nerve center of our home. I've got a whole security system with cameras that feed into that TV. We never really use it as a TV but rather as a monitor. If you look close enough, in the picture, you can see an image of my front yard on the TV.

I have an OO "scale" bridge called the Grand Victorian Suspension Bridge by Hornby. I used it on an N gauge layout and it really dwarfs the trains.

I was afraid even an HO bridge would dwarf the N scale but I was hoping it wouldn't look too out of place. Way back in college, I built a long bridge out of balsa wood and I think I will probably end up doing something similar here.

As of lately, I've been messing with the track plan... fine tuning some of the details.

   

I've got an old mining scene on my current layout that I'd really like to bring over in one form or another and after messing with the track a little, it looks like it could fit in the space above the aquarium and provide for some simple switching. Off to the right of that, I'm thinking some sort of a mining camp. I need to do some research to see how these things were laid out. On the left side, you'll see a grey line extending downward over some rectangles. I was thinking of putting in some old piers as if the rail line had originally gone over a bridge straight but now all that's left are the piers.

   

I didn't like the linearity and conformity of this whole area the way it was before so I split up the mainline a little to simplify it and break it up. That will also leave more room for some structures in this area. I'm sure there is a prototypical example somewhere but I want a 45 degree crossing of the mainline back into an old quarry of some kind. I dunno.... still needs work.