03-24-2009, 10:22 AM
Wow! In N scale, you should be able to get a pretty good-size layout in this space. I'd suggest a simple lift-out for the entry door and the bathroom access. The entry door should be re-hung, if necessary, so that it doesn't swing open into the layout room.
If the closet isn't being used as such, remove the doors and consider it part of the room. If the closet still needs to be used as a closet, would it be possible to move the doors to one of the two walls which are not inside the layout room? You could then fill in the existing door opening, and have another blank wall.
If the patio doors don't need to be used, I'd treat them as if they weren't there, building the layout and the backdrop to more-or-less (more is better, in my opinion)
cover the entire opening. If the patio doors do need to be useable, I'd suggest keeping the layout in this area 2' or 3' away from the wall, then providing another lift-out (of a more manageable width) to gain entry to the "access hall" thus created.
Finally, the window is a very minor obstacle - my choice would be to cover it completely with the backdrop (fill the opening with something that doesn't look too objectionable when viewed from the outside - if you move or remove the layout,
the window would still be intact and easy to restore to its original purpose and appearance). Incidently, I'd treat the patio door problem in the same way - if they're not needed, cover them over completely in a similar temporary manner, or, if you need to leave them useable, make your backdrop on this side of the layout (with the hidden "access hall" behind it) a ceiling-height one. By covering the outside openings, you gain control over layout lighting and keep prying eyes from even knowing that there's a layout here, a good thing if theft or vandalism is a concern.
Wayne
If the closet isn't being used as such, remove the doors and consider it part of the room. If the closet still needs to be used as a closet, would it be possible to move the doors to one of the two walls which are not inside the layout room? You could then fill in the existing door opening, and have another blank wall.
If the patio doors don't need to be used, I'd treat them as if they weren't there, building the layout and the backdrop to more-or-less (more is better, in my opinion)
cover the entire opening. If the patio doors do need to be useable, I'd suggest keeping the layout in this area 2' or 3' away from the wall, then providing another lift-out (of a more manageable width) to gain entry to the "access hall" thus created. Finally, the window is a very minor obstacle - my choice would be to cover it completely with the backdrop (fill the opening with something that doesn't look too objectionable when viewed from the outside - if you move or remove the layout,
the window would still be intact and easy to restore to its original purpose and appearance). Incidently, I'd treat the patio door problem in the same way - if they're not needed, cover them over completely in a similar temporary manner, or, if you need to leave them useable, make your backdrop on this side of the layout (with the hidden "access hall" behind it) a ceiling-height one. By covering the outside openings, you gain control over layout lighting and keep prying eyes from even knowing that there's a layout here, a good thing if theft or vandalism is a concern.Wayne