Island layouts

[nachoman]

A free standing layout is obviously a good idea if you have a lot of openings in the walls, openings that need to stay accessible.

But I don't get where you make the leap from that to the claim that shelf or mushroom layouts in general are more limiting and more "wasteful of space" ? I would say that the opposite would be the case - that long narrow scenes where you are not looking at the whole layout at the same time helps enhance the railroad look and feel. After all - railroad rights of ways tend to be hundreds or thousands of miles long and a few hundred (or less) feet wide.

Smile,
Stein

Depends on what you mean by "space". I think an around the walls layout creates more mainline "space" (longer), but sacrifices scenery depth.