02-21-2010, 06:23 PM
First off...let me offer congrats if the test ends up "+". That's exciting news for sure. 
Secondly...maybe you could start planning a narrow shelf layout, one that wouldn't take up too much room? I am building a shelf layout that runs 16 feet along the top of five shelving units affixed to the wall. At each end, I expanded the layout plywood base to about 24 inches to accommodate 11 inch radius curves, but along most of the entire layout, the total width is only about 14 inches. I trimmed out the sides of the plywood with extra crown molding pieces I had laying about to match the general design of the shelving units. Then I added a shelving support at each end to hold the extra plywood width that overhangs the shelving units. Using 11 inch Atlas snap track curves, I was able to build a dog-bone layout with the a yard in the middle, and siding tracks paralleling the mains. I know space is tight, and the 11 inch curves and passenger cars don't look remotely prototypical, but my goal was to make a continuously running mainline layout where the boys and I could start a train and watch it run for a while, or run multiple trains in both directions, all while switching operations go on in the yard that divides the two dog bone ends. So, a shelf layout could be possible, given the narrow constraints you have.
But in the grander scale...is this (possibly) your first child? Because if it is, don't underestimate the amount of space one baby takes up. Oh, and all the time a new born takes. You won't have a lot of time for building a layout...so maybe something smaller and more easily finished is possible?
And of course, if you've been down this road before, I'll forever stop offering any "new dad" advice and stick to layout ideas.
Secondly...maybe you could start planning a narrow shelf layout, one that wouldn't take up too much room? I am building a shelf layout that runs 16 feet along the top of five shelving units affixed to the wall. At each end, I expanded the layout plywood base to about 24 inches to accommodate 11 inch radius curves, but along most of the entire layout, the total width is only about 14 inches. I trimmed out the sides of the plywood with extra crown molding pieces I had laying about to match the general design of the shelving units. Then I added a shelving support at each end to hold the extra plywood width that overhangs the shelving units. Using 11 inch Atlas snap track curves, I was able to build a dog-bone layout with the a yard in the middle, and siding tracks paralleling the mains. I know space is tight, and the 11 inch curves and passenger cars don't look remotely prototypical, but my goal was to make a continuously running mainline layout where the boys and I could start a train and watch it run for a while, or run multiple trains in both directions, all while switching operations go on in the yard that divides the two dog bone ends. So, a shelf layout could be possible, given the narrow constraints you have.
But in the grander scale...is this (possibly) your first child? Because if it is, don't underestimate the amount of space one baby takes up. Oh, and all the time a new born takes. You won't have a lot of time for building a layout...so maybe something smaller and more easily finished is possible?
And of course, if you've been down this road before, I'll forever stop offering any "new dad" advice and stick to layout ideas.
Mark
Citation Latitude Captain
--and--
Lt Colonel, USAF (Retired)
Citation Latitude Captain
--and--
Lt Colonel, USAF (Retired)