Southern Pacific Switching Layout

[Green_Elite_Cab]

So I think the first project I should work on is painting the backdrop, then I should glue down the foam sheets, then I can lay track. The foam and backdrop can get finished fairly soon, however it will take awhile to get all of the track down. I am thinking I could build the layout in stages, starting with the top part, that way I can get some trains running fairly quickly.

I am really excited about this layout, I hope I can build this layout until it is at least "Good Enough"

Here is the newest track-plan, It is not based on any prototypical location, and once again it is mainly just industry changes:

Shouldn't be any problem! I think the most annoying thing is laying the road bed, but if you have the right tools, its not that tricky. Laying track should be VERY easy on your layout. If you use flex track, you're going to more or less be setting down nearly whole sections, perhaps cutting a few overhanging rails here or there so that its all straight. If you have a dremel, this can be done in literally 5 seconds or less per rail. Set one end of the flex track in, bend it to fit, temporarily tack it down, cut the excess, glue/nail down.

Done!

So what type of PECO switches should I get, Their code 83 track is about $10 more per piece than their code 100, I am not sure but I think that the only American track they make is code 83 and the code 100 is based on European track but I may be wrong.

Peco Medium Type turnouts. Peco track is all HO scale. OO only counts towards English rolling stock and structures. If you read on Peco's site, they explain that most of the world operates on HO (1:87), and so all their track are gauged and scaled to HO. OO scale (1:76) is a British thing, and all OO equipment is gauged for HO scale track.

Peco turnouts are incredibly reliable. They don't require switch machines like Atlas switches do, and work straight out of the box. The switch points are sprung (instead of flapping in the breeze like an Atlas Custom Line), and so they hold in place whichever way you throw them. My club has Peco switches older than I am that they are only now having to replace, and many are still on the older parts of the layout. You should be able to reuse them again and again if you are careful with them.