Came up with another idea.

Still using the lift approach, I would build a new lift out of wood (on an aluminum brace due to the size), but add a curve to it at the end against the wall

This way a train could roll onto the lift from the layout, and beginning rolling through the curve, stopping before it gets to the end of course.

Then along the wall behind my monitors install a single track leading under the layout into a staging yard located under the under layout.

I would lower the lift to the staging level and the train would continue to move forward into a staging yard. I could then install a reverse loop a corner to turn a train around to head back to the layout.

This would allow trains to be turned around very easily.

Here’s a pretty ugly drawing I did while coming up with the plan.

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Making good progress on put down terrain this week.

When I changed over to concrete tie track, I decided to eliminate the crossover I had planned. So I thought I would try embedding some wood tie track into the terrain to look like some old abandon track.  I think it came out pretty good (see pic #3).  I’ll repeat it on the other side now.

And the beginnings of the staging level begin to appear.  Installing the wall mounts for a 12″ shelf.

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After finishing up today’s painting and putting down some more mold-a-scene, I took a gander at my staging setup to see how I can do the power.  Once again, I thought “How could do this better without these big cassettes? How could get the trains down to a staging level?”

And then it hit me.  I remember reading an article in an issue of the Model Railroad Hobbyist magazine where Charlie Comstock built a left up section on his railroad to access an area back against the wall.  He used drawer tracks for his design, so he just pushes and raises up the section.  You can see it on Page 101 of Issue #2. There’s a video showing how it all works too.

So using this idea I thought I could build a manual lift using drawer slides, one mounted to the wall and one under the layout.  I’ll secure a wood mount to the slides so I can attach one of my 6′ aluminum channels to it, but also be able to remove it when not in use. I think a bolt through the channel and mount with a wingnut will do.

A new lower level will be installed with 6 staging tracks using Kato Unitrack. A train will pull into the staging left. I would have to manually swap engines from one end of the train to another in order to turn it and I would then lower it down to staging. I would then pull the train up into the staging yard to park it on a dead-end track. When I’m ready to run it again, I would (slowly) back the train up onto the lift and then raise it to either the upper or lower deck.

It still has its cons:   The lift channel is still limited to 6′, and I’ll have to swap locos from one end to another to “turn” a train, but it’ll save my the hassle of having to move those channels across the room to the wall and eliminate the chance of something hitting the floor (or me banging the channel into something).

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Got about 2/3 of the upper level backdrop painted in the new color.

Once I move all the building off the last 1/3 of the shelf and paint that area, I’ll go back and blend in some white at the bottom for an horizon effect and add some clouds.

Shaun Previous Layout