I was wondering how many of you started your layout with just a simple oval of track and made changes over time to what is now your model railroad empire?
Bill
Most model railroaders start with the simple oval…then most out-grow the oval and start over with something a little more realistic…
David B
Started with a simple oval, added a leg, then gave it to my newphew who loves trains. Now I’m working on my lifetime project.
My FIRST layout, Christmas 1937, was a simple oval of O27 track with a passing siding (or short route.) Since I was five months old at the time, I didn’t design it.
Since that time I have designed and built numerous layouts, including one with 5-digit control in 1:196 scale. Some of them have been loops (or would have been if they had ever been finished - military life is nomadic.) All of them started off with ‘complications,’ since I learned about operations about the time that most kids learn about long division.
My present layout (under construction) is shaping up as a loop, mostly multiple track, over 5 scale kilometers long. It will NOT be operated as a loop - nothing will simply orbit. The first construction on this layout was a yard throat that couldn’t be reproduced with commercial turnouts on a multi-megabuck bet.
So I guess my answer would have to be, “Close, but no cigar.”
Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
Most of my layouts have been an oval (or twice around). I am currrently building a point to point to see if I like that.
Enjoy
Paul
Yup that would be me… twice. Once when my folks bought an HO set for Christmas and when I started back up about three years ago now (expect in N). Both were simple round and rounds. I think it is a marketing ploy that sets come that way… something just makes you want to expand that oval into an empire. Selector might have something to say about that. 
Peter
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When I first started in HO, I didn’t have room for an oval. I did most of my experimenting on an 18" by 6’ shelf next to my dad’s work bench in the basement. Right now, I have a point to point arond the room layout with a cutoff for continuous running so I guess that qualifies as an oval.
Tom
I started with two loops, added a few sidings and then ripped it all up for something different.
My dad’s O27 layout when I was growing up was a double oval with two crossovers and 4 short spurs off of the inside loop. For my HO layout, I plan an O configuration (or around the walls) with both a double loop, spurs and staging, hopefully with a turntable/roundhouse and maybe a reversing loop/bridge in the center (if I get up enough nerve).
Jim