Having moved many times over the past 30 years, I am now moving again. Yesterday, as the wife and I saw just how much “stuff” was being packed, we decided to go on a crisis “stuff reduction” drive to avoid going over our moving allowance. She eyed my 4x8 train table used for many Lionel layouts and said, " Why don’t you build something more realistic? Aren’t you tired of space-hogging rectangular-shaped layouts where the trains just go 'round and 'round? I want to see your trains going through some realistic mountain scenery on a wall shelf."
A man’s gotta know his limitations. Out to the street went the 4x8 table, a 4x5 Christmas tree platform, and a 4x4 (had slot car track at one time) platform. As I mournfully removed the track and accessories from the the Christmas layout, she said, “If you can make the shelf look good, you can put it in the living room in the next house.”
As I said, a man’s gotta know his limitations. For the past 10 months, I’d been planning (and accumulating stuff for) an HO/HOn3 shelf layout. However, I have been dithering about committing to a lack of continuous run capability because I’ve never known anything else, and afraid I might miss it too much. But now I am fully committed to a furniture-grade shelf layout. Size to be determined by the wall/window/door layout in the new house.
However, I think I may sneak a 42" x 4ft “test track” into the workshop for breaking in and testing.
PS: Some neighborhood teenagers picked up the tables and platforms to be incorporated into their paint ball defense structures. Even took my “banned in California 1.5” blue foam pieces". I applaud their initiative.
Why not go modular? My modules connect the east and west ends of the living room and are stored in a big closet.
Landscape will be real (as in: living) moss, a gently undulating hill, with maybe a Bonsai tree. (This can stay in the living when the tracks are stored)
Biggest drawback appears to be the packing and unpacking of the rolling stock, which is a risk moment every time. Planning a 7-track drawer which I can connect to the track at some point, to at least minimise the handling of locomotives.
I lost 4 4x8 layouts to moves. My solution – “I ain’t gonna move no more.” I know that is not a good solution for most, but I sure like it. My kids wonder what they will do with the layout after the funeral, but I hope they have lots of time to worry about that.
When you get a spouse that likes trains, you know you’ve got it good: my wife invited me to bring a collapsible model-building kit into the living room (it all folds up into a wife-pleasing “sewing kit” case, with a stashable work surface) and she also wants me to build a trolley layout to run through a built-in on the living room wall! What a woman!
Hmmmm, you might want to look at the Yosemite Yalley Dam layout in Model Railroad Planning 2006. There is a circular reverse loop in there with multiple departure tracks which will fit in the corner of a room. Perhaps this will give you some inspiration.