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The Dimensions of the main area are approximately 26 feet by 34 feet, with an additional 12 foot by 4.5 foot 'panhandle' space behind the garage. There are four lally columns down the center of the room, one of which is embedded in the layout and three which are freestanding in the aisle. Ordinarily this might be a problem, but because most aisles on this layout are 36-48" wide, there is ample room to pass around them, while operators can reach around and past these columns.
Some of the Givens and Druthers:
 | Layout height: Between 45 and 58-62 Inches |
| Design Style: Around the walls with peninsulas, partial double-deck |
| Lighting: General illumination by fluorescents, no focused sources or valences |
| Operation: Single track Point to Point with passing sidings, no continuous running (loop track in staging) |
| General aisle width: 3-4 feet (36-48") |
| Minimum Aisle width: 2 feet 6 Inches (30") |
| Scale: HO Standard Gauge |
| Benchwork: Open grid laid on fabricated composite I-Beams |
| Subroadbed: 3/4" plywood in high-track ratio areas, Masonite spline everywhere else. |
| Roadbed: Homasote - I made my own milled Homasote roadbed, and you can do it too |
| Backdrop height: 10"-16" depending on location |
| Backdrop material: .060" Sheet Styrene |
| Fascia: 1/4" Masonite, Doubled 1/8" Masonite (Where curves are needed) |
| Track: Micro-Engineering code 70 handlaid, on custom-cut Mt. Albert Scale Lumber ties. |
| I also use Micro-Engineering code 70 Flextrack in hidden areas, plus Atlas Code 83 turnouts and flextrack in staging. |
| Control: Wangrow SystemOne DCC, NCE DCC |
| Minimum visible radius curves (mainline): 30" (24" in one spot) |
| Minimum Hidden radius curves: 24" |
| Minimum Turnout frog angle: #5 |
| Turnout Control: Manual. Fascia-mounted barrel bolts driving home-made under-mount switch machines (Except in staging where electrically operated Tortoise switch machines will be used) |
| Fast Clock: Mike Dodd's improved analog fast clock controller, 3:1 ratio |
| Communication: Telephone party-line system |
| Traffic management: Timetable and Train Order |
| Car Forwarding: Shenware's MiTrains (car inventory) and Waybills programs. |
