Joe, I think you're missing. . .

. . .an opportunity here. With a basement that size, you might want to look into 7.5-inch gauge live steam. Double-decked, of course.

You'd have to excavate the entire basement down another eight feet, but that's what summer and unemployed teenagers are for. That would give you plenty of headroom between decks so you wouldn't bump your noggin on the deck above or the ceiling as you ride a 7.5-inch gauge GS-4 around.

You might have to build the helix out in the backyard, though. But heck, who cares what the neighbors think!

G-Scale

has some extreme tight curve radius available, so you can fit more track into a given space!

Back to the spaghetti!!!

Go all the way

Coal fired!!! Complete the experience with belching plumes of black smoke. Hold your breath through the tunnels.

....

The question is, G or Fn3? 

It's not so simple even in the larger scales!

Nice

*IF* this happens to be even remotely considered (April Fools!), I have three words for you:

Dehumidifier, dehumidifier, dehumidifier

You live in a damper area, might want to pull more of that steam out of the air than your normal AC will do....

12" to the foot

Joe:

My passion is restoration of old buildings so have been dreaming of a light rail in our little town. Truth is that if I had the money it could probably happen

I'm sure we all have thought about changing scales, or gauge, and dabble there to try it out. My garden line (Fn3 and sometimes 1:24) has become a nice abandoned railroad (similar to the other post). The local resident and former manager of the little line has been trying out 1:13.7 (7/8") so the rails have come up and the tie factory contracted for 5x5x5 with rails still spaced at 45 mm. The Umauma Plantation Railway has been languishing but a day off and some good laughs have got me back in the train room. 

I'll bring my sawzall when visiting Portland in August! 

Thanks Tim, Joe and the others for some well timed levity. 

Neil Erickson 

Embrace the plan!

Great to see your new plans, Joe! I heartily recommend making the railroad room below freezing so you could model steam in the snow. I wouldn't worry about the damp...trains love moisture! You could even get some realistic effects with things 'growing' in your layout room if you periodically warm things up for working sessions. I've never seen that episode of Twilight Zone,"Something Evil Lurks in My Railroad Room."

It's fearless innovation like this that keeps the hobby fresh and exciting, motivating you to solve the inevitable few small problems you might encounter along the way.

S too small?

I must admit that this is the first time I've ever heard that S scale was too small to work on with aging eyes.

"I must admit that this is

   Yeah, that was the part that tipped me off to the joke.....DaveB 

Maybe he's serious

Joe hasn't replied to single post on this thread. He might actually be contemplating this and thinks we're a bunch of obtuse screwballs (well, I know I am already) for not taking him at his word.

 "He might actually be

 "He might actually be contemplating this "

    I doubt a dyed in the wool SP guy could find happiness in G scale, there's just too many things missing.....DaveB

....

Owens Valley was all SP...Narrow gauge...

Reverse Running

HI Joe, I might live a long long  way from the USA but even here in Benoni, South Africa, I can smell the roses on the Ist of April , you have written a great article, however it is amazing how many people have fallen for it,

Geoff  

Fallen for it?

Fallen for it? It's happened before ... Chuck Hitchcock, Tony Koester ...

Check out his avatar!

Look at that squint! Those are the eyes of a man in desperate need of respite.

...

Randgast's Powered Dog Cart...in N scale...

A joke? What?!

You mean I shouldn't plan on bringing my Sawzall or chainsaw for the NMRA meet?

Speaking of Tony K.,

He once wrote a column for an April Issue many years ago as I recall discussing dismantling his HO empire for an O Scale layout.  Many people fell for that one until they realized it was the April issue.  Every time I hear Tony acquiring another O Scale NKP piece of equipment I always bring that column up and how is he finally going through with what he said he wanted to do in that column, and he laughs!

Ken L.

The one truth?

I just hope that he was serious when he said that he took a fancy to S scale < G>

April Fool

One thing is for certain.  It 's nobodies fool who models SP in 1:32 scale.  The Accucraft SP 2-6-0 is one sweet machine, be she electric or live steam!  Now where did I place my lottery ticket....

like the prototype

Great plan!

First, you need to only hire specialized Chinese assistants and I would suggest blasting through real rocks for that added touch. It should become obvious that the funds will be insufficient to finish and I would suggest that you apply to your mortgage holder for assignment of easement right of way through the entire area. Do plan on losing workers every pay period and things could really turn bad if gold is discovered anywhere on the site. I would think an IPO on the NYSE to be a good starting point..

don't rule out Fn3 for the SP.....

Modeling the Slim Princess could be fun. 

It's not the trains.....

It's not the size of G scale trains so much as the height of some of the trees in the forest......

Brian

That's where. . .

. . .excavating the basement down another 8 feet would be a real help!