. . . especially when you open the images in a new tab and see/follow the mainline around. The passing sidings would allow several train operations by one operator and would be a great layout for multiple engineers. Signal block system? Hidden staging or just two levels without a helix? Overall size? 

In a spare room, I'd probably hide out for weeks at a time until my wife noticed I was gone. . . . LOL!

Modules are a great idea!  Can't wait to see more progress.  Seems like building a layout up one module at a time would be more satisfying as getting a small module done would take much less time than a larger layout.  Planning on doing the same as my space is limited for something this size, so if we end up with a larger house, I can easily move it among the other benefits.

Tim

The layout is 15'7" x 9'4" (475cm x 285cm). It's in the attic, so the ceiling on one side is pretty low and doesn't allow for any backdrop. It's an above-average space by Italian standards, of course I wish I had more but I consider myself lucky with that.

Sorry I didn't realize I should have resized the pictures, I see they appear cropped.

The staging will have 3 tracks, it is located underneath the top level. There are no helixes, I don't have enough space.

Starting from the top level, either way you travel, the tracks climb down all the way to the bottom level. Once you get to the bottom level you can either enter the French station or go into the hidden staging.

If you start from the bottom level, you can either climb up to the top level, or stay at the bottom level in what is basically an oval.

The 2 bridges can stay in place (duck-under) or can be lifted out.

Max grade is about 3.5%, it's steep but space is limited, I'll have to live with it.

One of the two legs connecting top/bottom levels has a switch that leads to the big grain elevator. The track plan is in a draft stage, I'm still mentally playing with it to fine tune it.

I agree modules are great, from a psychological point of view. When I took the decision to redo it this way it literally took a weight off my mind: tracks were prevoiusly laid with no interruptions, same for the cork roadbed, and I just couldn't get myself to drop a single drop of glue for ballasting the track. What if we ever move? An axe and a chainsaw are not my favourite tools for making the layout modular...

Now, laying the tracks might be a little more difficult, but once that's done I can ballast and decorate one module at a time, and no big hassles if we move. It really made me feel more free.

I'll use DCC, 99% of the time a single operator (me), or 2 once my 2-years-old gets old enough to be allowed to run a train by himself.

As I build the new structure I'm mentally running trains on it and running OP sessions. It's fun and helps me find/solve issues in the trackplan.

Sorry for the random replies and thoughts, time for bed.

Thank you for your comments, and good night,

Guido

As of last weekend the work in the attic is done (built 2 ventilation hatches and painted walls) so I started assembling the first modules.

I'm very happy about the precision of the whole assembly. With the previous structure built using solid wood bars I was very lucky when I got a +/- 5 mm tolerance, with the new structure built using plywood so far I'm upset if I see a misalignment of more than 2 mm.

Next step, the roadbed for the hidden staging and the top level. The top will have hinges along the rear edge. I can stick my head and arms in from below for track cleaning and re-railing in the hidden staging but I want to keep full accessibility, just in case something bad happens.

Last night I installed the roadbed for the hidden staging.

It is 5mm-thick neoprene, as wide as the track, self-adhesive on one side.

To ensure a proper track alignment on the module edges, the first 1" on each edge is Midwest Products cork glued to the wood structure.

I made a quick test and it is sensibly more silent than just cork. I also plan on installing sound-deadening foam panels on the bottom of the top level.

Guido

Question: Why the concern about noise level from an area of the layout where trains will spend the majority of their time sitting still or when they are moving they will move slowly?

Alan and inquiring-minded friends,

my dad has a Marklin layout, all-metal track, and a train running in the 2-track hidden staging is noisier than the same train running on the surface.

Years ago I read an article by Pelle Soeborg on MR magazine in which he told about adding a sound absorption layer under all the tracks, hidden or not.

IMHO these are two extremes, I'd just like my trains going to the hidden staging to "disappear" visually and acoustically, and considering the hidden tracks are just 10" from the visible ones I thought that in order to achieve that I really needed some sound-proofing.

I read that said article, regarding noise control. Which I will be doing on the upper level of my layout. Base layer using car deading  material, what they use in the auto industry, then cork on top of that. Pelle's  friend  added a  base of  neoprene like what is used on a yoga mat, then the car deading material then cork.

Regards Phil

Do you use a CAD program or are these plans handmade:

I don't use any model rr specific software.

That was done using Rhinoceros, a 3D modelling software pretty popular among designers.