I would to hear from you that have been involved with the construction of lift-gate modules for shows. We display at the Champlain Valley Fair, Essex Jct. VT for 10 days the week before Labor Day. This a combined effort of the Northwestern Vermont Model RR and the Green MT div of the NMRA. Would like to hear about your experience and a possible and photo of your lift-gate or ones you have seen. The loop is the NWV and the stub on the end is Bellows Falls, VT  module of the Greenmountain Division of the NMRA. My goal is to build a lift-gate for this year.

Has anyone made or done a electric lift up. Can you show a pic and tell us how this is possible. Is it reasonably cheap? Is there already a product out there etc.  Solving he doorway entrance to the train room.

Regards James 

When you are just starting out you tend to plan out as much as possible because being new, one can make many more mistakes so it does take a while to get going. But it is good to start starting the start of the layout and purposely leave somethings to when you only get around to it. "I'll cross that bridge when i come to it. For me this is that time and it looks difficult.  Any suggestions?

I  think this has been discussed before, but what are your thoughts of laying a second track on a helix, and using it for a staging yard? The helix will have 4 turns totalling over 80 feet, enough to stage 4, 20' trains on my layout.