OK, the backdrop is completed and the sub-roadbed of pink foam is down; lights from IKEA are on their way and will be installed shortly. NOW, what is the best way of laying out the track before purchasing it? Paper copies? Use a 3ft section and draw around it? Mark a centerline?

I posted this also.

I have been working recently on the "Oneapee River" crossing on my Diamond River Valley Railroad. Please enjoy the pictures. while I am only using a simple point and shoot for these pictures I hope to be able to take some nicer shots once the scenery is  more or less complete.

The first shot is that of the blue foam being roughed in.

I've been moving along, slowly but surely.

I am still working on my mine buildings. Specifically, the hoist house. I actually had it all finished, but I did not like the result. There wasn't really anything wrong with it, it just wasn't right. I've attached some photos so you can see what I mean.

I am working on a 2' wide shelf industrial layout (8' x 10' x 5') and am wondering if there is a lower limit to the number of customer spots that are needed to keep the layout from becoming boring to operate.  The current design has 22 customers with a total of 56 car spots.  I have a four track fiddle yard to supply the layout that holds 34 cars.  This is a post depression USRA era layout based on an actual prototype (NKP).  The prototype had over forty customer spots in a rather tight area (roughly 5 blocks by 10 blocks), so dense trackage and buildi