Best Layout Feature?

What I like most on my layout, other than the trains themselves, are scenes. My favorites are:

A funeral service in the railroader's cemetary



The town folk at Denny's



The activity at the station



And the hootch warehouse



Watching trains running through various scenes are what I most love about this hobby.

 

One Word - Impressive

I will be stealing some ideas. :tb-biggrin:

 

My layout's still in the early stages, but so far, my plate girder bridge in the center of my layout:



View from the other side:

 

Since my layout is still early in the building stages, it only has about two features. But, I do really like my 'staging' design of having my outer loop on a top level at the North end of my board, and the inner loop on the bottom level at that north end. There is only one passing siding, but this allows a train on the inner loop to disappear into a tunnel and have a different train come out that same tunnel in the opposite direction.



This view is of the non-viewing side which will remain open (with a guard) so operators can ensure they are stopping trains in the proper location and monitor/remedy derailments. I was very pleased with how well my 18AWG feeder line installed right through the side profile of the plywood - this will prevent any cars catching the feeders - should I ever decide to get excess height cars.

M

 

I like your bridge, but I like your engine facility down below that scene, too, Paul.

 

Yes, sir. I like it and I like the MoPac power

 

My layout is only about half finished as far as scenery goes, and I'm not much into switching operations. My favorite operations are just running trains around the layout, usually two at a time.
The mainline is 105 feet long, folded onto a 10 x 10 U-shape, three feet wide all around. To keep things interesting, I designed two crossings into the trackplan, on opposite sides. The main is mostly double track with no crossovers, so twice around makes up one lap.
Here are the two crossings;
In the second picture, the left side track is one end of the coal mine/industrial siding. The right side track is the other end, after it goes through a long tunnel, under a bridge, past the coal mine, past the industrial area, and past the farm (future, to the right of the track), and rejoins the main. About 30 feet long overall.

Dave.