The original HO-scale Lilliput Logger was not my work; I don't know whose it was, but a friend asked me if I could "rescale" the layout for N and make it fit on a 3'x6' base. This is a GREAT LAYOUT! It provides something of everything: continuous running, point-to-point ops, and switching...all in only 18 square feet. The 3 foot depth should make usable by even the most "space-challenged" model railroader. Most of the benchwork can be made from a single 4x8 sheet of ¾" plywood (preferred) or particle board, including the base, frame and upper-level yard; the scraps will make good risers. The remaining sub-roadbed can be cut from a 2x4' "handy panel" of ½" plywood; a saber saw (jigsaw) will come in very handy here.
For this layout, I used PECO code 55 track and turnouts; other brands or types could surely be used. Turnouts are of the Electrofrog variety, with externally-powered frogs (slow-moving locos are prone to stalling on unpowered frogs). If I were building this, I'd use AMI Instant Roadbed; I used it on my new main layout, and I really like it. For more info on using the AMI, check NEW AWRR. Note that unlabelled turnouts are Small Radius; Medium Radius and Curved (dual-radius) turnouts are indentified as "MR" and "CURVED," respectively; radii (in inches) are shown for all curved track segments.
This is a multi-level layout, so you'll need to view the drawing as though it were 3-dimensional; note the "UP" legends with directional arrows. The climb starts at the Medium Radius turnout near the top of the drawing (about 1/3 of the way in from the left), and proceeds thru a looping 360° continuously-rising ramp to the Upper Yard, located in the upper-left quadrant of the drawing. If you choose, the rest of the layout can be built on a flat surface; only the route up to the Upper Yard and the Yard itself must be elevated. That said, flat layouts can be...well, boring; but it's really up to you, your benchwork skills and your available time. Just remember that we're modelling a logging railroad, so peaks and valleys are the expected terrain; make it visually interesting.
Updated 2-19-01
