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The only issue I can think of is this: If your elevated railway is temporary, no problem since most are put up for temporary use at places designated for gatherings of enthusiasts. This makes access convient to your model and the layout. However.... If you are planning a PERMANENT elevated layout you have a serious issue regarding weather and track placement. Most elevated layouts are done with track HARD FASTENED to the roadbed. (Nails, screws, glue etc.) since most elevated roadbeds are wood. If masonary, other methods are used to fasten the track but in all but the most moderate of climates this is a serious problem for rails. They expand and contract with temperature changes and usually require a "floating" roadbed of some sort to accomodate the climate changes. i.e. If you live in Vermont and nail a track to a wooden roadbed this summer, you can count on replacing most of it next spring. At the very least, many of your track connections are going to have separated during the winter and may well come back together again as the temperature warms up, swelling and distorting your rails in the process. If you are a live steamer, this is a bit more forgiving for your layout but if you run electric trains, count on long hours of de-bugging your connections next spring. For the track that is still intact that is. On the other hand, if you can devise a way to construct an elevated track system layed out with a moveable roadbed like crusher fine ballast, I'd have to say you will be OK. The only point being that garden railways have shown to be most maintenence free as to track when the roadbed allows the track to swell and shrink with climactic changes as a somewhat single unit. Just like in the full sized world, It just simply needs to be able to 'wiggle' a little bit with the weather. Permanantely attaching track to a fixed roadbed of any kind, elevated or not, is generally asking for big trouble. Regards, LDH
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