I'm trying to overcome a showstopper in my layout. I'm basing it on a small Southern branchline in the 50s. The town would make a perfect LDE. The railroad came into town on a sharp left curve and headed down the riverbank to the station. Just before the station there was a switch leading to a trestle across the river to serve the local mill and power plant via a switchback. Problem is, my wall is about two feet too short. I've already compromised by cutting a couple of key spurs (coal dealer & pole yard) from the switchback and if I cut anymore, it will lose the essence of what makes it a good LDE. How have you guys handled it when the ideal town meets the immovable wall?
The Wall Stretchers are sold at Home Depot, they're right next to the Left Handed Wind Shifters.
But seriously, it would be hard to give any specific ideas with just an overview of your situation. A few things to consider:
1) How much of the existing layout is "written in stone?" Can compromises be made in the design of the areas already installed that would give you more room?
2) Can changes be made to the "ideal town," (reversing or removing the curve, mirror imaging the whole scene) that would make it fit better?
3) Probably the last resort, is the wall truly "immovable?"
It seems there's an immovable object behind that wall, and she must be appeased. :) The problem is I have seven feet along that wall before reaching an archway that cannot be crossed/bridged, etc. Local authorities won't issue permission to proceed any further. I've even offered a kitchen remodel and a new pantry in exchange for three feet of wall and have been turned down.
The rest of the layout has trackwork in and basic scenary forms in place. This town wasn't in the original plan since at the time kids toys were in the area. Now that they are growing from toys to sports, this part of the room opened up and I'm trying to take advantage of the opportunity to expand into it. I have looked at the mirror image concept and am doing the trade off on tearing out part of the existing layout to fit it in. Ya know, this was a lot easier when I didn't care about matching a prototype as close as I could.
Hasn't she ever heard of emanate domain!, you can always do what Howard Zane did as he explained in his first video. Do it while she's on vacation...........
Ok, I gave up on that idea, riped out some existing track (hand laid), re-arranged things on the other end of the line and laid some new spurs. Wasn't able to incorporate the track layout of the original town, but tried to capture the key operations and industries, even if they aren't in the right relative location. Called her into the room about ten tonight to see the first test run on the new track. Her first words: "I think it would have looked better the other way." You just can't win.