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Boy do I hear you on the real estate aspect, Guy. Perhaps the more appropriate term would be 'co-miserate' LOL I live in the LA basin and the market conditions are the same - like you said "insane". The lack of basements is a real killer for us hobbyists, eh? With the housing costs so expensive, my wife would never let me use any of our normal living space for the layout (nor would I blame her), so my only reasonable option is the garage. Since we still want (need) to park the cars in the garage, that makes my layout the kind that gets hoisted up the the ceiling when not in use. Surprisingly, if you design it right and are careful about your selection of materials you can still get a decent sized layout that's sturdy and strong yet is still manageable / hoistable. My layout is 6-1/2 x 11 with a two track main, a tunnel, 3% grades, plus several sidings to be switched, and includes a 5 track yard - yet it's not what you'd call a real spaghetti bowl plan, though I've had one of those before. With a pulley system, it's hoistable by one person (namely, myself) and does not really stress the joists or the layout frame though it does take about 15-20 minutes just to raise or to lower it. Again careful planning of the framing and lifting system, and judicious use of strong yet light weight materials is requisite. Necessity is indeed the mother of invention, and where there's a will there's a way (and most model railroaders are pretty strong willed. LOL) <br />Enjoy the hobby! <br /> <br />Greg
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