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I currently have a 4x8 suspended over my wifes car. We moved in April and I told her I wasn't giving up my trains. I lower it by hand right now but as I add things it seems to be getting alot heavier (either that or I am getting older) so I have been thinking of a way I can hook a winch to it. The system is supported by 4 cables that go through pulleys at the corners. this worked out pretty good because the pulleys lined up right on the roof trusses. I used 3/8" eye bolts screwed into the trusses. all 4 cables go accross the ceiling to a set of 4 pulleys that are lag bolted to the top plate of the wall. Then the cables go down the wall and loop around a ring that is about 2" diameter. This ring goes over a hook that is in the wall stud about 2 feet above the floor. It is important to have all the cables go to 1 ring. That way when you raise and lower it the layout will stay level. As for legs.......I have a fold up ladder that can bend into all different shapes. I set it up like a saw horse and drop the layout on top of it. I screwed blocks of wood to the bottom of the layout to position the layout and keep it from sliding off the ladder. I also marked the floor with tape so I can get the ladder in the same position every time. The one thing you might have to do is stiffen the under structure of the layout. I used eye bolts in the sides of the layout. This way I can lower it to the ladder and then unhook it from the cables. This allows me to pull the cables back up to the ceiling so they are out of the way when I am railroading. And make sure the pick points of the cable have plenty of backing so you dont pull the eye bolts out of the layout. If you are interested I might be able to take some pictures and post them or send them to you. Let me know. krskev@yahoo.com Keep em on the rails Kevin Schultz
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