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Ken - there are some pros and cons attached to building hidden staging. A pro is certainly, that it won´t eat up valuable layout space and is out of sight, which is also a con. It has limited accessability, so you can´t make up trains, but store trains ready to go on the route. You have one train entering the hidden staging and another one leaving it, allowing you to vary the trains you see on your layout, thus simulating multi-train operation. Hidden staging facilities need to be carefully built, as the limited access will give you the fits when you want to put anything back on the rails. The minimum clearance should be no less than 4", requiring an approach of about 17 ft of track at a 2 % grade, which you should not exceed. In Europe it is quite common to employ hidden staging facilities, as space is much more at a premium than in the US. The bridges are actually duckunders or lift-outs. I´d favor lift-outs, as bending down and crawling on my knees dos not work so well in my age. 30" are a good measure if you want to move comfortably through them. One thing that is consequently underestimated when planning a layout is the size of the footprints for buildings, but you are right, I overdid it with the station building, which could be smaller. I keep my fingers crossed for the job interview! Btw, this beauty: <img src="http://www.holgermatthes.de/bricks/pics_bb/real_bb_01.jpg" style="max-width: 550px;" border="0" /> is getting ready to pull the Diner to its December location, but where to? Southern Cal or Florida? Let me know in time!
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