Brakie,
Thanks for posting that Highland Terminal layout link. I saw that in the MRP issue, and have been a fan of it's simplicity and elegance ever since. My next layout will likely be something like that, or like a couple of David Barrow - like modules, like in his South Plains district article.
In addition, I'll have a loop to connect the ends of the module. So I'll have a loop for railfanning, plus a small switching layout.
Something like this seems very well within the realm of possibility for space/time, etc. committments, yet could also remain entertaining once built.
Part of me wants to build an extremely simple layout with continuous running and only a siding or two, but I fear I'll get bored of it if there are nearly zero operating possibilities. Instead, a mini-switching layout combined with a loop could fulfil both needs.
Also on the carendt.us web page is the inglenook that would fit in your measurments. I'm making a small yard fully sceniked with yard office and surrounding business'. It lets me use a variety of locomotives and rolling stock some of which are also shelf queens. If you build it for eight cars operating it can get very interesting.
Bruce
Knowing my predilection for mining based layouts, why not an underground mine and mill complex. Mine on on end, mill on the other. Obviously ore transfer from the mine to the mill (much like that at San ManueL Arizona by Magma Copper) but also mines use a large amount of timbers, explosives, rail (for mine cars), etc etc. Mills would need grinding media (even a stamp mill needs to replace the stamp shoes), chemicals, etc etc. You could even do two levels, the top one with staging to supply the mine and move ore to the mill and the lower one for mill supplies... in your space and HO I don't think you could combine the two.
Jack W
Chip,There are many such types of layouts..I will suggest the following layout since it follows some good LDEs..
http://www.carendt.us/articles/highland/index.html
Of course if you want a single LDE then perhaps a large single industry that you can switch.
As you know I am a firm believer in following good LDE prototype or freelance..It just makes good horse sense.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
My take, you don't "look for an LDE".
You look for a design you like and then create the LDE's from that.
An LDE is an element of a PROTOTYPE scene you want to duplicate. So the question is what PROTOTYPE scene do you want to model? Then what part of aspect of that scene is critical to you. Any scene can have many LDE's depending on what you want to emphasize.
If you don't want a particular prototype, then don't worry about an LDE, just look for a trackplan you like or design your own.
Dave H.
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com
Chip
Building the Rock Ridge Railroad with the slowest construction crew west of the Pecos.
I've been considering build a 30 x 6 module so that I can run a few locos that are my favorites, but shelf queens.
But to tell the truth, I'm no sure how to go about it. Koester suggests that I could build the layout out of a single Layout Design Element (LDE). I get that, but I'm not sure I know what to look for.
Any layout I do would have to 1) make sense & 2) provide meaningful operations. If I model local area I could satisfy both my engines--a PRR S1 and a Buffalo and Pittsburgh GP-38.
But that is not the issue. What do I look for in a LDE for a small space?