Thank-you. One of the reasons for talking through the whole process is to try to educate my viewers in the art of layout design. There will always be model railroaders out there who simply cannot fork out the money for a professional custom design. Hopefully, by helping them to improve their own design skills, they will be less likely to become disillusioned and leave the hobby.

The plan is for Peter to build the layout and install it in my basement when the renovations to the house are completed. Hopefully I can share it with fellow enthusiasts in the Sydney area 👍

Thanks, I was quite pleased with that idea when I first came up with it.

Yes, that will be a blast. I especially want to go and see an Aussie rules football game while I am there.

Most definitely- I will arrange the installation to coincide with a Sydney Swans game.

@@mpeterll Aussie rules is a bit overrated. If you come to the Eastern Seaboard you would have more of a thrill going to watch a rugby league game.

Thank-you for the comment. I have to disagree with you however. What you are proposing is actually quite a common mistake for inexperienced layout designers. Cutting a long peninsula into two short ones is almost invariably a bad idea. Not only do railroad scenes need to be as long as possible to appear realistic, but the turnbacks you create (often called "Blobs") eat up a huge amount of space. Each blob requires a circle about a foot bigger in diameter than twice the minimum mainline radius (about 7' diameter for this railroad), and this space is a lot less useful than the same area in a long narrow space. Furthermore, each blob introduces a lot of additional minimum-radius trackage, while eliminating the long straight (or gently curved) scenes that are so much more desirable. Overall, with the inescapable geometry of the additional blob, both the overall main-line length and the total useful layout area will always be less with the arrangement you suggested, simply because of the space you are wasting inside the extra blob, and the additional aisle length you are introducing to get around it. You also comment on making opportunities for additional bridges. Quite the contrary. The only bridges that can be incorporated in the end curves that you create are short-span trestles - which can be incorporated everywhere. It is not possible to add any kind of long-span bridge into the end-curves because they require straight track. You are actually eliminating possible bridge spots by doing what you suggest. Although there may be occasional exceptions, it is normally best to minimize the number of blobs in a layout design. It is not my intention to shoot you down. I hope this information is useful to you and any others who may read it.

You are in luck, because this layout will be built in my shops and then installed in the customer's basement. The whole process will be recorded for my viewers.

mpeterll looking forward to the series you layouts are constructed with excellence

@@mpeterll As we say up in Boston... wicked cool.

I did mention both during the video. I guess you now have an excuse to re-watch it :)

Jeff, That’s a simple question, but one with a very complex answer. You may as well ask how much a 2000 square-foot house costs. New-York or Mississippi? City center or in the middle of nowhere? Ready to move in or in need of major work? Marble tile or dirt floors? Gated community or slum? The same applies to a professionally built model railroad. How much of the layout is to be done professionally? What level of finish? Does it include room preparation, or a lighting valance, or trains, or ongoing maintenance? What type of control system? Signaling system? Provision for nighttime operation? How many structures? Scratch-built or plastic kits? Plastic 25c trees or hand-crafted $10 trees? Where is it to be located? These considerations and hundreds of other factors will affect the cost. It’s no good just specifying “average” this and “typical” that, because one person’s idea of “average” or “typical” may be vastly different from another’s. Furthermore, one builder may bid four or five times as much as another if given an identical set of specs. That’s because some will do a much better job than others; some think their time is worth more than others; and some will deliberately low-ball the initial estimate in an underhanded attempt to get the job. If you are in the market for a professionally-built layout, you may need to come up with a budget and then ask what that will buy. It’s exactly the same when buying a house - the very first thing a realtor will ask you is “what’s your budget?” I hope this doesn't come off as crass or offensive. If you are considering hiring someone to build you a custom model railroad, please contact me privately because a public forum like this is not the place for discussing finances. superiormodelrailroads.com mpeterll64@gmail.com

I can say, having searched around for the right person/company to design, build and install my layout, that you will find no better value than with Peter given his experience, commitment, attention to detail and overall quality of workmanship which is, by the way, made available for all to see on KZfaq. Unfortunately I do not have the skill to design or build a layout other than perhaps nailing some track to a piece of board, so finding a professional builder was my only option and I am very glad to have found Peter. I highly recommend him to anyone who is looking to do something which is beyond their own capabilities or even to take what they already have to the next level.

@@mpeterll Sorry, I thought that you might have dollar per linear foot rule of thumb that would be a reasonable guess. I see your side completely. Sorry, to take so much of your time.

@@jeffhallford5284 No need to apologize. I get asked that a lot. Some builders will happily give a price per square foot without even knowing what the customer wants. I'd have to advise steering clear of any builder who works like that. Almost invariably, that price barely covers a basic layout while the customer has visions of a completed masterpiece. This situation can only lead to a frustrated builder and an unhappy customer. The only part of a layout build that can reasonably be estimated as a price per linear foot is bare benchwork, but even that is hit and miss because a layout with lots of complex levels and corners will cost significantly more than a basic rectangle of the same size. Trackwork cost is typically based on the number of turnouts, but even then there's a wide range depending on the desired control options. Scenery can only ever sensibly be done on a time and materials basis as it is very subjective as to what constitutes a finished job. Structure are best estimated on an individual basis. As a rule of thumb, the going rate for assembling a basis plastic or laser-cut wood kit with no alterations or embellishment is around 4x the MSRP for the kit (although I usually end up somewhat lower than that). I hope this helps.

I'm based in Tennessee, although I travel around quite a lot.

@@mpeterll Ok, I'm in Sydney. I'll send you an email.