Great update. I understand what it is like having an old building.

Nice touch with the LEDs Dave! I’m looking forward to seeing more of your work

Excellent video Dave! I’m so excited to see how the expansion is going to progress. I love the designing phase and planning. Good luck with the repairs and I hope you get it figured out soon.

I would love that much space for expanding. I would take that 4x8 and build out my roundhouse with turntable and additional staging yard. I’m sure whatever you build, it will be awesome!

I’m liking the sound of this new addition. Something to consider with the hinged bridge going to it might be a rope and pulley system since as you said, you aren’t getting any younger and you have a bad back. Maybe even motorize it with a winch. It’s always nice to see different parts of the layout room. I would definitely be saving back for a new roof if that’s problematic!!

Boy, it's easy to see that you've been very busy lately, Dave! I don't know where you find the time, but things have been progressing. Great to catch up.

love the ideas Dave waiting. Country bunker is making good progress . TY

New TV? That old one looks like a Plasma to me. I used to install TV's and often we pulled out old plasmas like that- they weighed a TON. Although at their peak, Plasmas had a pretty good picture. Nice in wall HI-FI too. Thanks for the tour and update. Nice to see the distant perspective of your layout.

Sounds like good plans when you can get around to it. Remember to check your shirt. 😉

Looking good Dave.

A fine update video, Dave. A few nice concepts, for sure. I would definitely curve the track going to the new extension, as it would add some nice motion to the trains, whereas a plain straight track would be kind of blah. Planning has always been my strong suit. I'll plan things out and maybe draw it out on graph paper and I'm good to go. Scenery is my nemesis, though. It's too bad when you have to compromise on curves. I needed K-Line O81, but it's hen's teeth. So now it's O96 and O72. It is what it is, I guess. Good luck going forward. An excellent video, as always.

Time to stop buying trains and start saving for the new roof, windows ,wood and insulation etc! lol! Now to start the $0.00 dollar challenge at the train shows! Good luck. I had to remodel the lower level of my bi-level house to move my layout in from our two car garage. Removed 35 year old carpet and installed new Vinyl floors. Lower level was concrete slab. Took a long time after two back surgeries and a neck surgery and gallbladder removed. Almost complete. Saving up for Glenn Snyder Shelves. Also added new LED lighting. So much fun. All documented on KZfaq! Thanks for sharing and good luck Dave! Cbtrainnut.

Very exciting stuff, Dave. Can't wait to see what you come up with. The room improvements look great. The perimeter LED lighting is a nice feature and looks professionally installed. If you do a river, be sure to allow some depth. At least a couple inches at a minimum. I'm still kicking myself over that one. You could also do a city or industrial scene around the river. Instead of a lift out or a hinged lift up, I think a drop-down is a much better design if you have the necessary elevation above the floor for the drop-down to clear. By using a piano hinge, it does a better job maintaining alignment and conceals the hinge below, and doesn't look out of place and unnatural. Putting the hinges above will require spacers to elevate the hinges so the track clears itself and, in my opinion, doesn't look natural or realistic and detracts from the scene and can become loose and janky over time. The O-gauge Model Railroading forum shows how to build a multi track drop-down you might like to checkout. Be sure to wire for track deactivation if that section is taken out, or you'll run the risk of launching engines to the floor below if you forget to put it back.There are several different ways this feature can be wired, depending on. personal preference. I have plans for a double track, double stacked liftoff section because my span is longer than the height of my benchwork above the floor. I plan to use magnets embedded in the millwork under the rails between the joint sections to complete the circuit instead of wiring. Magnets conduct electricity, thereby eliminating the need for permanent interconnected wiring. I finally started making some progress on my layout again by getting some structures done. It feels great making progress again.

I would be happy to help you fix the roof if I wasn't so far away.

Your planning looks good and well-reasoned Dave, but before you do anything else you've got to get that roof taken care of. Since I know you live in one of the older towns of Bergen County and the garage is detached I'm certain it's getting close to the 100 year mark (In two years my grandparents old house in Tenafly's going to be 100!) and there's no way that roof was intended to last that long. Forget everything else and get it done before you have a disaster on your hands. One heavy snowfall and it could be the end. You should give some serious thought to that self-leveling pour on the garage floor as well. A good floor will go a long way to solving any problems with dampness. Easier said than done I know considering everything that has to come out! Anyway talk is cheap and I'm sure I'm not telling you anything you don't already know! An interesting video as always! Thanks for posting!

Hey Dave, awesome video! It is neat listening to your plans for an expansion. I agree with you about trying to get your building repaired before redoing your layout. When it comes to the expansion, I figure you have probably considered this, but I would encourage you to think about perhaps moving the addition up to the existing layout to eliminate the need for a lift type assembly. Would it work if you then left 30" or so at the opposite end of the extension to allow access to the back of the railroad. Just a thought as I listened to you discussing the issue. It was great seeing you again at York! Bill B.

Very nice layout update here! A river will sound like a good idea for your layout! I like your Amtrak sd45 you have on the layout!

You're talented, surely it will be well done and work the way you want it to. Have fun!

Great to see layout progress, ordered a shirt, let’s should be rare in the UK 😁

The new siding that you showed near the video's beginning used a left hand switch causing a snakey curve which may cause derailments. A right hand switch fixes that somewhat. Nice plans.

To me, you need a city scene. Even if it's just a few buildings... close by your station? 😊

Hi Dave i drew my layout on the floor with caulk lines then laid the the track down loosely on the floor to get the best view and make any changes I know what you mean about heavy TV’S I just got rid of an old Sony Vega tube type it weighed about 200 pounds

Looks really good,, you figure out a heating strategy for winter?

Hi Dave...your ideas are always interesting. Follow through and have some fun in the progress. 👍 Trainz is advertising a Corgi 1/50 scale Public Service logo bus...check it out.

I think once you get the climate control situated, you will be happy and so will your trains. Sorry to hear about your roof issues. But remember, water damage can be catastrophic. Cool shirts!

Three car garage is overly big for trains. I have six over head doors for garages. The trains not in any of the garages as too cold in winter and not continuously heated. Too costly. Never could understand the super large layout in a dwelling with no means of relocation if one ever moves. Other hobbies or interests are relocatable if the situation arises. My classic cars and all tools and stuff can go anywhere. My trains would require a complete tear down from being against two walls. So being older I consider options that may influence my hobby’s stability. The trains are mobil but the table, layout not so much. So layout expansion is not ever anything I contemplate. My situation is not yours so build away.😊😊 Are you planning a big elevation drop to new table? PS your windows have paint needing scraping. And yes fix roof prior to more train layout expansion.