Also, a little thought about wiring is a good thing too.
Firstly, wire - in the overall scheme of things - is cheap. Normally for the price of a locomotive, you can purchase enough wire to cable the whole layout, even if you only use basic colour coding - say a maximum of six colours.
Secondly, nobody, and least of all me, likes getting under layouts to wire. It is not my definition of fun. Then again, maybe if you have masochistic tendencies ... But I have become a staunch adherent of Front Wiring - where all the cab and power busses, along woth power for the switch machines, runs behind a removeable fascia at the front of the layout. All trackfeeds, switch machine leads etc etc have long enough leads to reach into the fascia, and plenty of terminal blocks are installed therein where necessary. All connections are made by the layout owner (or worker) standing up, at the front of the layout. Plenty of light, plenty of room, and no hot solder dropping onto your skin while hanging upside down ... Thoroughly recommended.
Steve
Firstly, wire - in the overall scheme of things - is cheap. Normally for the price of a locomotive, you can purchase enough wire to cable the whole layout, even if you only use basic colour coding - say a maximum of six colours.
Secondly, nobody, and least of all me, likes getting under layouts to wire. It is not my definition of fun. Then again, maybe if you have masochistic tendencies ... But I have become a staunch adherent of Front Wiring - where all the cab and power busses, along woth power for the switch machines, runs behind a removeable fascia at the front of the layout. All trackfeeds, switch machine leads etc etc have long enough leads to reach into the fascia, and plenty of terminal blocks are installed therein where necessary. All connections are made by the layout owner (or worker) standing up, at the front of the layout. Plenty of light, plenty of room, and no hot solder dropping onto your skin while hanging upside down ... Thoroughly recommended.
Steve