First I'd like to make sure all of you that have put up with all my questions over the past few months know how much I appreciate the encouragement and advice.

Since I'm borderline computer illiterate, I had to take a photo of my trackplan on the computer to post it since I couldn't figure out how to directly move it from the Slotman planning program to here. Here's what I've got:

http://photos.hobbytalk.com/data/511/medium/DSC03812.JPG

The layout takes up 7'11" x 3' 11" so I'll be going with the 8x4 base most of you suggested. All the lane lengths are 35' 11". I know it will probally need some tweaking, but having all identical lane lengths is quite and accomplishment (and completely accidental) for a newbie like me. I'll leave all the questions about scenery and stuff for later. What do you guys think about the raceability of the layout? Three of my four kids (3yrs, 6yrs, 8yrs) will be spending most of the time racing with me. I tried to make it challenging, but not too hard to race on. Whadda ya think?

Looks like fun. My kids are 8 and 10 and their intrest comes and goes. I didn't do an overpass on my layout for a couple of reasons. First I was unable to come up with anything that had enough straight sections to accodimate an Model Motoring Country Bridge section AND the adapter tracks to mate it to a Tomy layout. Second, was that laying flat track is difficult enough.

Set it up as a temporary circuit and run the daylights out of it. Make sure you run it in reverse direction too. Mine drives like a completely different track when running the other direction.

Whadda ya think?

Not too dissimilar from my own. I think the kids will love it. I like running on it so far and I'm a big kid at heart! Good luck! nd

Ron I think that will make for a really nice track to run on.Looks good.

One thing tho if I may point out something from my own experience....

That 6" r curve in the bottom left.I had the same kind of thing on my track.I have 18" r curves on both ends of my track,but on the one end,I had something similar to what you have,coming out of a fast turn into a really tight radius turn.

For me personally,it wasnt to bad to drive.But,a good portion of the time when people did race on my track that were newbies,that part of the layout was de slot city every other lap.But when I "finalized" my track a few months back,I killed off that whole section of track and made it a little easier to drive.Also,I race primarily magnet cars.For tjets and the like,it wasnt nearly as bad.

Just a thought.Keep us posted on your progress.

Mike