I am designing my layout with a large proportion of it to be a 1ft wide
> bench with other widths depending on scenic value or how far I can
> comfortably reach. My staging yard and longest siding at this time will be
> about 40ft long.
> I want to keep the minimum radius to 34-36 inches. Using an
> average length modern day coal hopper is this reasonable to drag a train
> roughly 3/4 that long around it or should I down-size my plan.
I guess you're talking a 30' train length and 90 degree curves? At this point you're going to get into the sorts of problems the prototype faces
- couplers on the bogies (trucks) is a no-no, the hoppers will need to be consistant in weight and speeds need to be even.
Being rather
> new to this hobby, I still lack adequate knowledge on how these things come
> together, at the moment I'm just going by feel. You guys seem to know lots
> of stuff, & I was wondering if you could spare a few thoughts to a newbie
> with lots of space but no experience :)
One's ideas of what a layout should be change with experience. Don't expect to build the final layout first time. Don't go buying cheap quality models. (well just the one set so you know what to avoid next time ;-) Don't buy cheap quality track!
Regards, Greg.P.