After many years of dreams, reflections, planning (starting Winter 2011/12), testing (starting fall 2013) and finally building (starting spring 2014), this project has finally crossed the finish line - probably one of the world's most extreme and most challenging layouts for Lego Train 9V! An indescribable feeling, great satisfaction and relief - and what a fantastic experience! First some introductory remarks: This is not a "usual" but rather a conceptual layout with analogue power supply and -management, without landscapes and buildings (except one train station). A particularly sophisticated construction with four themes: a one-track vertical climb, two double-track climbing spirales, a double-track high-level track 2.16 m above floor level and a rail yard. The layout is intended for Lego trains equipped with standard Lego 9V train engines. It is built with standard Lego 9V rails and points, some of which are modified. So are all four 9V Train Speed Regulators. With the help of points, the layout can be segmented into four sections (Loop A - D) which make it possible to run four trains simultaneously, independent of each other, with up to ten engines each. However, this requires more hands... To avoid/prevent spontaneous decoupling, all my trains are equipped with super magnets. I also would like to take this opportunity and thank all of you who have contributed with support, valuable advice, and encouragement during all these years. Without all this help, this project would have remained just a dream. And this is how it looks like:               More pictures, facts and videos will be added to the first entry of this thread   Addendum # 1:     Technical Data and Details: Track lengths: Total track length (incl.sidings and dead-ends):                                              approx.  173 m Total "Tour" length (from start to start):                                                           approx.  105 m Loop A  (High-level track 1/High-speed track):                                                approx.    32 m Loop B  (High-level track 2):                                                                            approx.    29 m Loop C  (Climbing-wall from level 85 to traverse on level 175):                      approx.    46 m Loop D  (Level 50 and level 85):                                                                     approx.     21 m   Rails:   949 straight, 263 curved and 37 modified (4, 8, 10 and 12 straight) Points: 13 standard points (whereof 3 are operated electrically)               6 crossover points (4)              11 half-curve points (1)   Track Design Program:  Track Designer Application (R) version 2.0 by Matthew D. Bates  (Matt's LEGO (R) Train Depot)   Electrics/Electronics: 1 Power Supply Unit VOLTCRAFT EP-925, 3-15 V(DC), max. 25A 4 modified Train Speed Regulators (4548) with LM350T regulators, 3A diodes, outside heatsinks (with a thermal resistance of 1.9 K/W), mini-fans and digital thermometers to measure temperatures inside the boxes 4 Control-boxes to operate 12 points electrically. The boxes are equipped with "memory-sticks" to memorize the position of each point since these are out of reach and sight. 12 PF Medium engines mounted on the electrically operated points 52 Power connections to rails 1 Control-box to selectively turn on/turn off 11 power connections Approximately 1000 m cable whereof approx. 850 m RK cable 1.5 square mm Märklin pins and sleeves 1 LED strand (4 m) with dimmer 1 IR-thermometer to measure heatsink temperatures   Construction: 7 levels:            Rail yard level (50 cm above floor level)                          Train station level (85)                          U-curve level 1 (115)                          U-curve level 2 (145)                          U-curve level 3 (175)                          Eaves level (195)                          Top-level (216) Max. gradient:  83 per thousand  (The gradients are built in such a way that all trains can manage to get uphill and downhill with adhesion, i.e. without cogwheels). Min. clearance:  approx. 12 cm   Train shelves:      Shelf system:   Algot  (IKEA)      15 train shelves type A  (102x11x1.6 cm),  8 straight/shelf      27 train shelves type B  (166x11x2 cm),  13 straight/shelf      12 train shelves type C  (217x11x2 cm),  17 straight/shelf           all train shelves are strengthened with 22x45 mm wood strips      All in all 54 train shelves with a total length of 86 m (678 straight) and 108 railway buffers      2 "Trains-in-Transit" (TIT) Trolleys  (Algot)   Room dimensions:   5.5 x 7.3 m Occupied floor space (incl. train shelves):  approx.  9 square m   Construction materials: Wood (45x45 mm) and wood strips (22x42 mm) MDF boards (6 and 10 mm) Glass shelves (6 mm) Polycarbonate strips (3 mm) and rivets Cable conduits Steel cords (3 mm) with wire locks Perforated plates and angle irons   Cable ditches and cabling towards cable terminal   Cable terminal   Power supply unit and cable terminal box   Control center   Addendum # 2:     More pictures with some of my MOCs Glacier Express with Matterhorn in the background   Trans Europ Express (TEE) "Rheingold" and TEE-VT 11.5 in alpine environment   Swiss "Crocodile" (10183) with heavy RhB cargo transport in the steepest part of the entire track - a gradient of 83 permille!   "Uppsalapendeln" in the midst of the  Swiss Alps - imagine if this were for real ....   Emerald Night on its way up to the mountains   Track Cleaning Train at Knivsta Station - ready for new missions   Track Maintenance Train on its way for a new mission     Addendum #2A:  Train shelves         "Trains-in-Transit"  (TIT) Trolleys with two Maersk and one TTX Train section(s) ready for transit       Addendum #3:  Videos     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47CqLOQKGLM&t=10s