Hi Dennis,
Most important “feature” and your new layout? A connection straight through the wall to your prospective garden railway. 
There are quite a few people who have a LS layout in the basement, there are just as many who have staging inside somewhere - yours truly included. BUT to have a layout in the basement that connects to the one in the garden will be a bit rarer. 
Hans-Joerg Mueller said:
Hi Dennis,Most important “feature” and your new layout? A connection straight through the wall to your prospective garden railway.
Reason is do not know the slope of the land and the basement level to the land slope.
Dennis Cherry said:Hans-Joerg Mueller said:
Hi Dennis,Most important “feature” and your new layout? A connection straight through the wall to your prospective garden railway.
I do not know yet if that will work. But yes would like to make the inside/outside connection.Reason is do not know the slope of the land and the basement level to the land slope.
I can’t figure out how to post the track plan but I have one I am working on for indoor. Area is 18’ x 35’ with a furnace & water heater involved also. Benchwork is no more than 3’ deep at anypoint. It took some time but I have it as a walk in right now with no duckunder or bridge required. Using mostly R3 with some R1 curves and 1200 series switches. All 2 axle cars and engines for the most part. I plan to operate as point to point with the possibility of continuous running due to loops at each end. It took a little time but I have accepted I will NOT be running big modern stuff. This layout is all about the play factor. To make this decision, I took my LGB schoema diesel and placed it next to one of my large HO cars. It made the decision that much easier. Even a small G scale car/engine is big enough.
Well after 4 days of layout tours at the NGRC 2012 in Chicago, It is getting hard to figure out if my new yard will be big enough. Now need 200 x 300 feet of back yard.
Have some great layouts from small to large.
Well back to one more day of layouts.
Vendors here have some new ideas.
New vendor is making a module you connect to turnouts, lights, etc, and using a dollar store laser light you can switch the turnout, even do ladder tracks. Turn lights on/OFF in structures, operate couplers, etc
Just point the laser at the module and it switches the turnout.
Works up to 30 feet distance.
Dennis Cherry said::lol: Ain't that how it always goes. Think small and dream big ;) Ralph
Now need 200 x 300 feet of back yard.