Common Misconceptions about 4 x 8 layouts

When reading forum posts about 4 x 8 layouts (i.e. on modelrailroader.com, the same tired old misconceptions about 4 x 8 layouts seem to come up again and again:

• The only reason 4 x 8 layouts are popular is because 4 x 8 sheets of plywood are commonly available. Pure BS. The reason 4 x 8 layouts are popular is because they are so clearly superior to all other layout planforms. Think about it. Hollow core doors are just as easily available as 4 x 8 sheets of plywood, cost less, and are easier to transport and work with. If availability and convenience were the driving factors in popularity, layouts built on hollow core doors would be much more popular than 4 x 8 layouts. They're not.
• The reason beginners like 4 x 8 layouts is they lack the skill to build open bench work. Huh? Who said you have to build a 4 x 8 layout on a flat table? Open framework is fine. The important factor is the 4 x 8 planform, not the method of construction.
• Real trains don't run around in circles. Well, I beg to differ - sometimes they do. But on that train of thought, real railroads also don't run from one large yard, over a very short stretch of main line, to another yard. Real trains don't have 3 engines on point and a couple of helpers in the middle of a 40 car trains. Real cities aren't filled with people frozen in place. Real roads aren't filled with immobile cars. The point is, all model railroads have certain aspects that aren't truly realistic.
• The 4 x 8 planform is too limiting. Well, unless you're building a layout in a football stadium, you're going to have limitations compared to prototype railroads. In fact, even if you are building in a football stadium you're going to be limited by time and money.
• A 4 x 8 takes up just as much room as... Again, pure BS. In fact, this statement is Soooo untrue that it barely even deserves a response. The figures I've seen bandied about range from 8 x 10 all the way up to 10 x 14 - those being the room dimensions "required" to actually be able to operate the 4 x 8. I mean, c'mon, you "need" a 10 x 14 room to put it, so why limit yourself to a 4 x 8 foot table in the middle of the room? Yeah, right. I've got news for these geniuses. A 4 x 8 takes up exactly 32 square feet when not in use. In fact, since it can easily be moved, it might just take up zero (zip, zilch, nada) space when not in use. Try that with your fancy 8 x 10 or larger "around the walls" layout.
  

There you go, 5 common misconceptions regarding 4 x 8 layouts debunked.

Cheers,
Ken