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Layout Options Explained

Get It Right From Day One

Think Carefully when planning a model train layout. Stop... and think before you rush in an do something you might later regret. Many modelers begin with the urge to see model trains running as soon as possible, and rush into the first type of layout that occurs to them. Trouble is; they find out too late that they have committed themselves to a design which is not going to be of longterm interest. Worse still, they discover halfway through construction that they would have been better off to have adopted a different plan, even to have modeled a different railway altogether.

The best and most satisfying layouts are almost always the result of a considerable amount of planning. This can appear frustrating at first, however most modelers soon discover that planning and research can be a lot of fun. It is usually well worth the time and effort involved in getting things right from day one.

How Big Should The Layout Be?

It is almost impossible for even the largest model railway to model an entire line. Most, if not all, interesting lines would ‘go off’ somewhere to connect with the rest of the system.

Even a very large model train layout must compromise, with the need to ‘disappear’ off the edge of the modeled world. That's why many layouts simply model a stretch of line with the ‘rest of the world’ at both ends. This type of layout can be made to look very realistic.

Generalist Layout or Specialist Layout?

A specialist layout is where there's one major source of traffic, for example a steel mill, brewery or saw mill. In this case, you most definitely need to study the subject in order to model it correctly. If you love the subject, this is the sort of train layout you should consider building.

A generalist layout is where almost anything goes. A sea port for example could realistically be expected to send and receive almost all kinds of freight cars. A generalist model train layout allows for flexibility which for many railroaders is a good reason to choose this kind of layout.

What you build is really over to you and you may want to build a combination of main line and branch lines. There are however, a few important things that need to be considered. Main line layouts tend to be larger than average and more expensive to build. By definition they are busy layouts and so you'll need more rolling stock. If modeled well, they are without doubt, spectacularand well worth the effort.

Many branch line layout designs consist of an oval shaped line, though on a shelf-based layout an out-and-back format is also reasonably common. The branch line theme often includes mixed freight and passenger trains running to a timetable-based operation.

Most branch lines run through countryside giving the possibility for creating some truly amazing scenery. But, when creating a small layout branch line, you'll need to accept that it can be hard to depict the wide-open space of the countryside on a small layout. One option is to use forests to "box-in" the scene. Another option, which works well, is to depict a branch line in a cityscape. This makes sense considering that most branch lines start off in a larger town. That way you can build a small station located in this larger town. The buildings will have the same effect of "boxing-in" the theme. Plus you can add connections to several industries, although this does conflict with a countryside theme.

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If space is at a premium building an industrial line may be the answer. Industrial lines are the ones that feed industries. This kind of layout is ideal if you want to run unusual stock and enjoy scenic modeling.

There's no passenger traffic on an industrial line, but if you model the present day, you could run a nostalgic steam museum train on the layout. However, you'll need to be aware that the more modern freight trains are longer with more cars. Older cars are shorter and you can store more of them on a length of track…so that is an important consideration if space is an issue.

The operation of an industrial line focuses on shunting, shunting and more shunting. Some layouts have a continuous loop to allow the trains to run uninterrupted. However, true shunting layouts do not offer this possibility, which is more realistic.

When building an industrial line also think about the types of industries your line will service. To add variety and interest to your layout it usually pays to include several different industries. In real life some industrial areas are tightly packed, busy working areas, so you'll want to squeeze in a lot of track. That's one reason why industrial layouts can be fascinating to build and operate. A quick tip to get more shunting without overloading the scenery, is to give a single plant more independent connections.

If you are a tramway fan then consider building a tramway layout. The cramped space of an old town with a tramway is perfect to recreate on a small layout. Also, older tramways did offer some kind of freight service feeding local industries; so there is potential to develop the tramway theme. However, most modern tramways only offer passenger services with uniform rolling stock. This is why many railroaders find tramway operations a bit boring and opt for branch lines instead. It is really over to you – do what you enjoy doing - it's your train set!