Sunday, November 9, 2008

Layout design project 2008:12

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="477" caption="Layout Room "]Layout Room [/caption]

How do you start a layout design project?


The sketch above is for a layout design commission that started early 2008. The client leases his residence, and this is a spare bed room with closet (not shown, but stay tuned...). There is a window in the top right wall. Your layout plans don't mean anything unless they are tied to an accurate floor plan from the beginning. The next thing you need is a list of Givens and Druthers.

Givens and Druthers


I asked the client to to provide a list of things that he wanted on the layout, including the type of railroading he liked, operations plans, structures on hand, etc. His initial answer:
I model in N scale



  • generic northwestern setting, early transition era and before - not looking for towering mtns or forests, just the flavor


  • no particular prototype - NW roads I should guess - my loco stable is small; mostly NP


  • waterfront 'town'

  • logging - I'd like a switch-backed branch to upper logging area

  • sawmill with log dump pond


  • small brewery


  • small factory


  • Cornerstone - Interstate Fuel & Oil


  • Cornerstone - Farmers Coop grain elevator


  • Cornerstone - small freight house


  • Bar Mills - Earl's Oil


  • Bar Mills - Mooney's Plumbing


  • Bar Mills - Majestic  Hardware


  • quarry or small pit mine with crusher/loader


  • small junk /metal scrap yard - a few gondola loads


  • passenger depot - I don't plan to model passenger service  - perhaps on an abandoned siding


  • 4 axle diesels & medium-to-small steam locos


  • 40-foot freight cars - I have a penchant for billboard reefers and tank cars


  • DCC


  • staging - TBD


  • bridge(s) and perhaps a timber trestle - I have one Kato 10-inch truss bridge I'd like to include



  • Any radius would work with the short equipment, but I'd prefer to stay away from sharp curves on the mainline





My favorite things about railroads? Never really considered that; definitely more a railfan than a rivet counter. I'd like a long mainline continuous run w/freight ops for one. I like to watch 'em roll thru interesting varied scenery.



So this is where we start. The next step is to take a shot at the project with a hand sketch of track plan to fit the room and the answers he provided.

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