First Post in the layout forum

I am posting this from a library so I don’t have all my bookmarked “favourites” at hand, but I know others will be able to help out here. What I suggest is that for some of you experienced guys to provide links to some good addresses that will help out in layout design and construction so that the newer person can come here and receive some immediate suggestions of track plans.

My suggestion to the newbie is to check out the NMRA site which has a wealth of info and many many excellent layouts you can view.

http://www.nmra.com/

My recommendation is that all modelers intending to build their own layout purchase and read the book “Track Planning for Realistic Operation” by John Armstrong. This is my second favorite model publication. The first is “How to Operate Your Model Railroad” by Bruce Chub. <sp?> Unfortunately, I hear this book is out of print. For those who don’t know, “Operation” is not just turning the throttle and watching the train roll along the track. It is a lot more and interesting than that. Newbies, just ask whatever. I think the guys here are quite respectful. Good Luck - Ed

This site gave me a lot of ideas .Some good pictures of layouts for those just wanting to kill some time.
http://www.railroad-mania.com/TopTen/Layouts/laycoll.phtml
Have fun
Dan:)

This will be a great site to discuss basic and advanced layout designs as well as a place to offer tips.

I concur with Rick, and John Armstrong’s books on track planning are also valuable resources.

Paul Schmidt

For those looking for a good book on operations, Tony Koester’s ‘Realistic Model Railroad Operation’ is new from Kalmbach, and excellent.

I am posting this from a library so I don’t have all my bookmarked “favourites” at hand, but I know others will be able to help out here. What I suggest is that for some of you experienced guys to provide links to some good addresses that will help out in layout design and construction so that the newer person can come here and receive some immediate suggestions of track plans.

My suggestion to the newbie is to check out the NMRA site which has a wealth of info and many many excellent layouts you can view.

http://www.nmra.com/

My recommendation is that all modelers intending to build their own layout purchase and read the book “Track Planning for Realistic Operation” by John Armstrong. This is my second favorite model publication. The first is “How to Operate Your Model Railroad” by Bruce Chub. <sp?> Unfortunately, I hear this book is out of print. For those who don’t know, “Operation” is not just turning the throttle and watching the train roll along the track. It is a lot more and interesting than that. Newbies, just ask whatever. I think the guys here are quite respectful. Good Luck - Ed

This site gave me a lot of ideas .Some good pictures of layouts for those just wanting to kill some time.
http://www.railroad-mania.com/TopTen/Layouts/laycoll.phtml
Have fun
Dan:)

This will be a great site to discuss basic and advanced layout designs as well as a place to offer tips.

I concur with Rick, and John Armstrong’s books on track planning are also valuable resources.

Paul Schmidt

For those looking for a good book on operations, Tony Koester’s ‘Realistic Model Railroad Operation’ is new from Kalmbach, and excellent.

Sorry. I don’t know how but this got posted in the wrong thread.

hi,

Chip Engelmann’s talking about all his mistakes as a newbie: http://www.chipengelmann.com/

Byron Henderson’s checklist for potential customers: http://home.earthlink.net/~mrsvc/id13.html

Layout Design SIG primer: http://macrodyn.com/ldsig/wiki/index.php?title=Category:Primer

without knowing the space you have, without knowing what your pike must contain, how can I help you.

Layout design even gets its own professionals and for a reason. Start reading first; Trackplanning for Realistic Operation by John Armstrong is mentioned before; I still fancy his chapters on real railroads and the chapters about Reliable Operation through Standards. Also buy as many of Railroad-planning magazines as you can, all of them are giving loads of information; most important however is that you become familiar with so many so completely different layouts. A good design never falls from heaven; it takes “blood, sweat and tears”.

If you are a subscriber to MRM you have access to their databank of trackplans. But making a good choice between the 400 is not that easy.

BTW the newbie is that you or … ?

good luck, keep smiling and having fun

Paul

This thread is a technical error - observe that all the initial posts are from 2003, that all posts from 2003 are posted in duplicate, that the thread itself gets posted in duplicate (as two identical threads), and that the only post from 2009 says “I don’t know how this got here”.

Probably some kind of problem with corrupt references/links in the database.

Just ignore this thread and let it sink again. I’ll ask the moderators to lock it - no point in adding new posts to a six year old thread that already has some bad cross references.

Grin,
Stein