I’ve gotten great advice from people here in the forums and from online resources regarding designing my first N scale layout, and here’s the first lessons I’ve learned:
Don’t rush to using CAD programs too quickly. While powerful, using one can quickly lead to designing a layout that’s not operationally feasible.
Keeping 1) in mind, I’m ordering two books off of Amazon.com: John Armstrong’s Track Planning for Realistic Operation and Linn Westcott’s 101 Track Plans for Model Railroaders. These two seem to be the “classic” resources for layout design.
I believe I’ve settled on modelling a portion of the ATSF Super Chief. I have a Kato Super Chief set which includes an F7A loco and a few cars, including the iconic observation car at the back. The Super Chief interests me, both from the varied scenery along the route as well as the “Hollywood Mystique” associated with the train. (I’m a movie buff as well, so that works out pretty nicely!)
Good idea on the Armstrong book. 101 Track Plans is very dated, IMHO – the newest plans in the book are at least 50 years old. They date from an era when the highest priority was often to cram as much track into the space as possible. Many of them are not buildable as drawn without handlaid turnouts. And the plans lack concepts such as staging that have been developed in the intervening decades.
Many of the more recently published Kalmbach books and special issues would be better choices, IMHO, than 101 Track Plans.
I second the opinion of Cuyama; the 102 Realistic Track Plans is a good choice. I fancy the Model Railroad Planning magazine and Great Model Railroads, published yearly by Kalmbach, very much. More then in the 102 track plan book the good and weak points of designs are explained.
And two websides; the last one of Byron Henderson(=Cuyama) ia awesome.