As much as I hate to admit it I am the 4,5 and 6 combo and am paying for it. My layout is a 3 level one and the biggest problem I have faced is bridge and tunnel clearances and the steepness of my grades.
Anyone else facing similiar problems[:(!]
I used RightTrack software. I spent 4 months planning and made 22 different plans before I was happy with the plan that I am building. http://members.cox.net/dbhuff/dsrr/
Fergus:
I started designing with sketches on paper, then moved to Atlas Right Track software. I found it cumbersome since you don’t know the radii of the curves and cannot easily insert curves unless you know the end points. It also doesn’t display as square on some PC screens.
I was about to do a full-size drawing, when my wife bought an HO design template for me in 1:12 scale. Now that I have a scale drawing, I still plan on drawing it full-size, so make sure I have the clearance I intend around buildings. I approximated transition curves when drawing it to scale, but want to check these for sure before laying rail.
When I start the rail, I will transfer the drawing to the table and go from there! I will probably try to make an Atlass Right Track version to post on my website later. However, scanning my hand drawing might work well, too.
Just an aside, my drawing will also include locations of under-table supports. Wouldn’t want to put a switch machine right where the support girder is!
-Jer
I planned in my head what the track plan would be like. I didn’t write anything down or figure out just how much track I needed. I had it visualized as the where I would have sidings, etc., so I knew what it would look like. I know a lot of you probably don’t agree with this, but it turned out good for me. I’ve always been the type of person that never writes anything down, ever and prefers to just try and remember things.
Excellent question Fergie!!!
I voted for 2 and 3, but I also use a lot of 5. For me, all the pencil and paper is used to try to figure out what will fit into my space, and plan the benchwork. Once the benchwork is up, and I know the real dimensions, I can get into the details.
You have to use something beside your head to plan grades and clearence, or you end up with trouble. Just last night, I was explaining my layout plan to a friend. Parts of the benchwork are up, and the rough plan is hanging on the wall. As we wandered through the 38’ X 46’ space, my arms waving wildly as I tried to convey the concept, I realized that I have a problem to solve.
It isn’t serious, but the solution may mean having to sacrifice a standard that I was trying to maintain.The standard was grade percent, and I was trying to stay below 2%. Since I haven’t built the benchwork for this section yet, the problem is still months into the future, but recognizing it now will give me a lot more time to find a solution.
I know what I want to do, and I know what I need to do, because its on paper.
Don’t know how to vote but number two would be the closest to what I did. Graph paper, pencil, electric eraser, and compass, no template. I made about 10 completely different designs of the benchwork and mainline only, nothing else, until I was happy with the looks of what I had achieved.
Once I had the mainline and benchwork done, I planned in “sections”; in theory the layout still isn’t totally planned. I have the benchwork up (2 decks) and all my backdrop in, and only 1/3 of the track in. I am planning the rest as I go.
Usually I find a bit of a plan I like in MR or other source and incorporate that small “bit” into what I am doing. So its sort of planning by sections.
I sketched out some layout design ideas and schematics of what I wanted the railroad to do years before I started. When I finally had space for a layout, I spent about six months drawing and revising a trackplan using a CAD program on my PC. The result was a layout that was very satisfying from an operationa standpoint, though limited by its size.
The current module, being based upon a prototype location and track layout, was designed using pencil and paper over the course of a few evenings. For y next large layout, though, I’ll definintely use CAD again. It was great for making changes as many times as I did.
1, 2, and 3, with a twist!
Was going to build an outdoor garden RR, I had to sketch it first, I must a done over 100 ideas, then graph paper to roughly see if the better ideas fit, refine it down to what I wanted, then I used a CADD system at home to do the final layout drawing. Got a final plan and then got booted from the garden, the wife wouldnt buy into the idea of trains out there. So I redirected my energies to doing an indoor layout in the garage.
I had a G gauge 4x6 stand alone layout , just track on benchwork, to test run trains for the big garden RR I had planned. That now became to start of the indoor layout. Once again, sketch, graph, at least a dozen ideas using the 4x6 as a basis. Once I started on the CADD I had to par the layout down even more to avoid crowding, and provide access points and wire routing. Then I started expanding the benchwork and rough laying track on top, with Even with CADD I still had a couple of minor misalignments. Eventually all the track was down covering about 8’W x 20’ L and I could begin wiring, now that all the wiring is done, I can run trains and am planning the scenery.
I started off planning a outdoor garden RR with a “10 foot rule” mentality, now I’m doing a traditional , albeit large scale, indoor layout with a “2 foot rule” mentality.
You never know where you’ll end up when you start building a layout, Eh?
Visualized for years. Built and then tore down. Now rebuilding. Trying to keep it simple. Not enough time.
I’ve been planning my current layout for about three years now, or since I bought my new house. Most of that time has been spent researching the real line I’m replicating, with relatively little time spent on actually planning the layout itself. Most of the time I did spend on drawing the layout concerned itself with getting a footprint that gave me the maximum amount of mainline. Since I’m modeling a real line fairly closely, all I really have to do for towns and sidings is throw down a couple of maps!
Personally, I feel computer layout planning programs are wastes of valuable model building time. I don’t need to wait for a pencil to boot up, or figure out the learning curve to program my hand to grab another sheet of paper!
I am in the planning process right now. I am using 3d-planit to make and revise possible layouts. I am currently on the 5th iteration of my future layout, with no end in site.
It ain’t like I got so much to design! It took about a full year of sketching different ideas and doing mock ups before I laid the first track. Then as the layout was being built, I modified the plans more.
I am still going thru graph paper and test fitting track on a fixed space. Eventually a plan that satisfies the needs of the Railroad (Operation) will be found.
I keep a box full of “Good to Go” ideas and such that will be incorperated in the future.
I have done a fair amount of planning for my model railroad. However, Even with all my sketches and then followup CAD drawings to make sure the sketch will work. There are many times while laying track I will come up with an idea and make minor changes to what I had planed. I consider the track plan that I make for my layouts to be guids that keep focused on the concept of what I am trying to achieve, Not to be developed to every nut bolt and track nail.
I went were the track took me. Not too much planning with 4X9 ft. Besides if I took too much time designing than I would get too frustrated and never get anywhere.
Thanks,
Jeremy
BINGO !!!
I’m not sure which is more applicable here.
“Just do it”, Nike. Or “Sometimes, you have to say what the f—”, Risky Business.
Combination of 2, 3, 4, and 5.
I’m not done with my layout yet! I do draw my plans on paper, though.
I started out with a 3X8 modular setup & grew from there.
Gordon
I had a drawing for the main line and and the yard when I started. But most of my
industral spurs where just add where I could find the space for the structure.
My branch line sort just happen as I found the space for more bench work and I extended it as I when along.