Does anyone know of a good start-to-finish book that will guide me in building a large layout? All the track plan books I have by Kalmbach are just that - track plans. Nothing re: bench work, wiring, etc. The layout I am planning will be about 22’ x 8’, with two levels. All the start-to-finish books I have seen are for 4x8. Thanks for the help!!!
Matt,
I think you should buy at least four books if you are going to build a layout as large as you are planning.
- How to Operate your Model Railroad by Bruce Chub
- Track Planning for Realistic Operation by John Armstrong
- Easy Model Railroad Wiring by Andy Sperandeo
- How to Build Model Railroad Benchwork
If you are considering a DCC system instead of block wiring then you should buy a book on that subject as well but I recommend buying the ‘Wiring’ book anyway. There are many other books I recommend but I think these are essential.
Good Luck - Ed
Matt:
Ed’s covered almost everything. You will also want a copy of the latest edition of Scenery for Model RRs by Bill McClanahan and maybe another one.
If you want step by steps on a large railroad, you need to look through old issues of Model Railroader – there are occasional features on building railroads.
David the Platelayer