A lot of us have certain must-have elements or features. And a reason for them.
Currently, it’s:
48" minimum mainline radius
a decent representation of the trackage at Lyle, WA
When I was younger, I absolutely wanted a turntable. I even built a 2x8 engine terminal layout. I’d do it again, except there’s no place for one in my current design.
I’d also like to have a nice steel truss bridge (like the Central Valley) and a ready-mix facility. Again, no place for either, currently. I DO have the “parts” for both tucked away for that great day, however.
I surely wouldn’t mind if people added in the “whys”. IF the come to mind. NOT compulsory. These are things you don’t have to justify. On the other hand, I have an interest in the RF&P because I spent my 9th grade English and French classes looking out the window at the end of Potomac Yard. Longingly.
For me, the 48" is kind of self-explaining. Lyle is because it’s on the old SP&S mainline. A branch left from Lyle to go to Goldendale. It actually preceded the mainline. And it’s kind of small (Lyle). Only 1 bar. Or is it two? I expect just to have the station, outbuildings, water tanks and the bridge. And the trackage, of course.
I try to avoid selective compression if I can. I’m also working on a Free-mo module which is an accurate model of most of downtown Sunol, CA. Yes, it’s kinda small.
I have almost everything that I planned on early on for my current HO layout. Why did I want it? I don’t know why, I just wanted it. I’m a model railroad nut.
A double crossover on my double track mainline. It became the starting point for my layout, it was the first piece of track on my cork roadbed.
A trestle, I scratch built a 10½” high by 36” long slightly curved timber trestle.
A Warren Truss Bridge, I also scratch built a 12” long timber bridge.
A roundhouse and turntable that will handle a Cab Forward and Big Boy. I put together a 5 stall 18½” deep roundhouse from two Korber 104 kits and a 18½” CMR turntable. It has a Mel designed IR indexing system that works very good.
Passenger trains. Lots of 'em. All kinds. Long distance limiteds. Locals. Commuters. Even a mixed train.
Covered wagons. Es and Fs. The more the merrier. My earliest memories of diesels were F units. The MoPac line through Omaha wasn’t far from where I lived and we often got stopped on California St. on our way to Peony Park or some other location on the west side of Omaha. Typically I would see various lashups of 4 or more units, both As and Bs. We would signal for the engineer to blow his horn and more often than not he would oblige. Sadly that line is now gone but my memories are not.
Steam locos. Lots of variety. Big and small.
That’s my top 3. And I’ve been able to achieve that on my current layout.
The New Haven Railroad will be on any layout I create.
Operations will be the focus, and switching industries is part of that, no matter the size.
Wireless DCC will be the control system.
An engine terminal (even a small one) is a must.
Passenger ops will be present, even if it’s only a railbus or doodlebug.
Other than that, I’m pretty flexible when it comes to particular structures, scenery, etc. As long as it looks like pre-1969 southern New England, I’m good.
A 9 stall roundhouse and a turntable (that’s a bit like saying a ‘two wheeled bicycle’. Obviously if you have a large roundhouse you have to have a turntable!),
Steam and diesel service facilities,
An HOn30 mine scene,
Trestles and bridges,
White quartz mountains (there is a long story behind that),
A reasonably sized yard with all the necessary accompanying trackage to make it workable,
An urban scene with tall buildings,
Several sidings, both industrial and passenger related,
A main passenger station with enough track to hold a decent length passenger train, i.e. the Canadian Pacific ‘Canadian’.
All of these elements are included in my layout plan. I just need to get off my butt and do it! Unfortunately my back pain is making it hard to move forward. I’m looking into medical marijuana but I seem to be rather resistant to using it.
Well, my railroad room & layout under construction is much smaller than I wanted (naturally!) but I managed to get a few things I had to have.
1: Western Maryland Ry steam
2: 2 90’ turntables-point to point
3: two decent size coal mines
4: nice Fall mountain scenery
5: a longish track on a narrow 12" shelf that looks like the area along Cromwell Bridge Road on the Ma&Pa for scenic viewing
6: a workbench & paint booth
Sacrificed because of the size of the room (14x16) unfortunately:
1: my 15 stall roundhouse
2: hidden staging/interchange
3: long minline runs
4: 40-50 car coal trains
All in all being smaller I should be able to have trains running by Christmas which would have never happened with the 18x32 building originally planned.
I have to have an intermodal yard. I always loved trucks and trains so trucks on trains is a high priority.
I have to have roads and parking lots for my car and truck collection.
I have to have buildings with interiors. (HO scale doll houses)
I have to have lots of people and animals.
I have to have a railroad or it wouldn’t be a model railroad. It would just be a diorama.
I have to have a passenger train.
I have to have some bad ass diesel locomotives. (You know what I mean)
I have to have lumber on freight cars.
I have to have orange groves.
I have to have a mountain pass to climb over, plus some local switching.
I have to have walk around throttles.
I have to have the layout near eye level. Waist high doesn’t work for me. I need to have it in my face like I’m standing in the middle of the street, not looking down from a helicopter.