How do you quit second-guessing your track plan?


Sadly, I'm moving soon... my layout room will be smaller. I've been unable to get in to measure the new room, but eyeballing it shows that my layout will now be wall to wall.

Well, hopefully the new room won't be 4" too short for the table - that is always a bummer when your track plan pretty much needs uses every inch of space available.

Too bad most houses are not built with a layout room 15 x 45 feet (or bigger), with the entry to the room being stairs coming down or up into the room a little bit away from one of the walls :)

Good luck with your build!

Smile,
Stein
 
I'm trying for some kind of federal regulation that requires all houses to have a basement 30X65 with stairs coming down the center!
 
I am probably the polar opposite of many here. I am the type to measure once, cut twice. I got the bug up my behind in late December to build a train layout and had it built and basically finished by February. My track layout is pretty good, still keeps me interested. But knowing what I know now my next layout will be a huge improvement. But who cares, I run trains literally every day. So if you are like me, just build it. Here is my layout, always a work in progress.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fVJXETJ-No

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1PU0MfvYa4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdkAT3ouV3g
 
It was fun reading through this thread on designing a track plan. I know a few people follow through, but how many just end up in a wastebasket?

For people that cannot design a plan they are happy with, maybe they should pick a pre designed plan or hire a professional? I think those are smart options.

If you are brave enough to design and build your own plan, you are brave enough to learn from it and tear it up and start over if need be. As far as I am concerned, nothing lost.
 
Good thread that some timeless information can be derived from.
Darn it, I keep going over my track plan and thinking there's got to be much more I can do with this! I'm just not satisfied. How do all of you deal with these nagging doubts?
Pretend Operation. Sometimes I'll even draw it out on a large sheet of paper and make some little paper trains to "run" on it. Go through a mock operating session and see if that uncovers anything wrong with the plan. I recommend doing this with the new plan.
 
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Well, hopefully the new room won't be 4" too short...

I blew a rental agent's mind one day by turning down an apartment because the spare bedroom was 6" too short. :) I had an 8 foot long club module that I would attach 2 end pieces to, each of them were 2' x 4' and put a strip across the back. That made a big oval that allowed me to do continuous running. So I needed at least 12 feet wide, and no, 11'-6" was not "close enough". :)
 
If the track plan is drawn with 12" squares, accessibility to interior areas could be a problem.

Greg


He said "The squares are 3" in that picture, to help me get as accurate as possible."

Also, keep reading, he came up with a much nicer looking plan as things went on.
 
Track plans evolve and change over time. As others have suggested, one method is to build the basics of your plan and run it for a while, without scenery. Of course this is much easier to do if you're using "tabletop" benchwork than if it's all custom cut etc. But it's a good approach to working things out.

Another option is it simulate running trains. The track planing program I use (3rdPlanit) offers you the ability to put trains on the track and run them in 3D. You can connect and disconnect cars, throw switches and everything. It's not quite videogame slick, but it's quite good and gives you a pretty good feel for what it will be like.
 
This was certainly an interesting read, I too find myself in the planning stages with the inability to commit to anything. To this point I have been tinkering with sectional track so it is fairly easy to "modify' my layout... My problem is that I still have little idea as to what one looks for when it comes to building a successful railroad for operation. I partly want something for continuous running that will also proved some switching so I wont get "bored" or watching the train go round and round. I know I posted something a few months back and I plan to bring that back so I can show the progress I have made on the bench work and what I have for a plan. I also suppose I would need to put some more thought into planning on some software, but for me where I haven't operated trains much its hard for me to identify the potential pitfalls.

Also as a side note, ONC Guy, your profile pic Is Awesome. I had an internal struggle with doing a layout of Maine Central having Graduated from the University of Maine and just moving out of the state recently. In the end I found myself collecting Santa Fe since I grew up in Albuquerque and remember those vividly as a child.
 
One problem with the track plan is when the layout is done, something in your life changes. We had a couple real estate transactions that made us extra money, something I hadn't planned on when I started the layout. I could have done more with the track, but looking at the big picture, it doesn't make that big a deal. For some people, many, an unexpected move is in their future, good or bad.

Maybe it has more to do with personality, being satisfied with the plan. If the trains run and none of your industries are inaccessible you can consider yourself successful. If you are trying to "keep up with the Jones" on some of the work that goes on in the model train world, you may never be satisfied.
 
I am not sure there is such a thing .It would be interesting to know , of those who developed " the perfect plan " and have had it up and running for say 2 years minimum , is it still the "perfect Plan" ? I think that as our involvement and skill level and technology in the hobby changes , so does the perfect plan . I also think that is part of what keeps the hobby interesting for most of us .
 
Interesting how this thread re-surfaced over 5 years later. Many of the original posters are no longer active with the forum including the OP. Sadly we know what happened to steinjr, but what about the others? Some of the originals are still here including Selector, Motley, dave1905, Cjcrescent and Trussrod. I guess we'll never know how the OP's efforts turned out. His blog is still active but I don't have time to read it.
Back to the subject. I never made any precise plans. I made rough sketches of benchwork and mainlines, built the benchwork, laid out the mainline/passing sidings and tested. I already had many industries and other structures from the old layout, so I knew about their rough space requirements were. After some testing with locos and trains, I decided where to put industry spurs if I hadn't already planned them. Tested some more. Then I put down roadbed and fastened track, with nails in case I had to change something...yes I had to make some changes. Usually ballasted soon after that. Never had to "un-ballast" anything - yet. So short answer is that I rarely second-guessed.

Willie
 
There comes a time to follow Dolly Partons advice in the movie "Straight Talk": "Either tinkle or get off the potty."
 
thinking the same as Greg about the plexiglass around the edge. as for second guessing yourself you will probly do that the day you tell yourself your done building your layout. there will alwas be something you will want to improve or change. know you just need to push on build your track your track plan but dont make it perniment till your sure it how you want. plus rember you need to move on our you wont get anywhere take a chance.
 
Short answer is this - You DON'T, you CAN'T, you NEVER WILL! ;)

Here is the problem we ALL face when designing a layout ... someone will ALWAYS have suggestions and ideas that we haven't thought about. No matter what you design today, tomorrow it wont look right or you'll think of things to add delete or modify - this is an inherent frustration that comes with the hobby. Even when you think you have the "perfect layout", in time you'll want to make or make changes because you saw someone elses' design that had things you wish you had and didn't consider at the time you designed yours.

The only way you can feel adequate when designing a layout, and not become frustrated or confused, is to keep the design to yourself and never, NEVER show it to anyone else - wont that be fun :rolleyes:

Seriously, one thing I learnt is to be patient and take your time when designing your track plan/layout, although we all want trains running yesterday, be patient and look at as many things as possible. Figure out what you want your layout to do, take into account where you want your scenery, towns, industry, yards etc. Decide if you want an "operational track plan" or one that just runs trains that looks interesting and provides a challenge. Sometimes, it maybe easier to draw up your towns and so forth then make your track plan to suit - I don't know if that is a possibility though.

When it comes to the amount of track work you have, that will be determined by the amount of bench work you have ... too much track can look (to be blunt) ridiculous and too little can look as though the track pan is an after thought. With that in mind, you will have more track congestion around yards and staging areas than you will in a rural area and towns. It should be balanced while also achieving what you it to achieve.
 
A brief story about designing your track plan.

I'm working on installing a short spur that will hold two cars in an industrial area. It has to fit in between a couple of other spurs, both of which are curved, and work with an existing industry.

The first plan was to install a number 9 turnout. After some review, it was determined that wouldn't work out as it didn't allow the track length needed before it hit the end of the area allocated.

The next plan had a #7 with a curve off the end of it. That plan seemed good, but it turned out there was some wiring in the way that originally seemed like it could be avoided, but it turned out it would need to be moved.

The third (and current) plan is to move the wiring, install the #7 and have the track run straight off of the turnout. The spur will be a little shorter than originally planned, but can still fit two cars and won't require moving a loading dock area.

So, for one turnout, and a single short straight track, I've gone through at least 3 iterations of possible plans. So just imagine how much more complex it is and how many options you have when you're building an entire layout!

Oh, by the way. Did I mention this is for a full size railroad, and the 3 designs were all created for us by a professional engineer/survey group who specializes in railroads? Yes, that's right, even the big guys have this same problem. (The "wiring" in the way? A light pole and junction box)
 
I would add an interchange track and think about more passing sidings depending on your average train length. Also will you be able to walk around the whole layout? -Island reach is very important especially with turnouts
 
A brief story about designing your track plan.

I'm working on installing a short spur that will hold two cars in an industrial area. It has to fit in between a couple of other spurs, both of which are curved, and work with an existing industry.

The first plan was to install a number 9 turnout. After some review, it was determined that wouldn't work out as it didn't allow the track length needed before it hit the end of the area allocated.

The next plan had a #7 with a curve off the end of it. That plan seemed good, but it turned out there was some wiring in the way that originally seemed like it could be avoided, but it turned out it would need to be moved.

The third (and current) plan is to move the wiring, install the #7 and have the track run straight off of the turnout. The spur will be a little shorter than originally planned, but can still fit two cars and won't require moving a loading dock area.

So, for one turnout, and a single short straight track, I've gone through at least 3 iterations of possible plans. So just imagine how much more complex it is and how many options you have when you're building an entire layout!

Oh, by the way. Did I mention this is for a full size railroad, and the 3 designs were all created for us by a professional engineer/survey group who specializes in railroads? Yes, that's right, even the big guys have this same problem. (The "wiring" in the way? A light pole and junction box)

The fourth, and hopefully final plan is back to the second plan, move the junction box, but not the pole. We're also going to encase the wiring where it crosses under the track. This is hopefully the last version, since by Friday it will literally be "cast in concrete".

All this for what, on an HO model railroad, would pretty much be a snap switch, a short piece of 18" radius curve, and then two 9" straights!
 



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