Comments on: Duncan’s View: Building a layout Can Go Awfully Wrong without Careful Planning

By: Steve Black

Steve Black — Wed, 04 May 2016 15:14:26 +0000

Just read your post and completely agree. I am on my 2nd project and would have liked to have had this info from a hands on modeler. I also use plywood , but have found construction grade Ok if using 3/4 inch. product. many thanks for your input. S.B.
P.S. Don’t forget to subtract width of support boards from both length and width for total size you are building. I did forget and did not discover until track layout was created.

By: David Broad

David Broad — Wed, 27 Apr 2016 10:25:36 +0000

Even more important than running rolling stock is to run trains, Check that your planned moves are possible. Lay track in summer when its hot then the gaps will open out in winter. If you lay in winter leave big expansion gaps or your track will buckle in summer heat, Some stock wont run on some layouts, long wheelbase 4 wheel vans won’t run up a 00/H0 3rd radius helix for example, Ballasting can wait, over 30 years in my case!

By: Chris Manvell

Chris Manvell — Wed, 27 Apr 2016 10:00:19 +0000

Going back a step. Once you have your plan on paper, check all your possible tran movements. If double track check each direction indepenently, if single track, check in both directions. Do they all make sense; are they over complicated?
I developed a plan about 30 years ago and partially built is so that my kids could ‘play trains’. When I became serious about building my railway, I copied and expanded on my earlier layout but I didn’t check all the routes. I forgot that we had run the trains on the left but on my new layout they are run on the right. If I’d tested routes I would have seen the problem and done the new as a mirror image of the old. As it is the sidings in my small freight yard face the wrong way and trains go into them loco first! (See 3 grey tracks to the right of the station.Far too late now to correct the error other than to start over again! A very expensive mistake.

By: Rev. Owen Loftus

Rev. Owen Loftus — Wed, 27 Apr 2016 02:34:36 +0000

Gonna follow the suggestions, but I will be using roadbed on plywood.

By: Rev. Owen Loftus

Rev. Owen Loftus — Wed, 27 Apr 2016 02:30:08 +0000

Great article. Thanks.

By: Steve Manning

Steve Manning — Wed, 27 Apr 2016 01:13:32 +0000

Absolutely 100% agree…Planning is critical. 95% of the problems I’ve had are layout related.
For example, my grades were too steep for some of my locomotives, a couple turn clearances were too tight,etc. Amateur mistakes that forced some re-do’s.
So…proper planning will prevent issues later.

By: Bernard Hallas

Bernard Hallas — Wed, 27 Apr 2016 00:14:01 +0000

I might respectfully suggest that after you are satisfied with the wiring, you should run trains & rolling stock before you ballast.
You do not want to find that some piece of rolling stock, passive or motive power, derails at some place meaning you have to redo a joint or replace a turnout after already doing the ballast.
I had some insulating rail joiners which were too “fat” and caused some wagons to “lift” as they crossed. I had to replace all the offending ones with Peco ones which are much “slimmer”.
(I model in 009 /HOn30 scale)
Good luck, Bernard