From LdsigWiki

Layout Design References

by Byron Henderson for the Layout Design SIG

General References

• Layout Design SIG www.ldsig.org
• Operations SIG www.opsig.org

Articles (alphabetical by author)

• "Choices: looking back at 20 years on the Yosemite Valley" by Jack Burgess; Model Railroader, Jan. 2000.
• "Blueprint for a Model Railroad" by Paul Dolkos; Model Railroad Planning, 2005
• "Research in the Information Age" by Henry Freeman; Model Railroad Planning, 2001
• "Prototype Track/Industry Maps as a Design Resource" by Byron Henderson; Layout Design Journal # 26; March 2001. Published by LDSIG (see above).
• "From Surf Line to San Diego" by Keith Jordan; Model Railroad Planning, 2001
• "The Third Subdivision of Nickel Plate's St. Louis Line" by Tony Koester; Model Railroader; September and October 2000.
• "Special Freight Yards Issue" by various authors; Layout Design Journal #7, June 1992. Published by LDSIG (see above).

Books (alphabetical by author)

• Track Planning for Realistic Operation by John Armstrong, 3rd Edition (Kalmbach, 1998)
• Creative Layout Design by John Armstrong (Kalmbach, 1978 , out of print)
• Freight Terminals and Trains by John A. Droege, 1925 (out of print , has been reprinted by the NMRA)
• Realistic Model Railroad Building Blocks by Tony Koester (Kalmbach, 2005)
• Designing & Building Multi-Deck Model Railroads by Tony Koester (Kalmbach, 2008)
• The V&O Story by W. Allen McClelland (Carstens Publications, 1984)
• The Model Railroader's Guide to Freight Yards by Andy Sperandeo (Kalmbach, 2004)
• How To Build Realistic Layouts: Freight Yards (MR special issue) by various authors (Kalmbach, 2007)
• A Compendium of Model Railroad Operation by various authors (Operations SIG, 2017)

Selected references by topic

Because Armstrong's Track Planning for Realistic Operation is cited so often in the following, it is abbreviated as TPRO. TPRO chapter and page citations, where noted, are for the 3rd Edition. Other citations are found above or are written out in full.

Defining a layout vision

• www.layoutvision.com/questions-for-clients

Conceptualizing designs

• The V&O Story; McClelland
• TPRO; pp. 97-99, Appendix A

Choosing layout design standards

• TPRO; Chapter 6
• NMRA Standards and Recommended Practices: www.nmra.org/index-nmra-standards-and-recommended-practices

Layout Cornerstones

• www.layoutvision.com/layout-design-cornerstones

Yard topics

• TPRO; Chapter 2; also pages 125-7
• The Model Railroader's Guide to Freight Yards; Sperandeo
• Layout Design SIG Special Yards issue Layout Design Journal #7, June 1992
• Craig Bisgeier's "Ten Commandments" for yards: www.housatonicrr.com/yard_des.html
• Freight Terminals and Trains; Droege

Structural design sketching, including Armstrong's "Squares"

• TPRO; Chapters 7 & 9

Schematic choice (e.g., point-to-point, loop-to-loop, etc.)

• TPRO; Chapter 8

Drawing circles (to find some straight track)

• TPRO; pp. 117-121 (figures)

Orientation: "Which way is East?"

• Layout Design News #20; Summer 1998; p. 8

Layout Design Elements

• Realistic Model Railroad Building Blocks; Koester

Aisle Considerations

• Layout Design Journal #20; Winter 2000; p. 13; Chris Bond

Industrial trackage

• TPRO; Chapter 1
• "Sure Spots" Layout Design News #8; August 1991; p. 9; Rick Mugele

Switchbacks

• www.layoutvision.com/rather-fight-than-switchback

Easements "How-to"

• TPRO; pp. 75, 116

Multi-Deck layout design ideas

• Designing & Building Multi-Deck Model Railroads; Koester
• TPRO; pp. 91-93

Modular & Sectional Ideas

• Free-Mo (US) www.free-mo.org; (Europe) www.fremo-net.eu
• NTrak www.ntrak.org
• NMRA module standards: www.nmra.org/introduction-overview (And many more)

Small & Starter Layouts

• Carl Arendt's Micro Layouts site: www.carendt.com
• Alternatives to the HO 4X8: www.layoutvision.com/why-waste-the-space-on-a-4x8

Copyright 2010-19 Byron Henderson and LDSIG