I have been working/messing with model railroad a little over a year now.
After 4 false starts on layouts I finally have a layout I am building.
10 feet x 14 feet. Not real big and not real small.
I am building this layout to learn and plan to change it around several times.
With that said I would like to pass on some things I have found out so far.
1) The plan you start with will likely not be the plan you finish with.
I planned this layout as far as I knew how.
I still had to make changes to it, the computer design did not show some of the problem areas.
Close but still not the same as I had designed.
2) Before you start the bench work have a fairly complete or close idea or design in mind.
This design does not have to be exact but, should be close. You are going to change it anyway.
3) Build the bench work to match your design.
Think your turnouts through fairly well. What type, how will you operate them, hot frogs or insulated frogs.
If not now, sooner or later you will want to add switch machines or some other type of remote control.
Try to leave room under you layout to mount, wire and maintain them.
At this time think about how you will be wiring your layout.
Where will you run the main, switching yards, sidings and such from.
Are you going to use a control panel. Where will it mount.
How big will it need to be.
Will there be more than one. Example: one for switching, one or two for the main and maybe one or two for the industries switching.
How many trains are you wanting to run and how many people running them. Is there enough room. Is there enough track and places for trains to pass one another.
4) Can you comfortably reach all of your layout from one point or another.
Please believe me when I tell you that this is very important.
A derailment in and area that you can't reach or have to lay out over scenery is a very bad thing.
You can figure that you will need to rebuild the scenery over every time this happens.
Laying on the track to reach an area is not a good thing either.
Once or twice you will get away with it then one time the track will come loose and you have another repair.
5) Everybody started the same place you are now. No one was born a MRR.
Ask questions before you put it in stone.
It is very hard most times to rip it up and start again to do it right. You are going to make enough mistakes, you don't have to add to them.
Ask questions. No this is not a typo. Ask questions, ask more questions then ask some more.
Search the net and read books or whatever to gain knowledge of the hobby.
Ask questions. Ask for clarification on your questions if you don't COMPLETELY understand the answer.
6) To help keep your sanity later buy yourself a label maker and use it.
Label your turnouts, your lights/lighting everything you have more than one of or that you may need to reference later.
Label your wires with the turnout or light number.
Use someway (terminal strips etc ) to hook up items and number them according to what you hook them to.
This will help you if you have problems later.
Don't solder your wires in place unless there is no other way.
These are just some of the things I have had trouble with building my layout so far.
I will try to add some more as I run into them.
I thought I would pass them on to the other newbies.
Welcome to the forum and the worlds greatest hobby.
Have fun, this is a great hobby.
After 4 false starts on layouts I finally have a layout I am building.
10 feet x 14 feet. Not real big and not real small.
I am building this layout to learn and plan to change it around several times.
With that said I would like to pass on some things I have found out so far.
1) The plan you start with will likely not be the plan you finish with.
I planned this layout as far as I knew how.
I still had to make changes to it, the computer design did not show some of the problem areas.
Close but still not the same as I had designed.
2) Before you start the bench work have a fairly complete or close idea or design in mind.
This design does not have to be exact but, should be close. You are going to change it anyway.
3) Build the bench work to match your design.
Think your turnouts through fairly well. What type, how will you operate them, hot frogs or insulated frogs.
If not now, sooner or later you will want to add switch machines or some other type of remote control.
Try to leave room under you layout to mount, wire and maintain them.
At this time think about how you will be wiring your layout.
Where will you run the main, switching yards, sidings and such from.
Are you going to use a control panel. Where will it mount.
How big will it need to be.
Will there be more than one. Example: one for switching, one or two for the main and maybe one or two for the industries switching.
How many trains are you wanting to run and how many people running them. Is there enough room. Is there enough track and places for trains to pass one another.
4) Can you comfortably reach all of your layout from one point or another.
Please believe me when I tell you that this is very important.
A derailment in and area that you can't reach or have to lay out over scenery is a very bad thing.
You can figure that you will need to rebuild the scenery over every time this happens.
Laying on the track to reach an area is not a good thing either.
Once or twice you will get away with it then one time the track will come loose and you have another repair.
5) Everybody started the same place you are now. No one was born a MRR.
Ask questions before you put it in stone.
It is very hard most times to rip it up and start again to do it right. You are going to make enough mistakes, you don't have to add to them.
Ask questions. No this is not a typo. Ask questions, ask more questions then ask some more.
Search the net and read books or whatever to gain knowledge of the hobby.
Ask questions. Ask for clarification on your questions if you don't COMPLETELY understand the answer.
6) To help keep your sanity later buy yourself a label maker and use it.
Label your turnouts, your lights/lighting everything you have more than one of or that you may need to reference later.
Label your wires with the turnout or light number.
Use someway (terminal strips etc ) to hook up items and number them according to what you hook them to.
This will help you if you have problems later.
Don't solder your wires in place unless there is no other way.
These are just some of the things I have had trouble with building my layout so far.
I will try to add some more as I run into them.
I thought I would pass them on to the other newbies.
Welcome to the forum and the worlds greatest hobby.
Have fun, this is a great hobby.
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