Blog | Shelf Layouts

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Dec 16, 2020
2 min

One Room, Several Railroads

Rather than filling this spare room in my house with one medium sized layout, I built several smaller ones creating a "layout gallery". D...

1,232 views3 comments

Mar 25, 2020
5 min

Perspective

The above image was taken on my N scale switching layout using an iPhone and the room’s overhead Halogen track lighting. The depth of fie...

1,443 views2 comments

Oct 18, 2019
2 min

Large Space, Small Skills

Modeler’s typically enter the hobby at two points in their lives, either during the teen years or at retirement. Those coming into model...

4,037 views0 comments

Jun 13, 2019
3 min

The “Thirty Minute/Three Hour” Rule

When it comes to model railroad operations, I’ve noticed what I call the “thirty minute/three hour rule” or, as Captain Jack Sparrow woul...

3,692 views0 comments

Mar 24, 2019
2 min

ACCEPTANCE

Acceptance. Acceptance of the reality of our situation. Acceptance of constraints. Acceptance of the fact that the subject we are tryi...

1,158 views0 comments

Jan 22, 2019
2 min

DIAGONALS

The man made world we model tends to be built on engineering order. In other words, ninety degree angles, perpendicular orientations, and...

558 views0 comments

Jul 21, 2018
1 min

TURNOUT OPTIMISM

Model railroaders are an optimistic bunch, particularly when it comes to layout design! To be more specific, overly optimistic when it c...

523 views0 comments

Apr 12, 2018
4 min

“TIME”

The timeless 80/20 rule, model railroad planning is not immune. All too often we have our 80/20 priorities backwards. We spend eighty pe...

421 views0 comments

Feb 24, 2018
4 min

PICKING A THEME, SETTING YOUR SCOPE

Before we draw the first line of a layout design, before we lay the first stick of bench work, the most important decisions present thems...

519 views0 comments

Jan 14, 2018
4 min

FEAR OF MISTAKES

On a relatively frequent basis I encounter modelers that confide in me their fear of making mistakes. It’s perfectly understandable. Th...

229 views0 comments

Nov 16, 2017
2 min

RAIL GAPS AND RAIL JOINERS

I get lots of questions from my model railroad design clients, many new to layout construction, as to how to handle rail gaps and rail jo...

627 views0 comments

Oct 10, 2017
3 min

SIX LANDMINES TO AVOID

Planning a layout for several….or many years down the road? Design, preparing, and anticipation can be a big part of the fun. In my expe...

705 views0 comments

Sep 13, 2017
2 min

WHAT’S YOUR OPERATIONAL STYLE?

Trains in motion, that’s what we ultimately want. Without it we essentially have a static diorama. But what is your operational style? ...

572 views0 comments

Aug 11, 2017
1 min

WEST VIRGINIA LOGGING TRACK PLAN

Rickety logging lines are a popular theme. The design shown above is a free lanced West Virginia logging branch set in the 1930’s or 194...

243 views0 comments

Jul 13, 2017
3 min

HOW MANY TOWNS SHOULD I PUT ON MY LAYOUT?

Early in the planning process, it’s common for clients to tell me that they have a specific number of towns they’d like to have on their ...

298 views0 comments

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