Welcome to the Layout Planning and Design room.
This is a new topic for the virtual event, a place where we will assemble advice and resources to help you plan and build your dream layout.
Resources
- The Kentside Branch – Karl Crowther takes us through the development of his latest layout.
Videos
- Layout research – the importance of knowing the prototype for your layout.
- Layout design – capturing the design of your layout.
- Faringdon – inspiration and the result of meticulous planning & design.
- Securing your layout wiring – Ian Morton talks about how to keep your layout wiring both tidy and secure.
- Control panel design – In his live session on Saturday Pete Brownlow demonstrated how JMRI can be used to design the control panel for your layout. He also talked about sensors needed if you wish to have feedback or automated control of your layout.
Right Track 19 Layout Planning and Design features lots of useful content for the layout designer, the contents of that DVD are reproduced here by kind permission of Activity Media and the presenters Paul Lunn & Paul Marshall-Potter.
- Introduction – An introduction to the DVD and the presenters.
- Selecting Gauge & Scale – Scale has a huge impact on the layout you can accommodate.
- Considering Train Length – The length of train you want to run determines a number of factors import in your design.
- Couplings – The impact of couplings on how you operate your layout is often overlooked.
- Finding the Best Site – Where in your house are you going to locate your layout?
- Using a Check List – Lists are always a good organisational aid.
- Developing a Mock-up – We explore building a mock-up to help visualise your layout.
- Perspective – Uses of perspective when viewing your layout.
- A Prototypical Track Plan – The process of designing a layout based on a prototype location.
- A Freelance Track Plan – A freelance layout may seem easier, but there are pitfalls to be aware of.
- From 2D Plan to 3D Layout – Plans may look good in 2D but we must consider the 3D appearance of the final layout.
- A Country Station – An example plan for a country station.
- An Aggregate Works – Taking the country station track plan and making it an industrial scene instead.
- View Blocking – View blocking can add interest to your layout and well as disguise things.
- Wharfedale Road – A simple shelf layout.
- Forced Perspective – How using forced perspective can improve your layout. See Paul Bambrick‘s articles in the scenery room for much more on this subject.
- Wharfedale Road Central Operating Area – The important focus of the layout.
- Bawdsey – A look at Chris Mathewson’s EM gauge layout.
- Albion Yard – Paul Marshall-Potter’s 00 layout.
- Layout Design Choices Check List – The checklist referenced in the above videos.
Live Session
Jerry Clifford will host a live session on Sunday morning in which he will be running through planning the layout and adapting the prototype. He will touch on the elements such as scenics, display, stock etc. He will run through the whole thing as a fairly informal narrative with pictures to illustrate all aspects. Jerry will be happy to take questions as we go along – via the chat function – and at the end.
A recording of this session is now available in our live session recording page.