Track planning books?

I need some ideas for a wakl around type layout.. are there any book worth getting to give me Ideas?

EDIT: the layout will be against the wall and is HO scale.

[ 05. June 2003, 02:45: Message edited by: -=Jeff=- ]

 

Track Planning for realistic Operation By John Armstrong will give you all the info you need to design your own plan.Its a great Book.48 top notch track plans has a few.101 track plans by lynn westcott has a few.
Go to ebays model railroad books,magazines category and do a search.You can pick up used copies cheap.Sometimes several trackplan books from one seller for a couple bucks each. Good Luck!!

 

There are several books out that are worth while but you need to specify what size of room you have, etc. First off, Armstrong's book recommended above is excellent; I've probably read it about 15 times. But having said that, you are still wise to look around just as you are doing.

Here is a procedure I can recommend. It helps simplify planning.

First, don't focus so much on track at first, rather benchwork shape and design to use your room most effectively according to your given and druthers. Questions like one deck or more should be answered, minimum radius, maximum grade, etc. For your mainline you will need to decide on the basic shape only, don't sweat where sidings, yards, etc go. Often the benchwork will determine that.

So you draw a plan of the benchwork shape, fiddle until you are happy with it. Don't be surprised if you do about 6 completely different plans before you settle on one.

Then with the benchwork you draw in the mainline.

After this, you find "scene parameters" in your benchwork. By this I mean, you will find certain shapes, width and length of benchwork are conducive to certain scenes. Lets take a basic U shaped layout. Well, one obvious spot is that the bottom of the U, and then each side, for a total of 3 scenic parameters.

So one side could house a yard, since you need a long length for that, the bottom of the U can be a granary, or other larger industry. The other side of the layout could be a town.

Now that you have decided what the scenic parameters are, then you can search for a section out of a published plan that you like and may modify to suit your area. So for example, you decide on a granary at the bottom of the U, so when you are looking at plans in books and in MR, you look for granaries on the published layout plan to see if something like it will work for your layout.

Really instead of designing one large layout, you are breaking the layout down into components and designing around each component or scenic parameter as I call them.

There is an old sales saying that goes something like this: "inch by inch is a cinch, yard by yard is very very hard." So break your designing down into phases.

1) Decide on mainline and benchwork shape.

2) Then decide on scenic parameters.

3) Decide what is going to go into the scenic parameters.

4) Search for a plan that will work for each scenic parameter.

5) I haven't talked about this before, but then decide where your passing sidings are going to go, perhaps having to work that into your scenic parameters as well.

This is how I am building my layout. I have many scenic parameters and I have a rough idea of what is going where. Right now I am working on the first section, laying track, but already have decided on the next scenic parameter beside it. As I am working on the first scenic parameter, I find I am almost automatically working on the next one to it that I am going to do after the first. Why? Because you have to co-ordinate your track in the first scenic parameter so that it blends in with the second scene. This procedure continues on down the line until the layout is complete.

This may sound strange, but I won't have a final track plan until my layout is done.

 

I agree wholeheartedly with Rick's reply.
Here is how my layout planning has progressed-
1. Armstrong's Operational Book. If I only had one book, this would be it.
2. Looked at all the Layout books and MR annual planning issues
3. Bought 3rd Planning software and started playing around.
4. Determined min. radius, yard size, etc.
5. Designed my layout with software
6. Built Benchwork (NOT the tops however)
7. THEN -
8. I started building the yard, and the more I have built, the more I have freelanced.
9. Threw the trackplan away, and now building it inch by inch.
10. Like a real railroad, I started building industries and am deciding how the rail and industries will be together. I know where the mountains will be, where the City is, and planning track that way.

-And here I am today, the original yard is now more a collection of passing sidings (one each for freight, passenger, cars waiting for ice, and one track always open for through traffic), now designing a 'hump' yard and collection of buidings for maintainence of engines & cars. Mainline has made it only as far as the City limits. And I'm loving every minute of it...