I’ve spent many nights in front of my computer or with pencil and paper trying to design the perfect model railroad track plan. I’d come up with these elaborate set ups or plans that I really could not connect to. Until last weekend, WE came up with an EPIC…and I MEAN EPIC track plan.
*Note: EPIC track plans are solely the opinion of the Author and his model railroad.
Stand…in the place where you’ll build
The best way for me to connect with the new design for the Chicago and Northwestern Marshline Sub layout was to actually STAND in the place where I was going to build the layout. I could visualize how scenes and towns would look in the space and get a real good feel on if I was trying to do too much or two little.
One other thing that helped us visualize the layout was using random objects and furniture to simulate areas of benchwork on the the layout. As I stood in my basement with tables and old dressers strewn across the floor I could almost see it. See dilapidated track, tired GP7s, and marsh grass…so much marsh grass!
For more description of the CNW Marshline Sub follow this link: About the Marshline
A little help from my friends
One of the best things to do (in my opinion) is to get together with a few of your friends and talk out different options for designing the layout. I had my buddies Ben, Jason and Luke come to my house (for a bribe) and had them stand in the space and give me advice as to how this layout could be designed.
I will say it is very important that your friends understand what YOUR goals are for this layout. Prior to them coming over these three dudes understood the concepts I wanted to use and the Givens and Druthers (NEEDS and WANTS) of my layout design. With everyone knowing what the end goal would look like made a collaborative setting very productive!!!
Thanks fellas for the help!
You can’t always get what you want
I came to a very hard realization through this planning and design process. YOU CAN’T ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU WANT! I wanted 8 towns of the CNW Marshline sub on my layout. Given the space that I have it would be impossible. By referring back to my Givens and Druthers and having my friends help talk me through the process, I could easily make decisions on what to include and exclude from the layout design.
In the end I would not be getting everything that I wanted to have on this new layout, but I would get a majority of it which is pretty EPIC!!!
*Note: EPIC track plans are solely the opinion of the Author and his model railroad.
Ch-Check it out (The new Trackplan)
Click the following link: CNW Marshline Trackplan
Second Section Podcast 