Lessons Learned

Welcome to my very first blog. I usually don’t have much to say and prefer to lurk and learn. Why my model train experience goes back to the early ‘80’s when I was in 4^th grade when I had a 4’x8’ HO layout. That layout was mainly operated in the “Lets see if we can get this baby going fast enough to derail going around that curve!!” mode. While that philosophy still appeals to my “If it ain’t broke, break it” side, growing up and having to pay for my trains has slowed me down quite a bit. In the last 18 months or so (about the time I joined this site), I’ve started wanting a more prototypical model train experience.

I recently finished the track work for my first “serious” layout and thought I would share what I learned for other new comers to the hobby.

Lesson 1: Don’t skimp on the bench work.

I live in a small apartment with my wife, so space is at a premium. I have room for a 42”x60” layout that I wanted light weight and portable, so I could lean it against the wall when the space was needed. My bench work currently consists of a 3/8” plywood on 1”x1” frame. This worked fine while I was laying and testing track. After about a week of just running trains making sure everything works, my bench work has started sagging causing random derailments.

Lesson 2: Just because it works on paper doesn’t mean it will in real life.

In this case, by paper, I mean in the computer. This is the first time I’ve designed a layout. After reading every layout design book I could find I started experimenting in XTrkCad. While the track was fitting together as expected, I soon realized that I hadn’t left room for scenery. This was especially apparent where I have my mainline crossing over itself. There just isn’t room for the tunnel portal/trestle/etc to all happen in that little of space. There are a couple of other areas that would result in some unrealistically steep grades.

(As a note, when planning, make sure your planning area is actually that area you have. I first designed my plan for a 48”x60” space. When I started building, things didn’t fit like I was expecting. I quickly realized that I had 6” less depth to my layout than I had planned on resulting in some frantic redesign.)

Lesson 3: Taste change over time.

While this might seem like common sense, its amazing how short of time that changes can occur over. I’ve always been a watch the train run kind of guy so I purposely designed the layout so two trains could run continuously. I added a couple of stubs to give the layout the appearance of purpose. However, I shortly got board of just watching trains run, so I tried making and breaking trains. While it kind of work, I was very annoying doing it without using the five finger switcher. So when you are designing or choosing a layout to build, at least give serious thought to the different ways to operate, because eventually you’ll want to.

Lesson 4: Use a foam base.

Use a foam base on top of plywood. I suggest this for several reasons; the first is you’ll have more scenery options without a lot of sawing plywood. I’m specifically thinking of lakes and rivers. The second is that when test laying out track and risers (I used Woodland scenic risers) it’s easier to pin stuff in place on foam than on plywood.

Lesson 5: Use vertical curves.

If you don’t have grades on your layout, this won’t apply, but plan on using vertical curves. As a civil engineer, you’d think I’d have known this going in, but having my track go from 3% to flat cause problems before I put in a vertical curve. You don’t need to get fancy about it, just have some room between the flat area and the length of grade to let your track find its natural vertical curve.

Lesson 6: Track offsets

Trace out your track centerlines, especially though curves and make sure you have enough space for your rolling stock. I am using larger rolling stock (intermodal, autoracks, with SD90’s, AC4400’s, etc. for power) and my first couple of times, I was having collisions a couple of curves where I didn’t have the space I needed.

Lesson 7: DCC

If you are just starting out, start with DCC. The ease of wiring and added flexibility in operations make it worth it. As far as the additional cost, for smaller layouts that would have lots of DC blocks but not to many locomotives, the cost would seem to be wash, however I haven’t really studded the issue.

Lesson 8: Don’t rush.

I rushed with some sections of laying track and had to tear it up and do it again, several times. It took more time getting it right while trying to hurry than it would have taking it slow.

While these aren’t the only lessons learned, they are the major ones. I’ve also gotten much better soldering and cutting flex track to the right length for instance. Right now I think I’ll be tearing it all apart and redoing the bench work so it will actually support a layout. Look for a thread in the layout planning section from me sometime as I try and come up with a more operationally interesting plan.