We've taken a look at space, discussed the available scales for model railroading and even taken a quick look at a little scenery trick - photos still to come, I hope.
Let's assume you have some space and have decided which scale you would like to model.
Now for some tough questions:
Do you want a switching layout that involves several industries and a lot of movement of short cuts of cars among those industries?
Do you want a layout with long stretches of track so you can run long trains just like the real thing and watch those strains stretch out?
Do you want hilly or flat terrain?
Do you want some crazy combination of all the things above?
For most model railroaders, planning is one of, if not the, most important steps in the process of building a layout.
I, admittedly, have fallen flat when it comes to spending a lot of time planning.
I kind of just go for it. I tried sketching things on paper, but when it comes time to start putting things together, I have issues. I run into the "I'm never happy with what I put on paper" problem.
Let's start where I started.
Being that I'm not one who wants to get on the floor every time I want to work on my layout or run my trains - and assuming you are of the same mind - there is the question of benchwork.
There are plenty to choose from - open grid, solid plywood or particle board on a handmade frame of some sort, foam insulboard on top of the base material - or not ... I've even seen articles about layouts constructed on old doors. The possibilities seem enedless.
Model Railroader Magazine, to which I am a subscriber thanks to Christmas gifts from my in-laws, is a wealth of knowledge for all things related to model railroading, including benchwork. If you don't want to do the work yourself, there are even companies that will construct the benchwork to your specifications and ship it to you with easy instructions for set-up.
Benchwork for my latest layout, along the walls of a spare bedroom, was done with a need for storage in mind. I purchased 3 sets of sturdy plastic shelving. Combining the sets gave me 4 sets of 3 shelves on top of which I placed 1/2-inch particle board. It seems to me to be less prone to warping than plywood. The shelves under the layout surface are quite useful for storage of Christmas and Halloween decorations and a multitude of other items that somehow find themselves in my hobby room.
I often think the insulboard - you know, the thick, blue foam people put around their homes to keep the heat and cold out - would have been a better pick.
It allows for more contours when it comes to terrain and scenery, but I'm not about to tear things up now. That's a change to make for my next layout.
Have the space? Getting a little more serious.
Start thinking about the benchwork and what type of layout you might like and I'll be back with the next step in my plight to create my own little world.