Getting Started

In my previous home, I’d built 2 layouts so I’m not a complete novice, but not a seasoned vet either. I’m blessed to have a wife that insisted we have an extra room for a layout when we moved to our current house in 2018. The room is carpeted, has plenty of outlets and shares the home’s heating and cooling system. It is about 11′ x 13′, has 1 door in a corner, 1 exterior window and no closet. Allowing for covering up the window, the room is all I could ask for, plus it’s not too big to tackle.

While I’m a long-time modeler, but was never very dedicated, I now have the time and desire to get serious. I’m committed to this edict:

Do it right the first time

This means:

take the time to thoroughly research
try different techniques and materials
practice before you commit to doing something for real.
avoid the trap of not taking the time to do it right the first time but spending plenty of time to do it right the second time.

Lastly, I’m willing to spend some bucks to make my life easier and especially if the end result is better.

The book Compact Layout Design by Iain Rice was an immense help. His excellent advice was accompanied with many track plans. Luckily (or lazily, if that’s your opinion), I found a plan that fit my room’s dimensions and door arrangement (almost): the Black Creek & Buda. I made a color copy of the layout and flipped it horizontally to use as my starting point.

Now, if I can just find my architect’s ruler…