Design A stacked layout!

Before starting setting up for your compact layout, you will have to make some decisions on a few things. Since not everything can be done all at once.

Be a Specialist and/or Generalist layout?
Let’s start with the Specialist layout; this can be characterized as a layout which has a one key source of energy, such as; a saw mill, or a brewery or steel mill. Before starting this type of layout, you really have to do your homework. There are specific things you need to learn in order to build this correctly, so that it will work.

As for the Generalist layout; this type of layout is one where anything goes. For example, if you decide on adding a sea port to your layout, it could rationally be anticipated to send and receive any kind of shipment cars. This way, it would be good to pick this type of layout, especially if you are a beginner.

An Extensive or an intensive operation:
An Intensive operation would be if you choose to add a steel mill for example, because you’ll have numerous sorts of particular cars to re-plan in a particular pattern and time, on equal side of the plant. All depending on the number of engine terminal you want.

An Extensive operation would mean a small terminal, similar to a countryside one. This means that you would have one railcar come by not more then three times a day and one freight train maybe two times a week. If you have a small space this is a perfect project.

Both of those types of layouts need equal treatment as they will become picturesque project.

An Operation in opposition to landscape:
Well this is not just a matter of layout; you have to make this all about what you want. You have to make decision on what is more important to you, if you are planning to expand it, well let just say combine two small layout is next impossible, you might want to consider a medium size one.

You may ask yourself can I leave out?
Well this is a tough one; because we all have specific ideas when it comes to our model railway, but beside from tracks and trains, the answer is nothing.

But let face facts; You can’t have a passenger station, an engine stall, a freight terminal, a tunnel, a large bridge, a business district, a long mainline, a marshalling yard and a large industry, all on a small layout. Definitely, something has to go BUT WHAT???

One way to do it is to sit down and envision your layout as it would be built. Then, pretend you have three times more space and what would you add to fill it??? Now go back to your original size model and well what ever you didn’t add on to the large one this is what you should take off your model.

Should you build a fiddle yard or not?
Your trains need to go somewhere, unless you are doing a specific kind of industrial model.

You will need either a fiddle or staging yard. You can have it hidden but it’s not necessary. You can have an exchange track, which mean your cars would exchange after each operation sessions.

Unless you are looking for something permanent, you might want to use a staging fiddle, shadow yard that you will be able to turn 90 degrees into a shelf layout to save space. But if you want it part of you surrounding then you want a ferry terminal.