Why small model railways?

Principles of small layout design

When you plan a small layout, it’s essential that you are aware of the limitations the small space imposes on you. While most literature states that space limits the choice of scales you can employ, I think the major limitation is the choice of themes you can model. Main line themes are out, while ndustrial and tramway themes are quite feasible. If you love mainline themes but you do not have space for it, you’ll probably have to scaledown. My plans are designed around themes that are suitable for small layout:

• Industrial railways: these lines feed industries. There’s no passenger traffic, but if you model the present, you can run a nostalgic steam museum train. On the other hand, the more modern the trains you model, the longer the freight cars get. Older cars are shorter and you can store more of them on a length of track. The operation focuses on shunting, shunting and shunting. Some of my plans have a continuous loop for enjoying your trains running quite a while. Pure shunting layouts do not offer this possibility, which is more realistic. Which industries your line serves is not important, as long as you have several different industries. You’ll get a larger variety of cars. A simple trick to get more shunting without overloading the scenery is giving a single plant more independent connections. While some industrial areas are in real life quite overcrowded, you squeeze in a lot of track. Most of the plans shown on these pages are of this type, because they adhere to my main objective of layout design: “Operation is everything!”
• Branch lines: this is a well-known theme for small layouts. It mostly consists of a small station where trains can pass. The station as some shunting possibilities, e.g. serving a freight shed. To make he operations more interesting a shadow station or passing loop is added. Most of these designs consist of an oval shaped line, though on a helf based layout out-and-back is also quite common. This theme offers ixed freight and passenger trains and some form of timetable-based peration is possible. Most branch lines run through the countryside. herefor you’ll need to reserve space for scenery. But it’s hard to depict the wide-open space of the countryside on a small layout. Forests which “box-in” the scene might be a useful option. Another option I favour is depicting a branch line in a cityscape. Most branch lines start in a larger town. You can build a small station located in this larger town. The buildings have the same effect of “boxing-in” the theme. Plus you can add connections to several industries, which does conflict with a countryside theme.
• Tramways: I’m not very familiar with tramways. Most modern tramways only offer passenger services with uniform rolling stock. The operations can be rather dull. Older tramways did offer some kind of freight service, feeding local industries. But if you are a tramway fan do build one. The narrow curves you have to use on a small layout are prototypical. The cramped space of an old town is perfect to recreate on a small layout.
• There are even more specialised themes you can model. Steam depots are much favoured. I have included a mountain railway as a far-out example.

When you limit yourself to one theme, you will be more likely to gain success. The more experienced the modeler becomes, the more drastic he becomes in limiting his themes. While most beginners grow from branch line to mainline when space and budget allow, when they develop further they tend to grow back to a limited theme. But this theme is modelled in great detail. If you’re too picky, don’t start a small layout. There will be all kinds of compromises on your layout: curves are too sharp, the angles of your switches too steep, the sidings are too short. Everything is compressed to the impossible. But when it comes to building a small layout versus none at all, the choice is yours.

↓ The layout “Het Eiland Waan”↗ shows an interurban electrical tramway in Scale 0 (1:43½). The model railway is based upon the tramways on the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea. Seen at the Modelspoordagen 2010.

Modules and dioramas

Modules and dioramas are becoming more popular when modelling in small spaces. The main difference between those forms of layouts and the small layouts I describe is the operational value. Modules with their standardised interfaces to other modules can in most cases not be operated satisfactorily on their own. Dioramas focus on landscaping and not on operation. Certainly, there are modules and dioramas around on which you can operate trains. You can design modules and dioramas which offer operational value. Mostly they can be classified as shunting layouts. The radii of curves I permit myself are too sharp for modules. Standards for modules prescribe much larger curves, except for narrow-gauge modules.

I personally favour modules which can be operated on their own. You can have fun by yourself as well as in a group. Currently this site contains no plans for modules. Maybe some time in the future…

↓ The theme of this diorama is a French narrow gauge station, shown on the exhibition stand of Rail Magazine↗ at the Rail+Modelbouw2002. The diorama consists of an oval with a small station of two tracks. Beautiful and a delight to see, but there’re no possiblities for extended operations.

About the designs

The designs are all for H0 scale normal gauge track. When you use a smaller scale or narrow gauge, you’ll need less space or can use the space for smoother curves and switches. I do not give any suggestions for “re-scaling” or give measurements forother scales. It’s up to you how you adapt these plans to your own situation. I think you can use these plans in any geographical setting. They’re made with continental Europe in mind, but using them in an American setting shouldn’t be aproblem.

All designs have a surface area of less than 2 m². This is my self-imposed limit for my small layouts. It’s slightly smaller than the ill-famous 4′×8′ baseboards. Well, a somewhat larger layout is still small, but I said the designs should be challenging. You might say everything looks rather cramped. I cannot deny this fact, but I tried to design the layouts with the minimum possible surface area. With a little more space you will immediately get better results.