BEGINNERS GUIDE: Developing the grand plan

Developing your layout’s design is a highly rewarding part of the process. MARK CHIVERS offers a few hints and tips to help create that master track plan.

ONCE YOU have decided where to locate your new layout, attention can turn to the size and shape of the plan and how it will fit within the space that you have available.

If the layout is in a spare room, are you planning on it completing a full circle of the room, or will it be an end-to-end style layout – perhaps in a U or L shape? Bear in mind that if the layout is to be a complete circuit, you’ll also need to consider access, maybe with a lift-up or removable section by the door.

When planning your layout it is also important to consider where you are going to locate it and how it will work in relation to the space available.
When planning your layout it is also important to consider where you are going to locate it and how it will work in relation to the space available. Hornby Magazine

Alternatively, you may opt for a less permanent option which can be placed under a bed when not in use, or in a cupboard. If you are utilising a loft space, how much of the area can you easily access for the layout? In a garage, do you need to consider also accommodating a vehicle or is the space purely for your hobby?

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