Basic Model Railroad Types to Consider when Designing Your Track Plan

Model Railroad Layout Track Plans

Can Be Classified Into Three Types

Understanding Model Railroad Track Plan Types First Step in Designing Your Model Railroad Layout

free model railroad plans point-to-point curving o gauge o-27 4x8 lionel mth atlas — A point-to-point model railroad plan

Most model railroad sets come with a simple loop of track, which allows your train to run continuously, without your constant attention.

However, if you want to expand your model railroad layout, you may want to make some changes to the track to make it more interactive. To do this, it’s time to think about model railroad track planning.

When it comes to model railroad layout track plans, nearly all can be classified as one of three main types. Once you understand these basic types and the operational advantages of each, designing your own track plan becomes much easier.

Our Basic Model Railroad Types page shows examples and describes the pros and cons of each type.

Benchwork for Our O Gauge Model Railroad Layout

New Page Posted

Building Benchwork for Our
O Gauge Model Railroad Layout

in a Spare Bedroom

free model railroad plans, O Gauge, layout, benchwork, open grid — Benchwork for an O Gauge Model Railroad layout.

After deciding where to build a model railroad layout, one of the next steps is to decide how to build your model railroad layout.
There are many styles of model railroad benchwork (the tables on which the model railroad track is laid), and we chose a simple, modular design that allows us to build it in a garage and simply assemble it in the spare bedroom.
Check out construction details of the benchwork for our O Gauge Model Railroad Layout in a Spare Bedroom.

Which O Gauge Model Railroad Track is Right for Me?

Deciding on what O Gauge Track Model Railroad Track To Use

A number of factors are involved in finding the best O Gauge model railroad track for your layout

Model Railroad, track, O Gauge, Lionel Atlas, MTH — Choosing track for your O Gauge model railroad layout is a decision with many factors to consider.

One of the first decisions that needs to be made before you design your O Gauge model railroad layout is what kind of track to use. There are a number of manufacturers making O Gauge track, and some manufacturers make several different styles. And, there are some compatibility issues between different manufacturers’ tracks, or even between different types of track offered by one manufacturer.

So, first, you must understand the different types of track available. Our page Choosing Track for an O Gauge Model Railroad Layout explains the different types of track, and offers links to further pages and breakdown the differences in greater detail.

The first difference between O Gauge model railroad track types is explained on our O Gauge vs. O-27 Gauge page.

Budget is where the rubber hits the road when designing an O Gauge model railroad layout. What you have to spend is often a limiting factor in choosing what track you will use our page O Gauge Model Railroad Track Price Comparison compares the most popular types of track with each other in terms of affordability.

Spare Bedroom O Gauge Project Layout Runs!

An impending visit from the grandkids led our crew of gandy dancers to finish laying track on the mainline of our spare bedroom O gauge project layout. I snagged a couple Plasticville buildings from the kids’ layout for scenery:

Read more about our O Gauge Model Railroad Layout Project

Kicking off an O Gauge Model Railroad Project

Decisions when designing a Model Railroad Layout

Just like prototype railroads, model railroads are all about location

After years of not having room for an O gauge model railroad layout, I finally moved into a new house that has enough room for an O gauge model railroad layout – in fact, several rooms from which to choose – and now I’ve got a major decision to make: location, location, location.

Free Model Railroad Layout Plans, O gauge, Lionel MTH Atlas — Prototype railroads, such as the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe chose their routes to use the least amount of track to serve the greatest number of customers. Not always easy when you are crossing the Rocky Mountains.

Where prototype railroads search for the best possible route that would use the least possible track, my goals are to create the largest amount of track through the most challenging route.

So, where can I create the best model railroad layout: a spare bedroom, or a spare stall in the garage?

Follow through the decision-making process with us as we embark on creating our O Gauge Model Railroad Layout project.