Barchester

There are three main choices here for the beginner, set-track, that's the type found in train set boxes, flexible track, and the make your own variety. Unless the beginner is already an experienced modeller in another field it would be unusual to start with hand made track.
Starting with set-track there are various manufacturers to choose from with quite a wide price differential. The continental manufacturers are very good with their set track components. Set-track's biggest advantage is that it can be taken straight from the box, clicked together in the formation that you want and there you are. The straights will be kink free and the curves won't derail your ready to run stock. You know your trains are going to run on it ok because that's what it was designed for. It's also a big advantage to have it ready ballasted, some manufacturers are better than others at this but you would have to compare for yourself. Simplicity in wiring is the name of the game here, especially when it comes to complicated point formations as the trackwork is usually ready wired and can come complete with motor to operate it. With regard to comparative costs much would depend on the size of railway you are going for but a quick tour of the manufacturers on line sites will soon show how much you can expect to pay for what you want to do.

Next we come to flexi track and for most beginners, again it doesn't matter much which scale you have chosen, this would probably be one of the Peco products. The track itself comes in yard lengths and needs care in laying both straight, curved and parallel lengths. Not that this is a difficult job, and Peco supply a cheap gauge to make life easier for you, it's just that you can't just plonk it down as you can with the set-track. A big advantage with flexi track is that it can be laid to curves of your choice with infinite variations. From really sharp, usually hidden, corners, to gently flowing curves which please the eye. Depending on the intricacy of your plan the wiring can become quite complicated, and with normal DC operation there will be a lot of it, unless you have the simplest of layouts. The pointwork, of which there is a wide variety to choose from, is fairly easy to lay and can be operated by several methods which I will go into elsewhere. Overall cost is quite reasonable, especially if using a lot of straight lengths, which can be bought in 25 yard packs. If you are designing a small layout then you might think that 25 yards, or 75 feet, is one hell of a lot of track but it can be surprising how quickly even a small layout can devour track footage.

Finally we come to the hand made track. There is no doubt that this is the way to go for a far more accurate representation of prototype rail. You would have complete freedom of scale and gauge, and, given the necessary skill, pointwork of any style you wanted. You could build your track to fit the situation, as in real life, rather than making the situation fit the track. There is a reasonable choice of track making components on the market and various societies which supply components for the various scales and gauges as well as all the help you would need if you got into difficulties.

That, broadly speaking is that. I have tried not to show a particular preference for any of the above as this will be a personal choice for the modeller to make. Having said that the section on track laying will only be dealing with flexi track because that is my track of choice and the only one I have any experience of. Set-track doesn't need much of an explanation and I have no inclination for hand made track as I am quite happy with the appearance of the track I use. 


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If you get carried away this part can take weeks as each successive effort brings out more ideas, and therefor more alterations, to the master plan. Not that there is anything wrong with this as a great deal of pleasure can be derived from the planning stage of any model railway. Of course this only applies if your layout is going to be a freelance one. If you are modelling a particular prototype then the plan, with necessary modifications, is already done for you. A good idea for the beginner is to invest a couple of quid, or less, in either Cyril Freezer's book  "60 Plans For Small Locations" or  "Track Plans For Various Locations" by the same author. Preferably get both as they are so informative and cheap. (the books are mentioned in "Books & Magazines" ). Here will be found a multiplicity of plans useful to the beginner, plans that have been tried and tested  by thousands of modellers over many years.



This plan of Barchester is just a diagrammatic representation of the track for control panel purposes. It is not to scale and does not show track curvature.

Click on image for larger picture.




When transferring your ideas to paper you must remember to allow plenty of room for turnouts as, in 00 for example, each turnout takes about 9" of space so if you are using a simple crossover that's 18" of your valuable real estate gone. The same applies to curves,  be as generous as you possibly can as this will more than repay you with smooth, easy running of your stock. Don't be tempted to make that curve just a little bit tighter then it will all fit. If you do that then as sure as eggs is eggs the first train that tries to negotiate that curve will be off the rails. I believe Peco will supply, free of charge, paper templates of their turnouts which you can then lay out on a full size plan, or directly on your baseboard top, if you have got that far. Using set-track does alleviate some of the planning problems in that you know the dimensions of the curves that are available and they will either fit into your space or they won't. You may also find that set-track turnouts are shorter than the flexible track kind.


Being a cheap skate I cut up varying widths and lengths of corn flake packets to represent track and turnouts and then lay them out as shown in the photograph. Although not 100%accurate it does show me when a thing is definitely a no no. If things start looking a bit tight then I take a lot more care with laying the card out.



Click on image for a larger picture.







If you are at the paper and pencil stage then a good idea is to draw the thing out full size on the back of an old or very cheap roll of wallpaper. You can also see then how long a platform you need  to accommodate the length of trains you want to run. Bear in mind that in 00 a 4 coach train needs a good five feet of platform length, unless you don't mind your passengers having a long drop when they step out of their carriage. This only applies of course with bogey coaching stock and if you also want to have the locomotive alongside the platform. If your railway is using the old 4 and 6 wheelers then you will need much less. Less still if yours is going to be an industrial or goods line only. If a fiddle yard is part of your plan then you must also make it long enough to accommodate the length of trains you intend running.

Further Links :

Anyone Want To Run A Railway : Some thoughts on the subject by Stephen Siddle. Worth reading.
Doorway Layout Designs : Drawn for H0 but equally as good for 00 gauge.
Fiddle Yard Designs : Another article from a well known modeller.
Hale Station CLC :  This is an article on a prototype branch line station that all modellers should have a look at. Complete with area map, track layout, comprehensive station building photographs, goods shed and much else. Plenty of ideas for the modeller here.
Layout Designs : Plenty of layout ideas here.
Layout Designs :  More layout designs for small railways.
Layout designs : Several designs in various scales/gauges/sizes that may help you.
Layout Design Primer : The Layout Design Primer is a collection of articles intended to assist the beginning to intermediate railroad modeler become familiar with today's layout design concepts and practices.
More Layout Designs : A dozen or so plans for the ever popular 4' by 8' size baseboard, plus more for the door sized layout. Plenty of ideas here if you are stuck for a bit of inspiration. Specifically designed for H0 but equally good for 00. The plans can also be downloaded.
Narow Gauge In Small Spaces : Basically you'll find two groups of plans here. First are several small layouts for people with little space. The second category are mid-size plans for when more room for layout building becames available.
0n30 Logging Ideas : If you are thinking of 0n30 then this site is worth looking at before you start.
Shelf Layout Designs : These are for H0 but also suitable for 00 gauge. 
Shunting Puzzles : This link is here not only for the puzzles but also to show layouts in small spaces. An excellent read all the way through.
Some Layout Suggestions :  Some ideas and thoughts on designing your own layout with suggestions.
Track Planning For Operation : Good article from a chap who knows what he is talking about.

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