Space Mouse's Beginner's Guide to Layout Design

You have that vision. You do. Your vision is that image in the back of your mind where you picture yourself running trains, switching cars, stopping at passenger stations, or running loggers through redwoods. The last one was mine. Instead, I built a "temporary 4x8 layout" which I have to date invested $2000 and a year and a half of 12-20 hours per week. I built it hastily, used the wrong kind of track and changed everything two months after I started. I have 10 engines that will find their way to eBay because I bought them before I had a plan–a plan that fit my vision.

So my job is to get you to slow down, take a few deep breaths–Breathe in. Breath out. Breathe in. Breath out.–and help you pull out that vision and bring it to a plan that will work within the limitations you have. These limitations are called Givens. Your vision is your Druthers.

Givens and Druthers. You'll hear these terms used over and over, especially if you post that you are new and want someone to tell you a good track plan. They will ask you what are your givens and druthers. It's your givens and druthers that will guarantee that any track plan that someone else designs for you or that you find in a book, will fall short of your ideal layout. Why? It's because the plan is based upon someone else's givens and druthers.


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