Which type of layout?
There are a number of design considerations that depends on your preferences, which sometimes are mutually exclusive, among them:
Realistic scenery --------- lots of tracks
Mainline running ---------- switching
Countryside --------------- cityscape
Prototypical operation ---- just running trains
If you know exactly what sort of layout you want, you're probably not a beginner in designing a layout. There are people who do nothing but design their dream layoutJ Maybe you have had plenty of
opportunity operating other layouts so you know from experience what you like and don't like on a layout. However, think about it a lot before you actually start to build the layout. I'm supposing
you're a beginner, and will thus recommend that you choose a little of everything, and thus get a "general purpose" layout. Well, there's one exception, that's long trains, and large locos which
won't fit on a first layout, at least not on a small general-purpose layout.
Do you need a generalist or specialist layout?
A specialist layout is what I call one where there's one major source of traffic, for example a steel mill, brewery or sawmill. In this case, you really, really need to study the subject in order to
get it right. The sort of layout you should build if you love the subject
A generalist layout is where almost anything goes. A seaport for example could realistically be expected to send and receive almost all kinds of freight cars. This is a good reason to choose this
kind of layout. This is also a good way to use your staging yard. You have trains coming and going from both sides with the switchers doing most of the action switching cars for different trains.
Is an intensive or extensive operation better for me?
A steel mill would be a good example of intensive operation, as you've got several sorts of special cars that have to be moved in a strict pattern and on time, both inside the plant and shipping and
receiving. As would be a large engine terminal, with locos arriving to be serviced stored and put into service.
Extensive operation would a small countryside terminus, where a railcars comes by three times a day and a short freight train a couple of times per week and more easily lend itself to modeling in a
small space.
Both kinds of layouts equally well lend themselves to scenic treatment.
Operation versus scenery?
This isn't just a matter for compact layouts. You always have to make a choice, which is more important to you. However, it's important you make it clear to yourself what you value most, since on a
small layout it's not practical to combine the two, like you can on medium sized layouts. This is another reason to design a small compact layout with thoughts to making it bigger in the future.
What do I need and what can I leave out?
Most of us have definite ideas on what just must be on a model railway. However, apart from "track and trains", the answer is "nothing".
Lets face it: You cannot have: An engine stall, a passenger station, a freight terminal, a large bridge, a tunnel, a marshalling yard, a business district, a long mainline and a large industry on a
small layout. Some things have to go!
However, what?
Well, sit down and imagine your layout as it could be built.
Now imagine it three times larger. What have you put in more of? More turnouts, a longer mainline, more scenery, or what?
Now, imagine the layout the original size again, but remove the things you didn't add anything of.
When you're planning a compact layout, there're several things
you need to make decisions on, since you cannot do everything:
Generalist layout or specialist?
A specialist layout is what I call one where there's one
major source of traffic, for example a steel mill,
brewery or saw mill. In this case, you really, really
need to study the subject in order to get it right. If
you love the subject, this is the sort of layout you
should build.
A generalist layout is where almost anything goes. A sea
port for example could realistically be expected to send
and recieve almost all kinds of freight cars. This is a
good reason to choose this kind of layout.
Intensive or extensive operation?
A steel mill would be a good example of intensive
operation, as you've got several sorts of special cars
that have to be moved in a strict pattern and on time,
both inside the plant and shipping and recieving. As
would be a large engine terminal, with locos arriving to
be serviced, stored and put into service.
Extensive operation would a small countryside terminus,
where a railcars comes by three times a day and a short
freight train a couple of times per week. May more easily
lend itself to modelling in a small space.
Both kinds of layouts equally well lend themselves to
scenic treatment.
Operation versus scenery?
This isn't just a matter for compact layouts. You always
have to make a choice which is more important to you. But
it's important you make it clear to yourself what you
value most, since on a small layout it's not practical to
combine the two, like you can on medium sized layouts.
What can I leave out?
This is a touch one.
Most of us have definite ideas on what just must be on a
model railway. But apart from "track and trains", the
answer is "nothing".
Lets face it: You cannot have: An engine stall, a
passenger station, a freight terminal, a large bridge, a
tunnel, a marshalling yard, a business district, a long
mainline and a large industry on a small layout.
Somethings has to go!
But what?
Well, sit down and imagine your layout as it could be
built.
Now imagine it three times larger. What have you put in
more of? More turnouts, a longer mainline, more scenery
or what?
Now, imagine the layout the original size again, but
remove the things you didn't add anything of.
Fiddle yard or not?
Unless you model some kind of self contained industrial
operation, your trains need somewhere to go.
I think you need a fiddle or staging yard.
But I'm not sure it really has to be hidden: An exchange
track can be on the layout and have its cars exchanged
between operating sessions.
And unless the whole layout has to be permanent, a
fiddle/staging/shadow yard turned 90 degrees to a shelf
layout is usually enough "out of vision" to work as a
good fiddle yard. In order to save space, it should be
removable and only in place during actual operation. If
you want it as part of the scenery, something like a
ferry terminal would be a good idea.