Yes you probably don't like the idea but housekeeping is going to be part of Model Railroading whither you are modeling just for display items or have a layout that fill the entire basement.
Can anyone recommend a method of controlling dust on a layout?
Short of covering up the layout after each use, a better method is to have the layout set up so that it's viewed almost from eye level AND has a 'roof' over it about 0.5 to 1 meter (2 to 3 feet)
completely covering the layout.
If you've ever seen articles on shelf-style layouts built at eye level, you'll notice that a lot have the scenery 'wrapping over' the top of the layout.
I've got no permanent layout, but the small yard I have built on the workbench in the garage has a wall-mounted cupboard over one end, and it's amazing how dust-free this area stays. The section
that's not covered over by this cupboard collects a lot of dust, dead insects, etc.
A couple of years ago Jack Burgess wrote in RMC how he licked the dust problem on his layout (located in a CA garage.) As I recall, he did some weather sealing of the garage door (not 100%), carpeted
the floor (concrete _creates_ dust as it is walked upon), and lastly, he installed electrostatic air purifiers that run constantly.
Just a suggestion, but it has worked for me: get some used dryer sheets {Bounce(tm) seems to work best} and use them as light diffusers in those reduced-depth buildings many of us use to hide the
transition from layout to backdrop. Something in the chemicals still in the sheets seems to dissuade most bugs.