October - 2020

Track Plans Gallery

On this page you can view many of the layout designs I have created for other modelers in recent years. You can use the filter buttons and site search to locate plans by scale, prototype, state, size, and other characteristics.

I use a simple 2D CAD program called MacDraft to do my layout planning. It is not specialized for model railroading, but I've been using it a long time and it meets my needs.

Here are a couple of resources that you can freely download and distribute for non-commercial purposes:

Bob's Track Planning Questionnaire is the document I use to gather basic information for designing a plan. It might help you organize your own "Givens n' Druthers." It's a fillable Microsoft Word doc.

Bob's Curve and Grade Calculator is an Excel spreadsheet with multiple tabs. It can calculate the length of tracks at various curve radii and grades, along with train lengths and other functions for N, HO, S, and O scales. Have fun.

Josh Beller's BNSF San Jacinto Branch

BNSF's San Jacinto Branch departs the main line a little west of San Bernardino, and recently became a route for MetroLink commuter trains into Los Angeles. Josh wanted a version that was as close to the prototype as possible in order to replicate the surprisingly complex operations he observed commuting daily down adjoining I215.

Dan Holzrichter's Union Pacific Worthington Sub

Dan identified an interesting prototype not often modeled. Emphasis was to be on the Bridgeport branch south of Sioux City, Iowa, with as much fidelity to the prototype as possible and plentiful switching opportunities. Originally he wanted an island-only pike, but I convinced him that the wall would be an excellent location for the branch, and that a drop leaf connection to the mainline would be practical. Another innovation was a "mole" for staging in the middle of the r

Bob's Track Plans

Track Plans Gallery

On this page you can view many of the layout designs I have created for other modelers in recent years. You can use the filter buttons and site search to locate plans by scale, prototype, state, size, and other characteristics.

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