Layout Design - 4 - Layout Design Elements

In Layout Design Process 4 - Railroad Modeling I identified that the layout design process can be broken down into three primary functional areas: Concept, Structure and Layout Detail.

Layout Detail. Layout Detail identifies the parameters within which the layout must be designed. It is broken down into two main elements: 5) Layout Design, and 6) Construction to build the railroad.

  

Under the element Layout Design, the following area is considered: Layout Design Elements.

  

Tony Koester in the Model Railoroad Planning Magazine 1995 introduced the the concept of Layout Design Elements -  a design technique of identifying a "signature" scenic element of a prototype or prototype scene and building that element in order to capture the feeling of the prototype. Tony developed a Kalmbach Publishing Company book called 'Realistic Model Railroad Building Blocks' in 2005 to further develop this topic.

Primarily focused on the prototype modeler attempting to selectively compress a real railroads main line into a realistic railroad model layout, Tony further suggested that the modeler 'design his layout as a series of connected elements that are visually and operationally recognizable as models of actual places.' The modeler would identify their modeling interests (see Mike Shafers Shafer's Layout Design Guidelines and use maps, track diagrams, photos, etc., to develop the elements to be modeled. 

Since then many railroad modelers have used this technique to design and build their prototype railroad layouts. Daid Barrows in the Model Railroad Planning 1999 and other articles, used layout design elements in his 'Dominos' layout design techniques. 

The WWSL

Connected elements. I found that in designing my layout that developing the layout concept allowed me to make distinctions between the myriad elements of the prototype (e.g., a yard, a station, a junction) i found in my research with the functional layout requirements that might be necessary for a satisfying layout (such as staging, crossovers, runarounds, et al). I collected a set of layout design elements - from a scenic and operational standpoint – prototype towns, engine terminals yards, junctions, industries or scenes that could be compressed and workable for my layout.  

Those layout design elements were classified by right of way, yard, engine service facilities, industrial track layout, and scenic vignettes that were of interest to me.

The WWSL requires the following layout design elements: 

Right of Way

• Main track. A track, other than an auxili­ary track, extending through yards and be­tween stations, upon which trains are operated by timetable or train order, or both, or the use of which is governed by block signals.
• Siding *. A track auxiliary to the main track for meeting or passing trains. The timetable will indicate stations at which sidings are located.
• Junction. A point where two or more railroads are joined.
• Interchange. The location where railroads transfer freight cars from other companies over their lines. 
• Crossing *. A crossing is an intersection where one track crosses another track. It may be located at a junction, but not necessarily so.
  
• Simple Overhead Wire *.  A system of overhead wires used to supply electricity to a locomotive which is equipped with a pantograph. The uninsulated wire is attached by clamps to closely spaced crosswires supported by poles. Easily confused with catenary systems which use at least two overhead wires.

Yards

• Arrival / Departure yard (or track). This is a location in a yard where railcars are dropped off by an arriving train or picked up by departing trains  
• Classification yard *. This is where the railcars are sorted for further movement to other destinations.
  
• Scale Track * .
  

Engine service facility *

• Steam
• Electric
• Diesel 
• Turntable *
• Service Pit Track *
  

Industries

• Log reload
  
• Coal mine
• Sand and gravel plant
• Sawmill
• Logging camp
• Paper mill
• Industrial siding *
• Power plant (Coal Dump Track * and Ash Pit *)
  

Vignettes

• Scenic canyon
• Wide stream 
• Wide river
  

The astericks (*) are layout design elements required for NMRA Achievent Award  (Civil Engineer).

I will be addressing the layout design elements process in follow-on blog posts as they appear on the layout.