Ready to move beyond a simple tabletop layout? Take the next step with help from Neil Besougloff! This book offers 16 realistic, themed layout plans suitable for larger spaces, including diagrams, equipment lists, and plenty of photos to help you get started.

Author Bio

Neil is the editor of Model Railroader magazine. Previously, he was the editor of Classic Toy Trains for 10 years. Before that, he was a newspaper journalist for 15 years in FL. and in his native NJ. He is slowly but surely building a prewar-style O gauge layout after moving to a new home in Oconomowoc, WI. In addition to toy trains, Neil spends his free time reading history books and tinkering with this 1931 Ford Model A.

Table of Contents

4  Introduction
  Beyond sheets of plywood; toy train track lingo
9  Layout one: Bridge out!
  There's a real challenge on this 12- by 12-foot plan
13  Layout two: Cold Mountain
  A figure-eight track plan split in half by a mountain range
17  Layout three: Small Town
  A 9- by 12-foot walk-in plan set in middle America
21  Layout four: Old King Coal
  Four coal-handling accessories and three train routes
25  Layout five: Big City
  Two trains on two loops in the New York metro area
29  Layout six: Round the Mountain
  A winding reverse loop through rugged western terrain
33  Layout seven: Prairiewood
  Grain elevators, farm fields, and three track loops
38  Layout eight: Breaking the Rule of One
  A 12- by 12-foot plan with pairs of operating accessories
43  Layout nine: The Quiet One
  Walk-in, single-level operation in 9 by 12 feet
47  Layout ten: Through the Woods
  Less is more on this 12- by 12-foot walkaround plan
52  Layout eleven: The Works
  Two intersecting loops and Lionel's biggest tinplate accessories
57  Layout twelve: Crossing the Ravine
  An L-shaped 9- by 12-foot plan with a dominating central bridge
61  Layout thirteen: The Transcontinental
  Up and down the O gauge mountains on the way to Promontory Point
66  Layout fourteen: A Day at the Races
  Two intertwined ovals and six bridges mean big-time operation
71  Layout fifteen: A Twist and a Flame
  A two-train plan with a twisted loop and fire-related accessories
75  Layout sixteen: A Tale of Two Cities
  A continuous-run 12- by 12-foot track plan with two destinations
80  Conclusion
  Closing thoughts; list of manufacturers