How To Design A Small Switching Layout [Paperback]

Lance Mindheim (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 2, 2009

A step by step guide to designing the most versatile of all model railroad types. Learn how to: set priorities, pick the best bench work shape, design secondary track, set scenery zones, choose the best industries, and more! Two bonus track plans included. Concepts can be applied to layouts of all sizes.

Product Details

• Paperback: 74 pages
• Publisher: CreateSpace (September 2, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1449505643
• ISBN-13: 978-1449505646
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 7.8 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #319,143 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Lance Mindheim is owner of The Shelf Layouts Company, a custom model railroad building and design firm. He speaks nationally at a variety of prototype modeling conferences and is author of numerous articles for the model railroad press. An engineering graduate of Purdue University, he is a strong believer in the value of simplicity when it comes to model railroad design. Visit his website at www.shelflayouts.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A track design book for all model railroaders., October 23, 2009

By 

Barry Karlberg - See all my reviews
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This review is from: How To Design A Small Switching Layout (Paperback)

I purchased the "How To Design A Small Switching Layout" and found it chuck full of good advice. First, the way the material is presented piece by piece from simple to more detailed information and finally culminating in the design of an actual layout utilizing examples from each chapter is very helpful for both the "newbie" and experienced modeler to keep thing in focus as they plan a layout. This type of presentation provides the reader with a feeling of not only accomplishment but encouragement to help him get started on his own layout using examples from the book.

Secondly, I found the chapters on "Scenery Only" Zones, Industry Selection and Planning and Rough in Your Structure Locations the best. I still need to work on the attached plan to expand my scenery only zones but he importantly pointed out the differences of number of car spots for at least one large industry versus one large structure with only one or two spots or those with the same car types rather than a multi car type industry like a food processor. I have to admit I am still a "sucker" for industries that use reefers and tanks and he picked a good one to illustrate his point especially for modern prototypes.

Third, the chapter "Now For The Track" encouraged me (as a "former"?) N scaler to be prepared to accept not only larger radius curves but #6 turnouts as minimum to ensure good, trouble free operation and a realistic look. This is one area I am having a bit of trouble adapting to in HO...how much bigger everything is and how much more room is required to build even a small simple HO layout. I believe that if I make sure there are one or two scenery only zones, hold the number of structures to a minimum and utilize only a couple of small foreground industries and three or four larger, space saving ones I can design and build an interesting nicely detailed switching layout with a couple of options for continuous operations. Lance's books will help keep me focused as I begin this adventure.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Over-due book;, October 9, 2009

By 

Russell C. Rettig "Russ Rettig" (South Bend, IN) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: How To Design A Small Switching Layout (Paperback)

This book, as well as Lance's other book, "8 REALISTIC TRACK PLANS For Small switching Layouts" are 2 books that are way over due.
There have been several track planning books published over the years, but they seem to be aimed at people who have endless room and bank accounts to match.
I've been in the hobby of Model Railroading for over 50 years and have had way
too many layouts to try to remember them all. They ranged in size of the old standby "Plywood Pacific" on many 4'x 8' sheets of plywood to several shelf type layouts.
This new book by Lance has been a big help to me as I'm in the process of building yet another small switching layout in H-O Scale.
Times have changed and so have materials and model railroad supplies.
Better equipment means more interesting operation on small layouts than we've ever had in the past. We can now build a layout without breaking the bank, have it up and running in a very short time. And we can always change it if we find something better.
These books contain information and ideas that make the building a model railroad a lot more enjoyable and easier to build.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How to Design a Small Switching Layout by Lance Mindheim, December 9, 2009

By 

Fredrick C. G. Scheer (Maryland) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: How To Design A Small Switching Layout (Paperback)

One would think that Mr. Mindheim, a professional layout designer-builder, is trying to put himself out of business. Having published two superb track plan books that set a new standard for that genre, he has now clearly and concisely explained how to design `em yourself. For all the bloviation out there about layout design, this two-hour "read" says and shows more really useful stuff in 68 pages than you're likely to dig up in a month of web searches. As I read, I quickly came to understand why some layouts look and "feel" good and why the prototype and Mindheim use certain track configurations. Even if you have your own layout, you'll likely gain a greater understanding of your own and your colleagues' layouts and why their aesthetics and operation work the way they do, after having read this book. Although "How to Design" is a bit longer than Mindheim's previous books, it still benefits from an efficiency of language that makes a seemingly-opaque topic quite clear. This book is a very good value.