Planning a shelf switching layout

[The Cornish Pasty]

Hi All

I am returning to the hobby after a few years away from it.

I live in Cornwall in the UK

I model HO mainly UP in the 1990s

I am aiming to build a shelf switching layout 9 foot 6 X 2 foot with a feed track coming in at 90 degrees on the front 1 foot 6 from the right hand side

I would like some help with info on designing the layout and what sort of industrial buildings to use 

I'm also not quite sure of the area to set it in

I alrrady have UP,NS AND BNSF locos

Any help would be great

Thanks for reading

 

[BigDaddy]

to the forum.  Your posts are moderated for the first few and when they appear, they back in time and are easily missed.

I'm bumping your post so the layout oriented people will give you an answer.

[bearman]

First af all, the BNSF and UP/SP mergers were completed in 1995/1996, so with those BNSF locos you are post 1995 in terms of time.  Depending on how much of a stickler you are for detail, I would find a map of the UP system, Google any number of the major cities on the UP routes and then zero in on the rail served industries.  It will take some work.

One resource is the track plan database on this site if you have access to it.  Two other web sites are Byron Henderson's layout design gallery and a web site by Lance Mindheim for additional ideas.  Googling something like railroad shelf layout will also yield some plans. In fact, the latest issue of MRR has a very interesting 96 in X 18 in trackplan.

After you do some research draw up a track plan and post it on this forum and people will come out of the woodwork with ideas and suggestions.