You probably want an area of a city that is mostly industrial. There are hundreds of places in the US like that with many different types of industries. If you want to freelance, you could make almost any industry. Looking at Google Earth can give you some great ideas. Luckily, with the engines you have, you could model almost any part of the country as most railroads from the 90s to present share or lease motive power.
I agree with the above. If you were thinking of just building on a flat surface, just build it, buy some track and a few switches and try things. I would line up 3 or 4 industries, with maybe a small passenger area. The idea would be to simulate a branchline feeding a few industries. There are other options, like a larger industry at one end. I know it's not your era of interest, but you could do a point to point logging operation, perhaps with a mining operation sharing the track, with mountain scenery...
Simon
IMHO. Anyone would be hard pressed to tell ''you'' what to build. You already have your space,step one. There are hundreds of track plans on line,and more then a few books to offer ideas.
Look around , get some idea of what might trip your trigger. I use the'' no plan track plan''. I lay track, then change it till i like it.
Area; pick a spot you like,or create your own.Unless you plan to follow a certain prototype road, it only has to meet your goals.
Industires; What ever you like, grain,steel,lumber, or a small town with a little of every thing.
I have but 4 engines,each a different road, I don't care, they all do what I ask of them.
Don't over think it. If its not enjoyable, your doing it wrong.
Welcome CP. I seem to get my self in trouble when I get too involved with track planning, but I'm always interested in what new members have in mind.
If nothing else, this will "bump" your thread back to the top.
Do you have any type of a sketch of the room and the lay out you have in mind?
At the top of the page in the General Discussion Forum, there are instructions for posting picyures.
Hope to see more!
Mike.
My You Tube
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