Layouts and layout building

after a year long hiatus, im coming back to HO scale modeling. I orignally built benchwork for an On30 layout but for various reasons, im switching back to HO. Heres my quandary though, i don't really have any track plan that tickles my fancy.

the area is L shape with one side 6' and the other side 8' , the shelf is 18 inches wide. Those dimesnion are pretty much set in stone. I still prefer analog control and road of choice is Santa fe in Southern california circa 1955-59. more of a quasi-prototype than full-on prototype kind of modeler. I've seen a lot of plan heavy on operation but most of them seem to lack that certain "vibe" (for lack of a better word) about southern california. Most plans i look into are either a mess of tracks crisscrossing each other, or the really simplified plans that offer very little to do operation wise. im basicly stuck in a trackplan rut.... any help?

The problem you are having is that you are looking for track plans from other people when the track plan you want is inside your head.  You've built a layout and you know what it is you want--but other people's plans are always about what they want and there are no matches. Factor in that no one has your space limitations and you have pushed your odds of finding a match past the odds of Jessica Alba parachuting naked into your back yard.

So you have to take time and draw your vision out of yourself. Then you have to design a layout that matches that vision and will still fit in your space. You will have to make compromises that only you can make. Take a look at my "Beginner's Guide" in my signature. It'll take about 5 minutes to read and help you ask yourself the right questions.

The ATSF in southern CA takes a number of different forms. In a shelf layout as you are contemplating, you can have heavy urban switching (as in downtown LA and ATSF subsidiary LA Junction), more lightly-traveled agriculturally oriented branches, even beachside tracks (south to San Diego). If you've chosen which character of the ATSF in So Cal you'd like to portray, there are plenty of examples, both prototype and model, from which to chose for inspiration.

When I work with people on track plans, I find one of the most difficult decisions for them is not what to include, but what to leave out -- and this is especially true in a smaller area. You'll probably have to focus on one or two "signature scenes" that really convey the flavor of the ATSF you've chosen. That could be one reason why you are finding track planning a challenge. Narrowing focus is sometimes the hardest step, but it often reaps the most rewards. In fourteen linear feet in HO, you will have to choose somewhat between busy industrial trackage and a more laid-back feeling. Either can work.

But you can do a lot in a small area when you are willing to choose and focus. Bob Smaus' Port of LA project in Model Railroader magazine (Dec '90-Mar '91) did a fine job in only 30"X72" in HO. I wrote a bit about it in my blog. Also in my blog series on my personally inspirational layouts was Andy Sperandeo's ATSF San Jacinto District (MR Feb 1980).

If you have thought about which aspect of the ATSF in So Cal most interests you, I and others may be able to post some suggestions for inspiration. Here's one example, if you are interested in the agriculturally oriented scenes, Jim Lancaster's fine layout has a number of sections that would make interesting shelf layouts. And I think it really captures the "vibe".

Byron

I happen to live in an apartment right now and I have the same amount of space in the same shape (except it is 9' along one wall and 5' long the other) This space allows me to have a branch line switching layout. I am modeling northern Ohio between Sandusky and Toledo, Ohio, south of Lake Erie. The 5' side is 1' wide and serves as my "staging" area (fiddle yard actually). This is where consists are made for a class 1 RR (Chessie, Erie Lackawanna, Pensy, etc) to deliver to the setout track for an industrial corridor, which is on the 9' side. My free-lanced Toledo Erie Central (TEC) takes over the sorting and switching duties from there, serving some 5 or 6 industries. At the end of the day, cars that are outbound are switched to the pickup track for the Class1 RR to pick up the next day. The industries are large (brewery complex, grain elevator), intermediate (manufacturer of small auto parts) and small (coal/fuel distributor, team track, etc.) so there are plenty of switching opportunities.

 The "story" is that this is the mid to late 70's and it is the beginning of the deregulation/Conrail era. The industrial corridor is a small segment of the  former PRR/N&W trackage that was going to be abandoned, much to the chagrin of the local industries. So, the local industries got together and bought that segment, worked out a deal with the (Class 1) railroad for delivery of cars and formed their own RR company to serve their businesses: the Toledo Erie Central. The "company fleet" consists of one EMD SW900 and one caboose. The offices are housed in the old but small depot, there in West Sandusky, a fictional town, which would be west of Sandusky, Ohio and east ot Toledo, Ohio.

It is this kind of a scenario that you can use your imagination on to put together your own version of the ATSF segment that you want to model. Remember, it's all about having fun, so let your mind wander and take a ride on it to your favorite railroad destination!

fidt id like t osay thanks to both cuyama and space mosue for their insights. Im not a newbie to HO or model railroading but their comment really made me tink. Its funny somoene should mention the San jacinto plan as i was perusing it an hour or so before i logged on. It is pretty interesting. Looking at spacemouse webist also yielded some very good idea, especially the gallery of past contests. ill try to keep people updated on my track plan

thanks

Keep in mind that most plans can be bent, twisted, stretched, or shrunk to fit your space while maintaining the same schematic. Also, you don't have to lock in to plans that fit your locale. You can take any plan and give it the scenic treatment you desire so it isn't necessary to find one designed for southern California. Given that you only have space for a shelf layout, that pretty much limits you to a switching layout or a very short branch line. Fortunately, there are ample published plans for this type of space. It's unlikely you'll find an exact match for your space but you don't need to. Just find one that gives you enough operating possibilities to keep you interested.