10 "Rules" of Train Layouts.

I am in the process of designing my first train layout depicting the Black Hills.  This is not my first layout, however, and so I would like to share with you some things that I would consider to be hard rules of layout design.  Do you have to follow them?  Of course not, it's your railroad.  But if you plan on creating a train layout that is realistic and easy to operate, please consider the following:

1. Efficient track planning.  Railroads used the fewest number of turnouts possible to get the trains where they needed to go.  Some people may like spaghetti bowl layouts packed with as much track as possible, but it's far from realistic. A track plan that uses the fewest number of turnouts to get the job done saves a lot of money.  The bigger the layout, the more savings.  Rather than having a bunch of one car industries on separate switch tracks, combine all the industries to one track.  This makes switching more interesting during operations, and more realistic.  The only industries that should be given their own track, or tracks, are the larger industries that handle multiple cars at once.
2. Space between towns.  When modeling a rural area, like the Black Hills, it would make sense to have towns be more spaced out.  If you have a small space for a train layout, I suggest confining yourself to one town and leaving the remainder of the space for rural running. Also, omit small towns that have little value for your operations and focus instead on areas that will allow you to switch your trains.  Only add the little towns if they are significant to you personally or if you have the extra space to add it to the layout.
3. Wide isles.  Nobody is getting younger, and the majority of us (including yours truly) are getting bigger.  If you are the sole operator with the occasional visitor, a 36 inch isle is fine, 30 inches if your fit and trim.  But if you have multiple operators, a minimum of 48 inches should be considered, 60 or 72 would be ideal.  There are ways to get isles that wide in a medium sized space which will be covered in detail at a later date.
4. Comfortable height.  Yes, you can fit multiple decks in to give yourself more run time.  I have read about and seen multi-deck train layouts before.  But unless you've got to have a lot of railroad, and the time as well as money to maintain it, a single deck at a comfortable height just makes the most sense. More room for scenery, lights, and "atmosphere".
5. Generous vertical space.  Since this post is mostly related to railroads around the Black Hills, one thing that is specifically needed is vertical space for mountains and hills and other tall scenery.  I'm sorry, multi-deck layout fans, this type of railroading just isn't meant for that design.
6. Aim for realistic scenery. Way back when, scenery was given a second thought to models. Sawdust for grass, plaster for terrain, and twigs for trees.  Today, the world of scenery is much more complex and gives even the newest of hobbyists an avenue towards realistic scenery.  My rule for scenery is to invest heavily in it, even more so than the trains.  You can get a used freight car cheaply at a show and spruce it up, but there are some scenery products out there that can't be found cheaply, even at shows.  Additionally, if you are modeling a time and place accurately, investing the time to make the scenery realistic is even more important than the trains (at least for the general public).  Most people don't know one locomotive class from the next, but they can easily spot features of their local area represented in miniature.
7. Lights and sound.  After witnessing a few layouts with fantastic lighting and sound, I've become a firm believer that these are two elements that are needed for a great railroad.  Lights set the mood for the layout and provide a better viewing experience.  Sound helps to immerse people into the atmosphere of the layout.  By the same token, outside lighting and outside noises should be minimized.  This will protect the models, which are susceptible to UV light, and will create a better atmosphere for running trains by blocking out whatever is going on outside.
8. Separate areas for workbench and layout.  If at all possible, the ideal is to have a workbench in another room from the layout.  Obviously, this isn't possible for many people, so the second best arrangement is to have a dedicated space in the layout room for working on models and for building supplies.  A lumber rack underneath the bench work, a PVC tube holding scale lumber and metal, shelves for tools, a set of plastic drawers for spare parts, and a decent table top area for doing work.  Filling all your space with train layout and forgetting to have a place for maintenance and construction removes the ability to take care of the train layout.
9. Safety.  This is a subject that doesn't get talked enough, besides the obvious practices of earplugs and safety glasses.  That stuff is very important, but it's also a good idea to have items such as a fire extinguisher and a flashlight, or multiple of each, available in case of a fire or power outage.  While the DC or AC current used by trains is safe for people, it's a good idea to install a surge protector between the wall outlet and the control station to protect the electronics in the train controller.  Between the controller and the track, fuses are recommended to protect the delicate electronics of the trains from being fried.  I've had a couple of experiences where an engine burnt up because of electric issues, it's just best to prevent it from happening.  Safety for yourself and for your trains are paramount.
10. Efficient wiring.  Now for the one thing that I will always follow in the future, have efficient track wiring.  Many large layouts have tangles galore of wire underneath the layout.  I emplore you to think differently.  Use color coded wire for the different buss wires using black as common.  Get a wireman's sticker book to label each feeder wire with a number, odds and evens representing one rail or the other. Of course, you can label things differently, so long as you can remember the system you used.  Additionally, neatness of wires help a lot.  I had wired a section of track in reverse once.  Having all the wires being the same color, and not having anything labeled was bad enough.  But having a tangle of the same colored wire?  That's was the worst part.  So please, for your own sanity, keep your wiring straight forward, neat, and labeled.  Finally, if you abandon a section of wire, be sure to remove it.

That sums up the 10 "rules" I intend to follow for all future layouts.  The nice part is that there isn't an exception to most of these rules,just a simple "do this" attitude.  If you don't want to follow these, there's no model railroad police that will come after you. It's your railroad, run it how you wish.  But I do recommend considering these things because it will make running trains a better experience and your life just a bit easier.