Third Place Layout for $500 - 1
W
hen I started
in this hobby,
I had nothing
in terms of tools. While it
would be nice to imagine the average person already owning a
A starter layout you can build for under $500
– By Ben Kaur
1: While the author does not indicate a prototype or
region for his track plan, this simple but very believable
scene could be replicated on this layout if we assume
a Milwaukee Road prototype. The bare-bones layout
presented here can grow with more locos, rolling
stock, and scenic details to easily replicate scenes like
this one.
Third place winner in the
MRH $500 contest
A modest but solid foundation for a model
railroad with lots of growth possibilities ...
table saw, or a sander, or a power drill, I will assume not even
the simplest of implements. Everything called for in the design
keeps to the budget of $500. I further assume regular pricing
without any special sales, discounts or other consumer boost-
ers in effect.
I assume that, all told, the cost of shipping and/or taxes runs
roughly 10% of the bill, thus reducing our “real” budget from
$500 to $450 before picking up a single piece of track. To estab-
lish spending benchmarks, I assume everybody has a Home
Depot or an Ace Hardware in their neighborhood. Lowes, or
True Value, or your favorite local stores are suitable substitutes.
The space
I start by finding a place to have my railroad. In my life, I have
identified a quiet, containable, confined space where I could
indeed build a layout. My particular room is roughly 11 feet
square, with three doors and a window. Its primary purpose is
for sleeping, but otherwise, it does not see much use.
Let us consider how we use our space. We could build an island
layout in the center of a room, but we'd rob the room of any
other functions it may have, and we'd have to consider invest-
ing in benchwork and legs strong enough to support perhaps
50 pounds per square foot. A layout around the walls would
keep the room free for its primary purpose, accommodate the
necessary load, and it requires only a minimal support struc-
ture. This approach has the bonus that the finished layout
lends itself to a modular format.
Preparing the room
The windows are the easiest issue to address. Ultraviolet
(UV) light is the single most damaging element on earth. It
MRH-Jul 2013
