The Plan

 To design my layout, I used a combination of two programs.  I used Google Sketchup to model my cubicle (yes, the layout is in my cubicle) and the bench work placement.  I used XTrackCAD to design the track layout. First, I sketched a mockup of what I wanted my shelf to look like.  My first draft is shown below.

The first phase of this layout was the main yard of Zurich HB and would be above and to the right of my monitors. This first draft didn't last long as it would block most of the entrance to my cube.  

I was lucky enough to have permission to build this and didn't want it being a huge distraction. I then went to XtrackCAD to design this first phase.

I was very happy with the way this turned out and almost immediately started building structures and putting track together to test the configuration out. Our daughter wasn't born yet, so her room because my play room for a while.  It looked as though we were going to have a little boy with all the trains a Legos out! Legos, you ask?  That is another story and will have to wait till next post.  As for the track plan, the figure below shows how the features of Zurich HB map to my layout.

That is it for my first plan. I ran with this for a while, but made a couple additions later on as I built it. Next up is building the three main structures of the layout:

1. The main train station
2. The freight train station
3. The locomotive service facility

I like trains... train are cool... -Peter