Helping clients achieve their Layout Vision
I
have created dozens of custom model railroad track plans for clients since beginning formal layout design consulting
in 2004, as well as helping to develop operating plans for layouts large and small.
My first custom layout design and operations project was a layout for the
1950s-era Santa Maria Valley Ry. for a modeling friend in 1995. An updated version of that design has been published in the
2004 issue of Model Railroad Planning and can be seen here. From 1996 until 2001 I was editor of the Layout Design News and Layout Design Journal publications of
the Layout Design Special Interest Group. I returned as editor of the LDJ in 2010.
In 1997 I moved to the San Jose, CA area and had the good fortune to
meet Rick Fortin and become part of the crew on his fabulous ATSF Fourth District layout. Rick graciously allowed me to develop an operations plan for the layout. Sessions have grown over the years and now include
dozens of trains, 18 to 20 operators, and over 5 hours of activity.
Many of my custom track plans been published in the model railroad press
(see listing at right) and some example designs are also found in my Layout Design Gallery. Client comments can be seen on the Results page of this site. I'm also available for editing and authoring for publishers, SIGs and Historical Societies, etc.
My own modeling interests are focused on the Bay Area railroads,
including the Southern Pacific, Western Pacific, and Santa Fe. I'm building an N scale layout featuring rail-marine freight terminal operations in the 1950s. The first tiny test section of this layout is described in
the Layout Design SIG's Layout Design Journal #29 and here. I am a member of the NMRA, Layout Design SIG, Operations SIG, and the SP, ATSF, and WP historical societies.
 Laying temporary flextrack at Rick Fortin's layout. Photo by Rick, goofy
look by yours truly.
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Partial list of articles and clinics
"Coal Hauler in a Spare Bedroom" (Clinchfield
RR multi-deck in HO 12X13) Model Railroad Planning 2013
"Back to Basics: Staging" (Intro to staging
for operating layouts) OpSIG Dispatcher's Office October 2012
"Howard Terminal in N Scale" (1950s Oakland, CA Rail-Marine
Terminal) (1950s
SP and ATSF in Reedley, CA in HO) Model Railroad Planning 2012
"HO Logs and lots of Stripwood" (Freelanced
logging featuring craftsman kits) Model-Railroad-Hobbyist October 2011 (Large freelanced ops-oriented layout) Model-Railroad-Hobbyist June
2011 (Mid-sized HO layout with hidden staging) Model-Railroad-Hobbyist Feb.
2011 "Switchman's Dream on a 4X8"(Freelanced HO terminal switching layout) Model
Railroad Planning 2011
"Layout Design Step-by-Step"
"The Scioto Valley Division"
(Proto-freelanced NYC, PRR, NW in N) Model-Railroad-Hobbyist Sep/Oct '10 NMRA Nat'l Convention 2010 (Jointly with LDSIG)
"Canadian Prairie
Crossing"
(CN and NAR in HO scale) Model-Railroad-Hobbyist May/June '10
-- Issue #7
"Dallas on a Door"
(Compact M-K-T N scale switching layout) "Parr Terminal" (Portable N scale layout based on Bay Area terminal RR) Model
Railroad Planning 2010
"Black Diamonds and Beer"
(Modern-era PA shortline in N scale) Model-Railroad-Hobbyist Jan/Feb '10 -- Issue #5 "Slim Rails in Stages" (S.P. Keeler Branch [CA] in HOn3) Model-Railroad-Hobbyist Oct. '09 -- Issue #4
"Alcos in the Alcove"
(MILW-inspired switching layout in HO) Model-Railroad-Hobbyist Issue #3
"Track Warrant Control and Other Operating Forms"
OpSIG Dispatcher's Office June 2009
"Best of the West"
(Tehachapi, Cajon, more in HO) Model-Railroad-Hobbyist
Issue #2 "Espee's
'Orange Grove Route'" (Visalia Electric Railroad in HO) Model Railroad
Planning 2009
"Down by the Shore in Hoboken"
(Hoboken Shore RR in HO) Model-Railroad-Hobbyist Issue #1
Two clinics at NMRA 2008 in Anaheim:
"Layout Design from the Prototype" and "Creating an Operating Session".
"Railroading
in Paradise"
(The Oahu Railway in HOn3) Model Railroad Planning 2008 "A Baker's Dozen Yard Ideas for Design and Operation"
How to Build Realistic Layouts: Freight Yards Model Railroader Special Issue August 2007
"Variations on a Waybill Theme"
OpSIG Dispatcher's Office July 2007
"Planning the Midland Pacific"
LDSIG Layout Design Journal #35; Dec. 2006
"The Pacific Electric
Orphan Branch" Model Trains International # 63
"Hamilton City"
Model Trains International # 62 Designing Practical
Layouts Based on Prototype Railroads
Small Layout Design - Beyond the Timesaver
A Quick and Easy Start for Operations
"On the Streets of San Francisco with the Ocean
Shore Railroad"
Layout Design Journal #32; April 2005
"Folding Belt Line on a Shelf"
(Alameda Belt Line in N)
Model Railroad Planning 2005
"Ops at the Shops"
Model Trains International # 57
"Op Session Design -- Freelance and Prototype"
Clinic, PCR/NMRA Convention
2004
"X-Factor Staging"
(Santa Maria
Valley Railroad in N)
Model Railroad Planning 2004 view this trackplan
"Another Angle on Urban Switching Layouts"
Layout Design Journal #29; Jan. 2004 View this layout in the Design Gallery
"Linking Unconnected Decks with Operations and Staging"
Layout Design Journal #28; Spring
2003
"Realistic Small Switching Layouts"
Clinic, LD/OpSIG Regional Meet 2003
"Design
Principles for Garage Layouts"
Layout Design Journal #27; Autumn 2002
"Houston's Port
Terminal Railway in N Scale"
Model Railroad Planning 2002 Layout
Design Journal #26; Spring 2001
"CLIC
/ SPINS / ZTS Track-Industry Maps as a Design Resource"
Layout Design Journal #26; Spring 2001
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