| At their most basic level, model railroad layouts are | | | | at the terminals for freight trains to |
| simple circles and ovals that | | | | perform their normal functions, while the express is |
| would fit onto a 4x6 sheet of plywood.These simple | | | | speeding from terminal to |
| track layouts are easy to set up and relatively | | | | terminal.In a good-sized layout, scenery can handle |
| inexpensive, but they | | | | part of this problem. The express can |
| aren't really very realistic. After all, with the | | | | rush into a tunnel, where the operator stops it. He |
| exception of kids' rides at the | | | | then carries on other railroad |
| amusement park, how many trains have you ever | | | | business to his heart's content and, when it is |
| seen that just go around in circles?The Point-to-Point | | | | completed, makes his express rush |
| LayoutReal railroads go from one place to another | | | | out of the other end of the tunnel as if it had been |
| place. They may have sidings, branch | | | | traveling hundreds of miles all |
| lines, and other subsidiary systems, but the main line | | | | the time.A small layout, however, cannot adopt |
| starts at one point, travels to | | | | even this illusion because a small railway has |
| another point, and stops.Trains are turned around at | | | | no room for two genuine terminals.The |
| terminals by means of extensive yards, wyes, loops, | | | | Out-and-Home LayoutThe out-and-home layout |
| and | | | | solves part of this problem - it has only one terminal. |
| turntables, but the main line, whether double-track or | | | | This is really a point-to-point system doubled back |
| single-track, goes from point | | | | on itself.You have a terminal. You send the train out |
| to point. There are switches and yards at one end, | | | | and it travels through farmland and |
| and a turnaround of some sort at | | | | forest, through villages and mountains, and finally |
| the other.Despite the point-to-point model railroad's | | | | arrives at a terminal. It just |
| resemblance to real railroad lines, it | | | | happens to be the same terminal it started from, |
| is'nt very successful on a model railroad.True, in | | | | but you can easily pretend that it |
| some very large model systems the point-to-point | | | | isn't.This system gives you a little more mileage |
| plan has been used, but | | | | between terminals than the point-to- |
| in most cases the model railroad cannot possibly | | | | point system, but in most model railroads the train |
| approximate the distance traveled | | | | arrives back home before you |
| by a real railroad.If you had the entire Madison | | | | have been able to do much, unless you use the |
| Square Garden for your layout, you still wouldn't be | | | | tunnel or other method of hiding the |
| able to duplicate, in scale mileage, a reasonable | | | | train that is supposed to be traveling.While more |
| point-to-point railroad. In normal | | | | adaptable to model railroads than point-to-point, it still |
| model railroads, the train hardly leaves one terminal | | | | presents many |
| before it has arrived at the end | | | | problems except on very large layouts. |
| of the line.No time is allowed for switching operations | | | | |