It's time again, I think.

Way back last year I did a 7 part story on building a model railroad, start to finish.  Like Model railroader magazine, a story like that always is helpful to people who are starting, looking for new techniques, and people just surfing to look at modern techniques on building a model railroad.  The first time I did this, I was told it was okay, but there were two things which people asked for:

• Including several methods of building a layout instead of just one.  There are many ways to build a railroad.  Some of the most common methods used today are: foam board, foam and plaster cloth, paper shell and plaster, "cookie cutter" and lattice, and table top.
• And people wanted more diagrams to explain the steps better.  I personally am out of space for building a railroad, so I will use past photos of layout construction. I will also be using diagrams I drew up on a computer.  Also, if anyone wants some publicity for their railroad, please contact me by commenting below.  I'll be happy to show your layout in construction.

That said, here is how the story of constructing a railroad will go:

Part I, explaining different construction techniques.

Part II, explaining how to plan your railroad.

Part III, going over building bench work.

Part IV,  explaining roadbed construction and pre-scenery.

Part V, different types of power.

Part VI, explaining track laying and wiring.

Part VII, going over ballasting and scenery.

Part VIII, going over the construction and placement of buildings.

Part IX,  explaining the details

Part X, maintenance procedures.

With this in mind, here is the general format of how things will look. This will serve as a diagram for finding a specific part of the article:

Part and article title

Introduction to the topic discussed.

Different methods of constructing ___.

Steps on completing ___ and variations for each method. (or, if a large variety of techniques are used, it might be necessary to go step by step through each different method).

Conclusion and where to next.

And there you have it, the idea, format, and information towards building your own railroad.