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