About Trackplan
Trackplan is written for people building model railways in the space they actually have — not the space in the magazine photographs. We publish notes on track plans, sidings, benchwork and timetable operation, and we try to write about the trade-offs plainly instead of pretending every plan fits every room.
Most track plan advice is written for the layout someone wishes they had. We write for the one that has to share a wall with a wardrobe and disappear under a dust sheet before the in-laws visit. That means being specific about radius, about what a siding is actually for, and about why a timetable — not more scenery — is usually what a small layout is missing.
We're not trying to sell a single "correct" way to build a layout. We're trying to lay out the trade-offs so a reader can make the call that fits their room, their stock, and how much time they actually have on a Sunday afternoon.
Trackplan is edited by a small group of hobbyists who each operate a small home layout. We keep the byline collective because most posts get read and argued over by the whole group before they're published.
Builds shelf layouts in whatever space a rental flat allows, and keeps a running list of "plans that looked fine on paper."
Ran a club timetable for a decade before scaling down to a garage layout, and writes most of the switch-list and session material.
Compares N and HO builds in the same box room and keeps everyone else's radius claims honest.
Questions, corrections, or a track plan you'd like a second opinion on — write to us at hello@trackplan.shop. We read everything, even if we can't always reply quickly.