# Some nice layout design element ideas



## OilValleyRy (Oct 3, 2021)

I’ll avoid “on layout” ideas like industries etc.

For replicas of real industries, a small print out behind an acrylic cover providing history (and maybe a photo) of the real life business mounted to the fascia.

Before installing fascia, at industries where car loads will be removed, add a sheet of plywood between support stringers as a storage shelf for removed car loads (i.e. coal). A single dim LED above the shelf helps. If using magnetic loads, add a strip of quarter round trim to the shelf to make a tray for a magnetic wand. Frame fascia around the shelf.

Easy & versatile valances: This is for both above & below benchwork. If you have a drop ceiling, utilize the T rail for this. If your ceiling is dry wall, galvanized roofing nails will provide a great & easy solution.
Acquire fabric of desired color. Acquire inexpensive magnets of any shape or size. Cut the fabric to desired width, and simply hang the valance using the magnets to hold it up to the T rail or nail heads. No glue required, can be repositioned, and roofing nails are easy to paint over if needed/wanted.
For below layout valance. Hot glue magnets to the back side of the fascia, and also hot glue magnets (in according location) to the fabric. At seams, measure an 8 inch over lap of fabric. Adding magnets to seams is optional. Much less hassle than using curtain rods. And you can magnet the valance out of the way indefinitely when digging out a thousand boxes of holiday decor etc stored under there.

If your workbench is near your layout; add a RIP track somewhere in the vicinty. A spur off the mainline is prototypical too. Whenever you have a car acting up (bad coupler etc), put it on a local to be spotted on the RIP track and leave it for repair. The next time you’re at the workbench, you’ll have it waiting nearby. A coupler height gauge soldered to isolated track can function as a spur bumper on the RIP track.

Keyboard “drawers” or “trays” often found on business desks are fantastic for mounting stationary decoders and other electrical hubs. Mount it between support stringers. Cut the fascia free and add a couple hinges. Sliding the keyboard “drawer” out sure beats crawling underva layout and soldering above your face with gravity (and Murphy) lurking about. Just be sure to have enough excess wire for the “drawer” to move.

Save old smartphones, ipods, etc. Solder headphone jacks to speakers. Mount the speaker in a structure. Provide an outlet under the layout to keep the charger plugged in. Take the phone/ipod/etc out into the world, record the sounds you want (i,e, farm, rr yard, traffic, etc) and then plug it in on the layout. You can change and add custom recordings at a whim, in addition to easily relocating the device. With good alignment of where & how it is seated behind the fascia, the play button can be manipulated through a discreet hole in the fascia using a wood skewer.
For a more advanced method, you can solder in a motion detector in the fascia so that when an observer passes by the location, the sounds activate (like a hand dryer in public restrooms). You can also do this with structure interior illumination.

When wiring your layout for track power, turnout machines, lighting, and other features/functions, use the same wire color code as a locomotive decoder to simply troubleshooting. Switch machines gray/orange, lighting blue/yellow/white, track black/red. It maybe unnecessary in rural farm areas, but heavy industrial or sprawling yard areas it will help knowing track wiring from switch machine wiring just by sight when looking for a faulty connection etc.


----------



## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

OilValley

Some very good ideas that many will find useful.
Wiring color codes are important. I do agree black
and red for track wiring but really prefer the age
old Black common, Red divert, Green straight, colors
for turnout wiring. The exception being the 2 wire
requirement for stall motor (Tortoise) turnouts which
would need a different color choice.

Don


----------



## OilValleyRy (Oct 3, 2021)

One that I forgot to mention.
White boards in the 8.5x11 size or so (clipboard size) are pretty handy for local switch lists. As long as they don’t smudge.
Though I haven’t tried this myself I do plan to. It seems more efficient than paper but could turn out to be impractical for some overlooked reason.


----------



## OilValleyRy (Oct 3, 2021)

Electronics drawer made from “scrap” if such a thing exists.
The rear is left open for wiring slack. It will mount on drawer sliders between stringers, so no stooping or bending, just pull it out like a kitchen drawer. A piece of fascia will cover the front. Inside will be a secured/fastened power strip, power supplies for various bus lines (turnout bus, lighting bus, etc), and my initial DCC power supply. As my layout evolves I will have a second drawer to hold a max of three 5A boosters.


----------

