Trying to search for an idea for your model railroad layouts? Do you find it hard to progress with your railroad model on your own? Don’t worry! We will provide you with a short list of the best and ideal model train layouts that could help you create a foundation of your railroad project.
These layouts are amazingly detailed and could work your mind to a great craftsmanship and artistry. It could widen the scope of your creativity and imagination and would improve your skills to a higher grounds. You can either mimic the designs for your own needs or you can choose for it to be just a foundation of what you really want for a great model layout satisfaction. It is always nice to opt for other ideas when trying to build your own. You can study the existing design and improve some flaws you find to fit your preference.
For a quick video tip, here is a short guide of how to build a train model layout:
To help you with the struggle and striving out with ideas for your model electric trains, we have decided to give you a short list of model train layouts for home, personal and commercial use. You can choose for it to be something worthwhile in your home, something exciting for your kids or for a just a satisfying need for a hobby!
15 Model Train Layouts Below ⇓
1. Christmas Train Layout
The first layout in our list is from Train Garden. It was built and created from an idea of a snowy train layout that represents the season of gift giving. This is a perfect layout that would with your tree during Christmas. It will provide fun, entertainment as well as an added decoration to make the occasion more committed to the season.
Image Src: Train Garden
2. Mountain and Tunnel Layout
This next layout is perfect for your electric train set! It features a mountainous terrain filled with tunnels. It is also large enough to cater multiple train cars running with space to move around. It also features a small city/village for a realistic detail. This is a perfect model train layout for kids or family. It will provide a fun and exciting scenery to make each moment of joy, memorable!
Image Src: Model Trains For Beginners
3. Winter Scene Train Layout
As you know, some or most of the train layouts are based on nature’s season. We have Christmas layout that is set on a snow and now we have the winter season for a nice and peaceful scenery. This layout is best used for HO model trains and electric train sets. Work around with the details of the set, from creating your model trees, mountain terrain, tunnel, roads and infrastructure using this idea or layout!
Image Src: Train Garden
4. N-Scale Model Railroad Layout
This is for some Hobbyist and Enthusiast of an N-Scale train toys. The layout is designed to fit the size, tracks and movement of an N-scale train set. The design of this set dates back on an early years. The village/city is quite peaceful to look at, each of which, has a detailed design specifically on the housings and infrastructures. It also features a bridge and a combination of a round and 8-figure track.
Image Src: Model Train Books
5. Z-Scale Model Railroad Layout
For a little simple design or layout that features few small houses and infrastructure along with one bridge and a tunnel, this is an ideal layout. The design is based on a Z-scale train set or model to fit it’s actual size, mobility and tracks. You can actually see a nice tree details spread across the entire platform or train table. It could be a great basis of your idea on how to properly combined structures to create a wonderful scenery.
Image Src: Grind Stonetrium, Luther Harmon
6. Smith’s City Edge
Moving the design into a higher notch, this is the Smith’s City Edge layout. It is a great reference if you want to scale up the sizes of your infrastructure. You can use this model or design to measure your own large buildings for a large railroad layout. As seen, it’s not like your usual layout or design where buildings and houses have almost the same level with your train set.
Image Source: Model Train City Layout
7. Home Made Model Railroad Layout
We would want to feature this home-made model railroad layout as it is one of the most helpful ways to keep you guided. This model train layout is made to provide as step-by-step guide on how to build your own model railroad layout. It is a good way to develop a project plan so you can instantiate building your own model. The link of the guide is included on the image source below.
Image Source: Building Your Model Railroad
8. Lionel Model Railroad
Next is a model railroad layout for Lionel. The great thing about this layout is its simplicity. It managed to create a simple canyon around figure-8 train tacks which is technically one of the basic track layout for any train set. This set features a single bridge and single tunnel surrounded by a large and spacious canyon. This is best suited for a Lionel train set of different gauges.
Image Src: Model Railway Layout Plans
9. Factory Model Railroad Layout
Another simple design that could bring fun to you and your children is this amazing layout. The size of the train tracks and train set on the picture above might not be that of a gauged/scaled train set but you can use this design and improve it to the right preference of your desired train set and layout. It will bring joy and experience of working around a factory with a railway system which is great for your kid’s imaginative play.
Image Src: Building Model Railway
10. Large N-Scale Railroad Model
This is one of the largest N-Scale model railroad layouts. This is perfect for enthusiast or hobbyist who plans to create a large masterpiece that represents a city around mountainous terrains. As you can see, the design does not only cover the top of the train table or platform used but it also has a wall painting behind that acts as additional details of a green hill or mountain. It shows great artistry, creativity and resourcefulness.
Image Source: Spelplus
11. New Jersey O Gauge Scale
This is an O-gauge/scale model train layout that was featured in a model train museum in New Jersey. It is fairly large and highly detailed. It consists of several O-gauge trains that run around different tracks and is quite a scenery when the model layout is active. It features a tall mountain track and tunnels where multiple trains can pass through. Each of the scenery models such as electric lines, grass, shrubs, trees, traffic lights as well as other forms of vehicles are detailed and closely realistic. It shows how successful train modelers are on trying to get a lifelike picture of the environment when it comes to detailing their masterpieces.
Image Source: Randy Berkowitz – YouTube Channel
12. Steve’s Custom Built O-Gauge Train Layout
Steve is a well-known member of North Georgia Tinplate Trackers. It is a non-profit organization or group that helps people try to harness their skills and talents in trying to recreate their own imagery of an ideal O-gauge model train layout. This is a simple model train layout that would have been done by normal people in such an amazing group which will really inspire you to try it modeling yourself. The group has been accepting members of all ages and genders. This shows that anyone can go as far if you just keep on trying. It is an inspired work from Steve that also continues to inspire many people, especially kids, to pursue their passion.
Image Source: Steve’s Train Layouts
13. Large N Scale Gauge Train Layout
This is one of the most amazing, detailed and realistic train model layout made and brought to you by the Midwest “N” Pioneer Model RR club. This model railroad club is a non-profit group that is devoted to teaching, helping and creating different N-scale or N-gauge train models and scenery. The train model cars are built with great details that are more likely to be a miniaturized model of a train. You’d see the shrubberies and trees are high quality, including the stonework and house models. The concept also uses a background image to maximize space and provide background details to the entirety of the model train layout.
Image Source: Midwest “N” Pioneer Model Railroad Club
14. Large N Gauge Train Layout
This one of the largest operating train model layout built for N-gauge model trains. There are multiple trains running across intertwining tracks which could take up a few minutes before it reaches the end of each track. It showcases a large town where it features a park, a playground, a baseball field and other more structural details that make up a town. You’d see flyovers on different areas made for trains to pass through as well as bridges and tunnels. This large layout is detailed and realistic as it describes or illustrates the reality of what a town with trains operating would actually look like.
Image Source: De Modeler
15. Large O-Gauge Train Layout
Lastly, this is an O-gauge train layout on a large scale brought to you by the Model RR club of Cumberland Valley. The train model layout is remarkable. It uses background images and design that represents the mountainous terrains as well as several large and tall buildings. It really saves you a lot of time creating and trying to make a strong structured building by just simply including it in the background. It also saves you a lot of time, space and materials trying to make each building stand out on its own. The layout also features bridges and flyovers to make the town realistic and lifelike. It is one of the few ideas that allows you to maximize your resource.
Image Source: Cumberland Valley Model Railroad Club
Conclusion
This list is just a one of the many ideas and designs you can create or be a basis of your own. The extent of our imagination and creativity is beyond what we expect. You just have to think deeper and have a peaceful mind to create soothing and relaxing railroad model scenery.
We really hope that these designs can help you out with your conquest of searching for the ideal layout for your home or for personal use. Feel free to drop some knowledge and ideas on the comment section below and freely share if you have liked the designs we have sorted on our list!
