Scale Track Plan (as of 2019)

The very first requirement for the Master Model Railroader: Civil certificate is to prepare a track plan. It doesn't have to be of your actual layout but since you do have to construct other requirements on your actual layout to meet other objectives it made sense to me to diagram my actual layout. Here is what the specifications required:

Prepare one original scale drawing of a model railroad track plan, identifying overall size, scale, track elevations, curve radii, and turnout sizes. Before you start drawing your layout plan, look at requirements 2 & 3 to see what features you are going to want to incorporate in your track plan. Remember: you do not need to build everything on this plan, just the minimum required part of it. The plan should be neat and legible, but it does not have to be in ink or computer generated.

This plan must include:

- Adequate terminal facilities for handling freight and/or passenger cars;

- Adequate terminal facilities for storage and service of motive power;

- A minimum of one mainline passing siding;

- Four switching locations, not counting yards, interchanges, wyes, and reversing loops;

- Provision for turning motive power (except for switchbacks, trolley lines, etc.);

- Provision for simultaneous operation of at least two mainline trains in either direction.

So, over the winter I drew my layout to scale, using 1" = 1 foot. I drew it on large grid-lined poster board that I purchased at a craft store, but the grid lines aren't really visible in the scan above. With the grid lines in place, it looks a lot more like a scale drawing. It isn't perfect, but I do nearly everything in ink (an old habit) and I think it came out decent. I had it scanned at a copy center just in case I spilled something on it before it was time to submit it.