Planning a layout is almost as much fun as building or operating one, perhaps more on those occasions when you’re cutting that piece of wood for the third time because you can’t get the grade right or you’re relaying a section of track because an electrical gap point became uneven where the rail disconnected from the ties and no matter what you do, cars keep derailing. While “planning” you’re limited only by your imagination and your artistic ability. With reasonable software you can even get down to the details of sectional track and fall back on those frustrating times when ends just don’t meet, by pulling out a piece of flex track to make that connection. Like so much else on a computer, the errors are only a delete key away from being forgotten and great ideas can be saved for a cut & paste renewed existence in the next generation of bigger and better layouts.

It is often advised that the model railroader determine what elements of modeling is desired in the layout. I started my list...

1. Minimal complexity and limited track volume "underground". While I like tunnels, I don't like chasing down problems under the framework. I don't bend as easily as I used to and that condition is more likely to worsen than improve.
2. Open space. Part of what I admired about Z scale is that trains don't have to be really short to avoid entering one station before leaving the previous one. While a number of the layouts in magazine articles are quite admirable, they often seem "too busy" for my taste. I like space for "scenery" to exist without looking like a park setting.
3. Simplicity in the basic plan. From a "topology" viewpoint, a simple circle is a good starting point. Stretch it, squeeze it into a dog-bone, fold it in a few places; a train can run an unencumbered route unattended. A few “alternate” routes can be added for variety.
4. Operational variety. Once enough track is down, I want to start running trains, but I don’t want to just do the same thing over and over. A lot of the variety will come from the following features:
   • A freight yard, with it’s own engine facility for a locally maintained switching engine. This doesn’t need to be huge (remember my observation about the size of a 5 track yard) but it should be “complete”. By this I mean track space for a train to drop cars, off the mainline (and keep switching off the mainline most if not all the time); a yard lead track that’s not part of the main; runaround and perhaps a wye.
   • A larger engine facility with a turntable. I like steam and a roundhouse is much more desirable than a “parking lot”. I just think they have class. A "must have".
   • A passenger station. Something more than a platform and building beside the track along the route. There will be some of these, of course. But a somewhat larger facility would be a crossing point for trains of different types with implied different destinations. When I get bold, I might look to scheduling arrivals and departures of locals, express and “International” express trains. (More on this last train later.)
   • A concentrated light industrial and warehouse area. This would provide the switching challenge and provide the reason for careful train makeup in the classification yard.
   • Spur industries along the main line; maybe a waterfront.
5. At least some working signals and interlock operations. This begins the environment of operating by rules that makes this railroad modeling. Besides this kind of detail is the type of subtlety I like.