Economy Track Planning
Something Different and Unique.
What I offer is a service which cuts out all the unnecessary stuff and provides you with a buildable, visual representation of your Idea at an affordable rate.
Whats Included?
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A freelance Layout plan designed to fit your space, scale, requested industries and or other requirements.
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One revision – You can make changes
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A color coded diagram showing you where each part goes.
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A list of track needed.
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A Quote for custom benchwork
Whats NOT Included?
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In home consultation
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3D renderings
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Specific placement of buildings or other small structures
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Track planning based on a specific prototype
Cost (Labor)
Cost includes up to 8 hours of layout planning. Also included is one revision which allows you to make some changes once you receive the preliminary plan. Additional revisions beyond the one included are billed at my hourly rate of $25 per hour. Once the plan is finalized I will send you a list of needed track parts and a visual (typically color coded) breakdown of what goes where.
Pricing: Single Deck
Single deck – One layer of track and trains (NO Grades)
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HO, N, S scales 51 to 100 Sq ft – $450
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HO, N, S scales 101 to 200 Sq ft – $750
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HO, N, S scales 201 to 400 Sq ft – $1125
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HO, N, S scales 401 to 600 Sq ft – $1725
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HO, N, S scales 601 to 800 Sq ft – $2125
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G and O scale up to 100Sq ft – $250
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G and O scale 101Sq ft to 200Sq ft – $500
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G and O scale 201Sq ft to 300Sq ft – $750
Pricing: Double Deck
Double deck – Two layers of trains and track connected by ramps or a helix, or with grades and ramps
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HO, N, S scales 51 to 100Sq ft – $975
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HO, N, S scales 101 to 200Sq ft – $1450
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HO, N, S scales 201 to 400Sq ft – Inquire
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HO, N, S scales 400Sq ft & up – Inquire
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G and O scale up to 100Sq ft – $600
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G and O scale 101 to 200Sq ft – $1075
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Please inquire for larger layouts
Please Note:
I generally do not draw track plans for layouts under 50 Sq ft unless MRB will be building the custom benchwork as well.
Pricing Based on the available space in the room / rooms the track plan is to be drawn in unless the benchwork already exists.
How long does it take?
One of the reasons I provide Economy track planning is because I personally enjoy the process and I use it as a way to relax. Typically I will spend around 1 hour an evening working on your plan. This allows me to provide you with a well thought out and researched plan. Due to this the time necessary to complete a layout plan varies widely but most plans are complete within 1-2 weeks. A large complex plan such as the steel mill below can however take 6-8 weeks depending on the subject matter to be modeled.
Getting started
While some track planning services will send you a 15+ page questioner, I like to keep things simpler so in most cases I only need the following.
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Detailed room dimensions including placement of doors, windows and obstacles like support pillars or walkways that need to remain accessible. Sometimes a short 30 second to 1 minute video tour is helpful.
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Room accessibility constraints - How I breakup a layout into buildable modules can be impacted by how you access the room. A garage layout will for example be built differently than a layout that needs to go into a basement with a stair case and narrow hallways.
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Layout specifics - Next I will need to know the scale, type of track you hope to use including code and any special items you hope to include like turntables, specific bridges, tunnels or other items. Note this list should include major industries you want to model if it's that kind of layout. Additionally if there are to be grades or multiple decks I will need to know that as well. (I can give you a quote for the track plan once I have this info)
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3-4 examples of existing layouts that you like or want to emulate. This helps me visualize what you are seeing in your head.
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A phone conversation - I will need to speak with you to get a better idea of the theme, objectives and overall scope. This is usually a 15 minute phone call possibly with a followup call/s once I get something roughed out.
