Where is the best location to base my model railway on?

It is impossible to visit a model railway show and not be impressed, inspired or even a little envious at some of the portrayals of actual locations. But with so many examples to choose from, you may well be wondering what type of location would be best for you?

The first thing to note is that modelling a real-life location is not for everyone and involves a lot of research and meticulous modelling. If that doesn't sound like your cup of tea, don't worry, there's a lot to be said for modelling a generic railway. But if you have decided that the realism of an actual location has a part to play in your eventual satisfaction, you'll need to know where to start.

Although available space is the usual starting point for model railway designs, in this case, it is not. Whatever railway you end up creating, it should be enjoyed, so decided on a region and era first. Your choice will likely have something to do with your early railway experiences or a desire to run specific rolling stock without it looking out of place. Your criteria for choosing era and region doesn't matter, so long as your conclusion is appealing to you.

Next, think about how you want to operate your trains. Again this is unique to what makes you happy, ask yourself if you would enjoy simply watching trains trundling (or speeding) through the landscape, or maybe you would prefer to run to a timetable at a station. If shunting is more your cup of tea, you'll require sidings or a terminus of some sort. This decision is an important one because it will ultimately focus your attention on a suitable location.

Now it's time to consider the amount of space you have available for your model railway. Space is only flexible to the extent of choosing between gauges and whether your layout is to be portable or static (and possibly your willingness to move house). But whichever you choose, you will end up with a definitive maximum amount of space you have to play with. This is more of a fact than a choice, but it is an important fact.

If you have gotten to this stage, your perfect location is just a few books or mouse clicks away. By now you should know when and in what region your railway should be set, you should have a clear idea of whether you are looking to create a sweeping mainline (or meandering branch line) through some rolling hills or a busier scene such as a station or freight yard. You will have also considered whether your layout should be a terminus with lots of shunting to be done or more of a junction with some route choices included. Having narrowed down what kind of railway you would enjoy making, viewing and operating, and factored in the space available, you will be armed with a valuable list of criteria to compare against real-life locations, all you have to do now is a spot of research.