102 Realistic Track Plans

I’m not in the habit of reviewing publications or products, but I thought it would be worthwhile to offer a positive look at Model Railroaders latest publication, 102 Realistic Track Plans.

I have a first printing of the original 101 Track Plans for Model Railroaders and have thumbed through its pages many times. It is one of my favorite references as it offers a diverse assortment of track plans and varied themes. That being said the plans are somewhat dated, and tend to favor spaghetti-bowl track arrangements.

102 Realistic Track Plans does a great job of picking up where 101 Track Plans for Model Railroaders left off, offering an updated approach to layout design.

The designs are generally more prototypical, with a concentrated focus on operations. Likewise the plans seem to have a more reasonable scope – even the largest plans seem modest in comparison to previous offerings. I also thought there was more options for would-be track planners as many of the larger plans were composed from reasonably-sized, smaller parts. Those people looking to design a smaller layout will still find a wealth of ideas in even the large plans.

My only disappointment with this publication is that it offered nothing ‘new’. Composed of plans taken from the pages of Model Railroader over the last decade, all of the designs were borrowed from past articles and project layouts. If you’ve been a loyal follower of Model Railroader there is nothing new to see here.

In closing, I’d recommend 102 Realistic Track Plans as a handy resource. The illustrations are top-notch and the plans are excellent. I’d much rather spend $10 to have a collection of plans as a single resource, then thumb through 102 magazines.