The concept of a shelf layout allows those with limited space to be able to enjoy railroading. It allows me, with some physical limitations, to enjoy railroading any time of the year, day or night, without bending, stooping, or kneeling. Year round maintenance is eliminated, such as weeding and leaf removal. However, the burden of creating realistic scenery becomes more difficult. My first attempt at a shelf layout was at normal shelf height, which was approximately 48” from the floor. I did some rearranging and decided to reassemble it at desktop height, which is approximately 29”, which allows for better viewing and works well with desktops, as one compliments the other.

My layout is a horseshoe shape and I am temporarily using LGB track, which I have plenty of, and using an Aristo-Craft reversing unit, which allows for track powered point-to-point operation.

I purchased white metal open shelf units built by Closetmaid, which can be purchased at builder supply stores. These units come in a variety of widths and lengths. The width I used is 16”. The shelves attach to the walls easily, using plastic clips and an angular support bracket. The shelves themselves can be cut to length at the point of purchase, or can be cut to fit using bolt cutters. My wife and I assembled the basic shelf in approximately one hour. We purchased corner units, which create a nice wraparound effect for the corners, but are not a necessity.

The shelves are covered with 2” thick Styrofoam, sculpting the terrain using an old iron and soldering iron. The Styrofoam is painted with a latex black paint, which helps to seal the Styrofoam and makes landscaping easier and thorough. Foam Turf and Ballast is applied using standard inside layout practice. Background hills were made using the same method. My wife and I have been experimenting with the use of artificial greenery and flowers for the scenic affect, which will continue as new ideas come to our minds. I will replace the LGB track with hand laid track in the near future.

Jeff Phistner