Welcome to Bob's Track Plans

Custom model railroad layout designs for any scale, any gauge, any prototype, any era

Robert W. (Bob) Sprague has created hundreds of layout plans, including more than fifteen published in Model Railroader.

Bob specializes in designs based on prototype locations, routes, and scenes. He makes sure that the resulting layouts are satisfying to build and provide realistic operation.

View many examples of Bob's plans in the Gallery, and please use the contact form to request a quote.

Some Recent Plans

Shawn Antin's Angeles & Eastern

To give Shawn a yard, a double-track main, two commuter rail stations, and some scenic running in the California mountains we used two-turn helixes at either end of the visible main line. These permit the construction of a relatively large concealed staging yard with enough "finger room" to rerail and maintain trains. Shawn can set 2-4 trains orbiting on the mainline while working the yard and industries for a basic, but satisfying, operating pattern.

6 days ago

Todd Jenson's St. Louis, Oklahoma & Western

Todd wanted to model the ATSF/UP line between Kansas City and Ft. Worth, including the towns of Arkansas City, Kansas, Red Rock, Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, Purcell, Oklahoma, Paul's Valley, Oklahoma, Wynnewood, Oklahoma, Big Canyon, Oklahoma, Ardmore, Oklahoma, and Gainesville, Texas. Most of the industries represent rail-served customers along the prototype line.

May 24

Bob Germinder's Pueblo & Western

Bob wanted a Colorado-themed HO scale pike featuring a narrow-gauge branch and—wait for it—a mainline capable of accommodating Big Boy 4-8-8-4s and similar big articulated steamers, despite a relatively small bedroom space. I used a central loop to add some welcome length to the mainline, fitting in a decent yard for freight switching and a small engine terminal.

May 23

John DeDad's Western New York RR

John had a prebuilt table, always a challenge, and wanted to evoke the parallel main lines of the NYC and NKP west of Buffalo. The tables could only accommodate a single 18" turnback curve on each end, so I placed the mainlines on two levels and added cutoffs to permit trains to move between the NYC and NKP tracks.

Apr 10

Ben Nance's Magnolia & Gulf Railway

The 3-rail guys have found me, and this is the latest in a string of designs for O scalers. Ben had a single-car garage available and wanted the largest curves possible for his big steamers. We were able to come up with a design that had a 45" minimum mainline radius and offer the flexibility of operating as two loops or—using the cutoffs near the station—one longer twice-around.

Feb 1

FREE TOOL

Here's a free track planning tool. It's an Excel file that includes train length, grades of curves, degrees to radius, frog angles, and scale calculators. Have fun!

Download Calculator

WHY A CUSTOM TRACK PLAN?

Every advanced model railroader has unique preferences, goals, and space available. Working with an experienced track planner helps you take full advantage of your layout room, while ensuring that the layout you take years to build will continue to keep you satisfied and challenged.

Bob Sprague has designed more than 250 detailed, operation-oriented railroads. While insisting that "it's your railroad," he can supply valuable experience and perspective to help you get the most out of your hobby.

Bob's Track Plans