Background -- Byron Henderson

Model Rail Services

Background -- Byron Henderson

Helping hobbyists since 1995

My first custom layout design and operations consulting was a design for the 1950s-era Santa Maria Valley Ry. for a modeling friend in 1995. An updated version of that design has been published in the 2004 issue of Model Railroad Planning. From 1996 until 2001 I was editor of the Layout Design News and Layout Design Journal publications of the Layout Design Special Interest Group. (See list at right for articles).

In 1997 I moved to the San Jose, CA area and had the good fortune to meet Rick Fortin and become part of the crew on his fabulous ATSF Fourth District layout. Rick graciously allowed me to develop an operations plan for the layout. Sessions have grown over the years and now include dozens of trains, 18 to 20 operators, and over 5 hours of activity.

In the last few years I have been doing Layout Designs and Operations Plans for a number of friends, writing articles, and preparing and presenting clinics at conventions and meetings. In 2004 I became a Marketing Consultant in my "day job" and now have the schedule flexibility to offer design and ops consulting services to model railroaders. I'm also available for editing and authoring for publishers, SIGs and Historical Societies, etc.

My own modeling interests are focused on the Bay Area railroads, including the Southern Pacific, Western Pacific, and Santa Fe. I'm building an N scale layout to share the garage with a family car. The first tiny test section of this layout is described in the Layout Design SIG's Layout Design Journal #29 and here. I am a member of the NMRA, Layout Design SIG, Operations SIG, and the SP, ATSF, and WP historical societies.

Laying temporary flextrack at Rick Fortin's layout. Photo by Rick, goofy look by yours truly.

Partial list of articles and clinics

Two clinics at NMRA 2008 in Anaheim:

"Layout Design from the Prototype" and

"Creating an Operating Session".

Click here for descriptions and notes.

"Railroading in Paradise"

(The Oahu Railway in HOn3)

Model Railroad Planning 2008

"A Baker's Dozen Yard Ideas for Design and Operation"

How to Build Realistic Layouts: Freight Yards

Model Railroader Special Issue August 2007

"Variations on a Waybill Theme"

OpSIG Dispatcher's Office July 2007

"Planning the Midland Pacific"

Layout Design Journal #35; Dec. 2006

"A Little Love for the Yard" and "Forget the Fast Clock"

OpSIG Dispatcher's Office July 2006

(links are to similar versions on this site)

"The Pacific Electric Orphan Branch"

Model Trains International # 63

read a version of this article

"Hamilton City"

Model Trains International # 62

View this layout in the design gallery

Three clinics at the NMRA 2005 National Convention

Designing Practical Layouts Based on Prototype Railroads
Small Layout Design - Beyond the Timesaver
A Quick and Easy Start for Operations

"On the Streets of San Francisco with the Ocean Shore Railroad"

Layout Design Journal #32; April 2005

"Folding Belt Line on a Shelf"
Model Railroad Planning 2005

"Ops at the Shops"

Model Trains International # 57

View this layout in the design gallery

"Op Session Design -- Freelance and Prototype"

Clinic, PCR/NMRA Convention 2004

slides from this clinic

"X-Factor Staging"
Model Railroad Planning 2004

view this trackplan

"Another Angle on Urban Switching Layouts"
Layout Design Journal #29; Jan. 2004

View this layout in the Design Gallery

"Linking Unconnected Decks with Operations and Staging"
Layout Design Journal #28; Spring 2003

"Realistic Small Switching Layouts"
Clinic, LD/OpSIG Regional Meet 2003

"Design Principles for Garage Layouts"
Layout Design Journal #27; Autumn 2002

"Houston's Port Terminal Railway in N Scale"
Model Railroad Planning 2002

view this trackplan

"Ventura County Railway to Share a Garage"

Layout Design Journal #26; Spring 2001

"CLIC / SPINS / ZTS Track-Industry Maps as a Design Resource"
Layout Design Journal #26; Spring 2001

read this article