--- product_id: 13631600 title: "Compact Layout Design" brand: "iain rice" price: "AED 149" currency: AED in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.ae/products/13631600-compact-layout-design store_origin: AE region: United Arab Emirates --- # Compact Layout Design **Brand:** iain rice **Price:** AED 149 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Compact Layout Design by iain rice - **How much does it cost?** AED 149 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.ae](https://www.desertcart.ae/products/13631600-compact-layout-design) ## Best For - iain rice enthusiasts ## Why This Product - Trusted iain rice brand quality - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Full description not available ## Images ![Compact Layout Design - Image 1](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51yUSM8m7+L.jpg) ![Compact Layout Design - Image 2](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51ewIcPF9hL.jpg) ![Compact Layout Design - Image 3](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41dh6L5LugL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Beautiful as usual but know what you're getting in to *by T***. on Reviewed in the United States on April 15, 2015* I should admit up front I'm a bit of a fan of Iain Rice's work. His illustration style of water colors on ink is one of the best layout presentation styles being published today. Of course when another book of his came up I had to pick it up.Regarding this book, there are a few things to be aware of. As are most Kalmbach books of the last few years, this is a thin soft cover book with the glue typed binding and a glossy cover. The content within could roughly be divided into two parts. The first part covers the concepts of "compact" layout design and the second part is about a half dozen examples of compact layout design. As Iain is a well published author in the model railroading space a fairly decent amount of part one has been published elsewhere. I don't mean to say the content is completely a word-for-word re-print, but many of the ideas aren't exactly new either.If you've read "Mid-Sized and Manageable" a decent portion of the conversation about the pros and cons of layout size will sound familiar. Additionally if you've read "Shelf Layouts" or any of his numerous articles in "Model Railroad Planning" then the strategies for dealing with the challenges of compact layouts will likewise sound familiar.As is true for most Kalmbach books, there are many pictures of model railroads throughout. Many of these pictures were re-prints from other Kalmbach publications but I will give the editors credit for including a really wide variety. For example John Olson's HOn30 Blackhole Mine from the early 1980's is featured just a few pages away from Mike Confalone's HO Woodsville Terminal. The breadth of layout themes and styles displayed in the photos is excellent. However if you've been reading Model Railroader for a while you've probably seen many of them.Before buying this book you should be clear on what exactly constitutes a "compact layout". To be honest, I was assuming the author was talking about "compact" in the sense of "portable" or "semi-portable"; maybe something nice to adorn a home office or a sectional layout to take to a model railroading show. However by the author's own words "compact" means 100-200 square feet. For reference the average bedroom is in the 100 to 120 square foot range. Many of the plans presented in part 2 will require a slightly larger den to accommodate (think 10x15 ft).The themes included in the book are representation of the author's typical tendency towards slower-paced, "intimate" railroads, though there one or two plans that represent larger regional lines. There is a fairly even distribution of HO and N scale plans, with a single On30 plan at the end.Regarding the plans, one thing I was slightly disappointed in was the complexity of the benchwork. Perhaps this relates back to my initial expectation of the book being about semi-portable layouts, but several of the track plans given require things like smoothly curving fascias, narrow peninsulas, multi-level benchwork (ala hidden staging), and swinging entry gates. I've tried all of the major benchwork building styles and have attempted several of the elements previously mentioned and call tell you that things like these add considerable complexity to layout construction and are notably more demanding in terms of the engineering precision. "Compact" in the case of this book apparently does not translate to "simple". (As an aside if simple is more in your target, Lance Mindeim's shelf layout books are probably a better pick).Still, it's hard not to appreciate the pure presentational power this book. The water colored illustrations are fabulous. It's always a treat to spend time studying the work of someone who is undoubtably a model railroading design master. Even if I never build any of these layouts at $18 it's still a book that I will likely continue to enjoy as I come back to it from time to time to study the work in it. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Compact isn't always that small.... *by G***R on Reviewed in the United States on June 7, 2015* Great ideas for "compact" layouts. I figured the layouts featured would be "small" but they are between small and a large layout. The basic size is about a spare bedroom.The author provides insights from years of modeling and there are ideas here for people with smaller or larger layouts. ### ⭐⭐ Misleading Title. *by S***E on Reviewed in the United States on December 8, 2019* A compact layout in my mind would be small shelf or switching layouts for limited space situations., or 4x8 and smaller table top plans. The layouts in this book are all room sized 10'+ x 10'+ huge walk around pikes. Very misleading Title. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.ae/products/13631600-compact-layout-design](https://www.desertcart.ae/products/13631600-compact-layout-design) --- *Product available on Desertcart United Arab Emirates* *Store origin: AE* *Last updated: 2026-05-16*