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Progress, of sorts, and a small change of plan

Pugsley

Entry posted by Pugsley

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It's been one of those days. One of those days when most things don't go the way you want them to. In fact, I've had the Sadim touch all day (the opposite of the Midas touch - everything you touch turns to sh*t) so it came as no real surprise that the start on the layout didn't quite go to plan.

 

Once all the Templot plans had been put on the boards, I started putting stock in the relevant places just to check the visual appearance of the plan. I don't make detailed plans, as such, I have a 'vision' that I work towards, and due to my inability to draw sketches are out of the question, unless you're trying to visualise a layout through the eyes of a four year old. Is that mummy there?!? No, it's supposed to be a tree.

 

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So, all stock was put in various locations - tanks in the oil terminal, the 455 in the platform and two Mk1's in the bay platform, pretending to be a 2-HAP. I didn't like it, which wasn't totally unexpected with the way that the day had gone up until that point. In the pic above, the fiddle yard is off to the bottom of the picture and the viewing side is off to the left. The Bachmann wagon boxes liberally spread around are to assist with building the picture - I decided I needed some help once I decided I didn't like it the way it was.

 

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Looking from the front of the layout, over the other end of the oil terminal sidings, towards the station. The 455 is in the main platform, the '2-HAP' (if you squint, a lot, it might look like one) is in the bay.

 

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Looking across the oil terminal sidings, across the headshunt beyond towards the houses behind the railway - recently built and looking suspiciously like Bachmann TTA boxes.

 

So, after the initial disappointment and irritation of it not working in the way I had envisaged, getting to the stage of thinking 'bu**er, I'm going to have to start again', I walked away for 10 minutes. On coming back to the layout, I hit upon the solution - just reverse the viewing side.

 

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I now understand why I've never seen a layout that slopes down at the back, it just doesn't work visually. Sure, in real life there are probably many stations that are flat at the front but slope away at the rear, but as a model it just doesn't work.

 

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The last change of plan is the large industrial building that was supposed to be to the right at the front of the layout, where the vans are sat in the pictures above. This isn't going to work, so I'm going to have to contrive another off scene industry to get the vans in and out. I think that the industry will now be a low-ish relief building coming out of the backscene enough to make the exit to the fiddle yard slightly less visible, providing just enough of a hint to justify the occasional train of vans entering and then reversing in to the off-stage siding.

 

Jobs for the near future will involve turning the boards around and testing my theory - whatever happens next really hinges upon the results of that. Hopefully the change of viewing angle will do the trick, or it really is back to the drawing board.

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Jamie

Ahh Pugsley, I feel guilty for laughing at your misfortune, but your opening paragraphs gave me a good laugh at the PC.

 

 

Edit: 1/6/10 see post at bottom:

... It'll be better viewed from the other side, as the terminal will get in the way of photos from that side.

 

I missed the point completely in my comment here last night, thought the reversal of viewing angle was going the other way.

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Will Vale

Using the low side as the front has additional benefits for photography, something I'm sure you'll take advantage of.

 

I like the idea of looking up the slope past the houses to the railway, but it's a shame that all the lovely wagons will be at the back now!

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ullypug
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There are layouts that slope down to the back - Walker Marine is one that springs to mind. It's true that it does lend to a certain viewing aspect, peeking over the wall kind of thing. In your case though I can see how looking from the other side will work. Sidings at the back, trains in front acting as view blockers and breaking up the perspective. I certainly don't think it warrants scrapping in favour of another scheme. Good luck whatever you decide.

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cb900f

Your lucky if your Sadim touch only involves modelling, mine extends into DIY at home on a daily basis.

 

Pete

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Pugsley

Jamie - No need to apologise, it was intended to be amusing. The triangle in front of the siding is where the oil terminal itself will be. It'll be better viewed from the other side, as the terminal will get in the way of photos from that side.

 

Will - I agree - I think the other reason that I didn't like the current layout was the lack of natural angles for photography. As you say, having the low side as the viewing side will help with that.

 

Andrew - I wouldn't scrap it, as much as I thought I might have yesterday, I believe that the plan and concept are OK, it's just the execution that needs tweaking.

 

I'm going to turn the whole thing around tonight and see how it works visually. Having it the other way round will also make operating from the back easier as the terminal will be closer to the operating side.

 

Hopefully a positive update later!

 

PS - Pete, it wasn't just my modelling it was affecting either!

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shortliner

I think in my hearing it has always been refered to as the " Sod'im touch" as in "Well, if 'e thinks THAT'S going to work..............!

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James Hilton

Martin - it's hard to judge the scale of the layout in the photos but my gut feel is it does look a little crowded?

Viewing from the old back to front would visually reduce this though I suspect, as the sidings would be furthest away, glanced through the station :)

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Pugsley

It probably looks a bit crowded because I've filled everywhere up with stock that wouldn't normally be there. Each board is 4' by 2'3".

 

Turning it round has made a world of difference, as the follow-up post I'm about to make will show.

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