Gerald Henriksen Posted September 8, 2015 Share Posted September 8, 2015 Quote - "There's no need to build it, this is a design contest" Quote - "The best submissions will be published, so extra points will be awarded for high quality text, illustrations, photos and captions". That's got me confused. Could be as simple as photos of a prototype scene that you are basing the layout on, maybe a unique building that an industry is based on, something to give the judges (and readers) a better idea of what you are trying to achieve Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Line Posted September 9, 2015 Share Posted September 9, 2015 The illustrations or photos would be up to the entrant, I suppose. Many trackplanning tools now generate 3D renderings. But someone raised an interesting question: How would you go about scoring a contest like this? What are the important aspects and how do they rate against each other? That's going to be the real job. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CVSNE Posted September 9, 2015 Share Posted September 9, 2015 This, and the thread that spawned it on MRH, have been interesting reading. Sounds to me like the "innovative" challenge is to design a single Layout Design Element and to plug 3-8 staging tracks into both ends of it to create a "through" station. Makes sense, as true 'stub ended' branchline terminals are not entirely common in the US. Actually, the whole thing sounds a lot like the layout the MRVP crew is currently building based on the WSS. Marty Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glorious NSE Posted September 9, 2015 Share Posted September 9, 2015 Taking the concept further, if a UK modeller were to build a layout in this way, it would end up as a series of short yards/stations immediately beside the next one; something alien to our layout style. We either build short, or long, but not piece - meal. I think that maybe shows a blind spot in thinking in the UK hobby - this is my Alpha module - it was designed to be capable of working with just a staging yard on the single track end (it's actually done two shows like that, although I added an 18" "endscene" on the double track end to give a little more lead for switching the scrapyard) to be a "Mindheim-esque" industrial switching lead - or it can be (and has been, and shortly will be again) part of a main line, either the end of a passing siding or the end of a double track section at a modular meet... Doing something that you create in sections and leaves you able to still use the sections individually is perfectly possible, you do need to put some thought into it though. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave1905 Posted September 9, 2015 Share Posted September 9, 2015 Just to bring up the big picture. The contest is to design a layout in a ROOM, that this section will later be a part of. The module isn't the layout, its a PART of a layout, the contest is focused on the part, but it has to have some consideration for the whole. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talltim Posted September 9, 2015 Share Posted September 9, 2015 Wasn't/isn't Buckingham a little like the grown up version of this? There's nothing to say that the next section has to have same constraints as the competion one. You could end up with a classic roundy-roundy against the walls with the scenery matched to the original section. Also plenty of people have built fixed layouts with a portable section that they take to exhibitions as a layout in its own right (Buckingham again, for example) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DelawareAndHudson Posted September 9, 2015 Share Posted September 9, 2015 I think Dave1095 nailed the intent of the contest. It's not to design a British style layout. It's more a 'layout that grows' type of thing based on a reasonable size spare room in the US. Decide your overall layout theme; road(s), geographic location, era(s), etc and then create a PIECE of a room size layout that you can design, build and operate in a reasonable time in order to: a) actually do something instead of planning forever b) actually have an operating portion of a layout sooner than if you tried to build the entire thing in one shot (might help maintain momentum and inspire you to finish the whole layout) c) have something that can be transported in the event that your life and circumstances change. Transportable by US standards does not necessarily mean something we take to a train show to do display, it might just mean you can take the legs off and with two people, carry it out of the room it's in and load it into a truck. It might still be heavy and awkward and cause all manner of swearing while moving it but it can be moved to your new/next space. d) I really think this is a challenge to the armchair modelers that are always planning something but never start for a million different reasons. Consider me guilty as charged here. I've had more ideas, thoughts, and designs than I can count but damn little in actual results to show for it. That said, I actually do have about everything on hand needed to design and build something that meets the criteria of this contest including track, rolling stock and motive power, gobs of lumber and plywood, and even a selection of hollow core door blanks that no reasonable person needs (that's why I hide them from my wife ) and as my boss told me yesterday, "you have three and a half weeks of vacation time you need to use before the end of the year". Oh, and I have a full basement, have of which is sectioned off into an 11'x27' room with a door to keep the cats out. -- hollow core door advice -- when I find myself in Lowes, Home Despot, or Menards, especially without my wife, I'll often walk down the hollow core door aisle. I look for HCD blanks with special tags on them due to damage. One of the last finds was a 30"x80" HCD that had a fist sized hole in it and was marked down to less than $5.00. I think was $3 or $4 actually. Other times I have managed to get bifold and closet sets very cheap due to damage like gouges. A 36" bifold set will net you a pair of 18"x80 door panels. That's over 13 FEET of layout. The closet door sets are 4 door sections, usually 12" or 15" wide. That gives you almost 27 linear feet. Close to a half mile in HO scale. Combine that with some cheap stamped metal shelf brackets and you can have a spare bedroom, one car garage space or even a decent size basement built out with an around the walls layout ready for track and scenery in an evening or a day. Just my advice. Now I need to take some of my own advice and get to work. Jason Cook Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Wintle Posted September 9, 2015 Share Posted September 9, 2015 -- hollow core door advice -- when I find myself in Lowes, Home Despot, or Menards, especially without my wife, I'll often walk down the hollow core door aisle. I look for HCD blanks with special tags on them due to damage. The other place to look is one of the stores that sells recycled construction materials. My local ReStore tends to have lots of HCDs and bifold doors for really cheap prices. A lot of them are patterned, but patterned bifolds are often plain on one side. Adrian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DelawareAndHudson Posted September 9, 2015 Share Posted September 9, 2015 Adrian, Right you are. We have a ReStore here also. I've been able to acquire much of my stock of new doors for about the same price or cheaper than the used one at the ReStore but I still swing by there once in a while on my lunch hour. Yet another source is simply keeping an eye open when you're driving around town. People often just put them out to the curb when they remodel a room. If I had my own warehouse/outbuilding, I'd collect more of this stuff and offer it free to other model railroaders. There's a fine line between "I might need it" and "hoarding" and I'm determined NOT to wind up on a tv show.... Jason Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talltim Posted September 9, 2015 Share Posted September 9, 2015 The only places I've seen that sell recycled construction materials have stuff like solid wood antique doors rather than hollow core. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
doctor quinn Posted September 9, 2015 Share Posted September 9, 2015 The equivalent in the UK would be if Wickes had a bargain bin. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DelawareAndHudson Posted September 9, 2015 Share Posted September 9, 2015 ReStore is a bit different. It's a building materials equivalent of a Salvation Army or Goodwill thrift store run by Habitat for Humanity. I think it's primary mission is to raise money for Habitat's primary mission; build houses for people. http://www.fortwaynehabitat.org/restore I don't often find much I need when I stop in there but then again, I only seem to wind up there on a lunch hour in the hopes they have something I don't know I need. Jason Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Stubby47 Posted September 10, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 10, 2015 Just to bring up the big picture. The contest is to design a layout in a ROOM, that this section will later be a part of. The module isn't the layout, its a PART of a layout, the contest is focused on the part, but it has to have some consideration for the whole.Thanks, that does clarify things. I also think it means my Stubby Branchline project ( see link below) is a viable candidate for the competition, other than being in a bigger space with no door restrictions. Stu Edit: Do I get extra bonus points for using hollow doors for both sections built so far ? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.