Modelling OCD

[chuffinghell]

I don't know if this is my autistic traits, OCD or something else but I find it really difficult to do 'random' especially when it comes to arranging my rolling stock, I find it difficult to mix up my wagons

 

for example I have

five GWR fruit wagons all together as a rake

five GWR parto vans all together as a rake

six GWR 5 plank wagons all together as a rake

five GWR 12t ventilated wagons all together as a rake

 

They are all differently numbered but for some reason I don't/can't mix them up and it drives me nuts!

 

even my better half has asked why my wagons are all the same and why they're not mixed up

 

am I the only sufferer?......can anyone offer any help or suggestions or am I just a complete loon?  

 

 

[MarkSG]

I, on the other hand, am the complete opposite. I love interesting variation in a rake of wagons. I want it to be prototypical, of course - no 21st century container wagon in the same train as an RCH five plank - but the subtle (and sometimes not so subtle)  differences between rolling stock in a train are one of the things I find most enjoyable.
 

For example, my comments on the second photo in this post....

 

https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/105847-stafford-railway-circle-2016-exhibition/page-8&do=findComment&comment=2194480

[HillsideDepot]

For me it depends what the train is supposed to be doing, and where the wagons are supposed to be travelling to and from.

I have block trains where every wagon is the same (albeit re-numbered, weathered etc) and others which are Trip workings (pick-up goods for your GWR era) which collect the wagons from several trains which arrive at the main yard (off-scene) and deliver to several sidings (mostly also off-scene).

 

The block workings may have all exactly the same type of wagon, or might have variations on a theme (plywood or plank sided vans, for example), but the Trips could be 3 loaded grain hoppers for the RHM's mill, a loaded box van for the general goods depot, a couple of coal wagons for the local merchant, and an empty open for the local factory to despatch its product in. The Tripper might look random, but isn't as each wagon has a job to do, and a reason to be there.

 

Stock stored off the layout is however stored in drawers, strictly by type as shown on the drawer front, the mix between types depending on how things best fit in the drawer.

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

...am I just a complete loon?  

Yes. ;-) Next question?

 

It's a powerful trait OCD. What you have to do is focus it appropriately.

 

One approach I would suggest. Look at pictures of freight trains operating in your area of interest and then try to replicate that with the  wagons.

 

Also recognise that groupings of wagons of the same design is sometimes appropriate: the fruit vans might well be on a carefully controlled circuit for a particular traffic, which needs specific racking or whatever to take the load.

 

Whereas the open wagons and ventilated vans are most likely to be 'common user' and would thus be all mixed up with wagons mostly of LMS and LNER design (for every two GWR common user wagons on the  layout you need about seven LMS and six LNER types, these wagons were thoroughly mixed in traffic because all the companies could use them freely and send them anywhere).

[Gibbo675]

Hi Chuffinhell,

 

When I was a child I used to eat my dinners in a set order, ie. potatoes, then carrots, then peas, then meat. There was no way I could have mashed potato with peas in the same mouthful !!! There was an element of save the best bit until last about it also.

 

I forced myself out of it, will power over my own perceived unusual behaviour. I now have the best of both worlds in which can either mix it all up or arrange for absolute structure in whatever I am doing.

 

"Train yourself to let go of everything you fear to loose." 

"Named must your fear be before banish you can."

-Yoda, (George Lucas).

 

"The recognition of madness, even in oneself, is the true path to sanity."

-Arthur Schopenhaur.

 

Gibbo.

 

PS. I always try to use Verdana in my posts, despite preferring Palatino Linotype, I have even edited my posts to change it when I forget. You see, I'm still bonkers.

 

Edit: The text posted twice for some reason.

Edited January 24, 2019 by Gibbo675

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

...When I was a child I used to eat my dinners in a set order, ie. potatoes, then carrots, then peas, then meat. There was no way I could have mashed potato with peas in the same mouthful !!! There was an element of save the best bit until last about it also.

You never met my uncle, Prof. Dr.Henk then. He ate what he liked most first, just in case he died before the end of the meal and thus missed out on what he most enjoyed. Started with the gravy every time, even if people were surprised that he was using a spoon.

 

To know yourself is indeed the way forward.

[chuffinghell]

Yes. ;-) Next question?

I asked for that 

Edited January 24, 2019 by chuffinghell

[chuffinghell]

Also recognise that groupings of wagons of the same design is sometimes appropriate: the fruit vans might well be on a carefully controlled circuit for a particular traffic, which needs specific racking or whatever to take the load.

 

Whereas the open wagons and ventilated vans are most likely to be 'common user' and would thus be all mixed up with wagons mostly of LMS and LNER design (for every two GWR common user wagons on the  layout you need about seven LMS and six LNER types, these wagons were thoroughly mixed in traffic because all the companies could use them freely and send them anywhere).

 

I'd not even considered mixing GWR with another companies........even though it makes sense

[Harlequin]

You probably already know this but there were rules about how goods trains should be formed. So perhaps you could randomise (to make your shunting a bit more interesting!) and then apply the rules to get the best of both worlds?

 

Others will be able to give you chapter and verse but it involves knowing whether the train was fully fitted, partially fitted or unfitted, which vehicles in partially fitted trains had vacuum brakes, how fast it was going to run, any dangerous loads being carried, etc...

 

And just to keep your inner OCD monster really happy: once you've applied the rules the loco must show the appropriate headcode.

Edited January 24, 2019 by Harlequin

[greatcoleswoodhalt]

am I the only sufferer?

 

I suffer taking photos of my micro layout as they have to be ‘perfect’ every-time – shadows and different depths of colour between sessions drives me mad (despite the intention to replicate lighting, etc perfectly).  I try to see past it, but struggle once I find an irritation, no matter how small – my frustration with a whole batch I uploaded to Instagram led to me to deleting them all and starting again.  I don’t crave likes, it’s just a platform I can share them on, which stupidly makes me more irate!

Edited January 24, 2019 by jafcreasey

[RedGemAlchemist]

I don't know if this is my autistic traits, OCD or something else but I find it really difficult to do 'random' especially when it comes to arranging my rolling stock, I find it difficult to mix up my wagons

 

for example I have

five GWR fruit wagons all together as a rake

five GWR parto vans all together as a rake

six GWR 5 plank wagons all together as a rake

five GWR 12t ventilated wagons all together as a rake

 

They are all differently numbered but for some reason I don't/can't mix them up and it drives me nuts!

 

even my better half has asked why my wagons are all the same and why they're not mixed up

 

am I the only sufferer?......can anyone offer any help or suggestions or am I just a complete loon?

I know exactly how you feel, mate. Not only am I also mildly autistic but I have actual diagnosed OCD on top of that. Everything has to be a set rake of stock in an exact order pulled by one of a small selection of locomotives designated to do that job. Plus the obsessive perfectionism is maddening because I never feel that it's quite perfect. I try not to do this, but then it feels totally wrong and I have to set it back and it's completely annoying. It's better than it was, but still GRRRR.

It does have it's upside though as my scenery always ends up looking great because I don't stop tweaking it until it's perfect to me

Edited January 24, 2019 by RedGemAlchemist

[GreenGiraffe22]

I seem to subconsciously always organise wagons in a goods train in sepperate sections of brown and grey

[chuffinghell]

Plus the obsessive perfectionism is maddening because I never feel that it's quite perfect

 

I know exactly what you mean, I get annoyed at the smallest imperfection and once I know its there its the first and only thing I notice

[rab]

I suffer taking photos of my micro layout as they have to be ‘perfect’ every-time – shadows and different depths of colour between sessions drives me mad (despite the intention to replicate lighting, etc perfectly).  I try to see past it, but struggle once I find an irritation, no matter how small – my frustration with a whole batch I uploaded to Instagram led to me to deleting them all and starting again.  I don’t crave likes, it’s just a platform I can share them on, which stupidly makes me more irate!

I used to be the same with video editing.

I would spend ages putting a video together,

then play it through, and notice one small section,

which could be improved, go back and change it,

then play it again and notice something else,

and so it went on, round and round the loop.

It may be an exaggeration, but I once estimated

I spent an hour editing for a minute of finished video.

[chuffinghell]

oh and to make matters worse if no one else but me can see the tiny imperfection I have to point it out to them 

Edited January 24, 2019 by chuffinghell

[RedGemAlchemist]

oh and to make matters worse if no one else but me can see the tiny imperfection I have to point it out to them

Yep. Me too.

[Allegheny1600]

I *think* I know how you feel, buddy!

 

I used to feel much the same way about the 'big' railway - from the late 1980s onwards really. All identikit wagons looking much the same in every train, it really turned me off.

So, on my model, I can take the opportunity to mix things up as much as possible, bearing prototypical rules in consideration, as MarkSG said.

 

Maybe I've got the same thing as you but in reverse!

Ultimately though - just do what pleases you and darn the rest of the world.

[Sprintex]

Understand the problem perfectly, but then I would as I have Asperger's Syndrome

 

Luckily I model late 80s to early 90s so freight is all block trains - containers, VGA vans, PGA hoppers, etc so all one type per train. Thinking back to childhood though when we had a steam layout I couldn't mix types of wagons, or even mix private-owner coal wagons by name!

 

 

Paul

[Wheatley]

What you have to do is focus it appropriately.

 

One approach I would suggest. Look at pictures of freight trains operating in your area of interest and then try to replicate that with the wagons.

 

This. Refocus so your OCD is channelled into reproducing the prototype in all its untidy but operationally practical messyness. It looks chaotic and random at first glance but it isn't, there's a reason for everything in a traditional goods train, even if that reason was the shunter avoiding doing unnecessary walking.

 

As well as the full size rules there are any number of systems devised by modellers to decide which wagons are going where using everything from dice to playing cards.

[Fat Controller]

I used to be the same with video editing.

I would spend ages putting a video together,

then play it through, and notice one small section,

which could be improved, go back and change it,

then play it again and notice something else,

and so it went on, round and round the loop.

It may be an exaggeration, but I once estimated

I spent an hour editing for a minute of finished video.

This is perfectly normal behaviour for video editors; my wife used to work with them.

[t-b-g]

I used to exhibit a layout with a lovely bloke who worked the same way.

 

When I shunted the yard it was random. It was a case of what made interesting shapes or variations on a train.

 

When he shunted, the wagons were arranged with the tallest at the front. Similar sized wagons were arranged alphabetically or in number order, so a GC wagon was before a MR.

 

When we swapped operating shifts, we spent most of the time getting it back to how we liked it before the other one took over.

 

Not quite as bad as a friend of mine who has his shirts arranged in his wardrobe to the same pattern as the colours of a rainbow.....

 

Nothing wrong with being a bit bonkers. 

[rab]

This is perfectly normal behaviour for video editors; my wife used to work with them.

That's made me feel a bit better then.

[The Johnster]

I like to mix things up, but assemble my trains according to the 1955 Rule Book when it comes to fitted heads or vehicles behind brake vans.  But I have a fascination with minor variations on a theme, which has left me with far too many Southern Railway 'Ashford' vans, fitted, unfitted, BR, Southern, and LMS liveried.  I bought a second unfitted grey BR liveried one because it had an M prefix to the number and the other one has an S.  And I still don't have a plywood or GW liveried one.  If I have two items the same, there is almost an unbreakable lay that I must obey that the liveries must be different; as I model the early to mid 50s there is plenty of scope for this!

 

It is fairly well known that the GW General Appendix stated that, unless absolutely unavoidable, no two coaches of the same general design should ever be marshalled next to each other, and that if this could not be avoided, different liveries must be used.  It's true, ask any GW expert...

[Bernard Lamb]

Understand the problem perfectly, but then I would as I have Asperger's Syndrome

 

Luckily I model late 80s to early 90s so freight is all block trains - containers, VGA vans, PGA hoppers, etc so all one type per train. Thinking back to childhood though when we had a steam layout I couldn't mix types of wagons, or even mix private-owner coal wagons by name!

 

 

Paul

 

Private owner wagons.

I dare not go there.

I am sure that I would assemble the rake in geographical order north to south.

I did that once when asked to set the table for tea and the cups had pictures of castles on them.

My sister noticed as she is well aware of how I behave.

On the railway after an operating session all turnouts having to be set in the straight position is another quirk

In the house lights have to be turned on and off in a certain order. I can get quite upset when the sequence is disrupted.

Bernard

[Wheatley]

If I have two items the same, there is almost an unbreakable lay that I must obey that the liveries must be different; as I model the early to mid 50s there is plenty of scope for this!

So far I've found 12 major variations on the BR 'standard' 1/208 12 ton van, without starting on different buffers, axleboxes, disc/spoked wheels and liveries.