Multi-guise layouts

[jamespetts]

Does anyone here have experience of building and operating multi-guise layouts, that is, layouts which are intended to be, and are, switched rapidly between different (fictional) locations and eras? I do not refer to a layout which has no specific era or location, but rather layouts which have a fixed number of specific eras and locations between which they can be changed.

 

I ask in reference to a layout which I am building, described in more detail in the track planning forum here (the latest track plan is here). The plan with that layout is to have it set on the south coast of England in 1935, but (subject to being able to acquire/put together sufficient pre-grouping rolling stock) to be able to backdate it to circa 1912, and also to be able to change the location/era to south Wales in 1938. The idea is for this to be able to be achieved by changing only the following:

 

(1) rolling stock;

(2) signalboxes;

(3) station name boards;

(4) (for the south Wales location only) signals; and

(5) (for the 1912 era only) model figures (i.e. models of people),

 

the remaining items (station canopies, turntables, engine sheds, track layouts, etc.) being carefully chosen to be sufficiently generic to suit all the locations/eras intended.

 

The rolling stock and signalboxes are likely to be the easiest to replace, as they can simply be lifted off. The station name boards may be a little trickier, but I imagine that these can be mounted on brass rods fitting into brass tubes in the platforms and so not be too bad. The signals will be more complex as they are intended to be working, powered by servos, but I understand that there are commercial mounts for these purposes. The people again can in principle be mounted with brass wires fitting into brass tubes mounted in the layout.

 

The reason that I start this thread is to check for any possible feasibility or practicality problems that had not occurred to me, especially from anyone who has attempted something like this in the past. I have purchased much rolling stock for the south coast of England in 1935 guise, but nothing for the other guises apart from one item. I separate it from the other thread as this issue is not so much about track planning, and discussion of this issue specifically is liable to get lost amongst the detailed track planning discussions in the other thread.

 

If this principle works, it strikes me as a splendid way of introducing a great deal of variety with a limited overhead. However, if it does not work (e.g. if the task of changing over takes too much time or effort or risks too much damage to the layout, or if something of which I have not thought makes the whole thing unworkable), it might lead to a great deal of waste, so I am keen to hear from those who have tried this or something like it (or seriously contemplated it and decided against it after detailed research or investigations) as to its workability.

 

It might well also be useful for others who are considering building layouts to see examples of this concept in operation (if it works) as it may inspire people to have a more varied experience of their layouts.

 

I shall look forward to learning of people's experiences with this topic.

[Nearholmer]

Strikes me that it depends how far you want to take realism, because most of the south coast doesn’t look a lot like most of South Wales. Local geology tends to dictate local building materials, and they are, by and large, different between the two locations ....... doubtless if you search hard you can find bits that do look similar, but my gut feeling is that it will be a fairly long search.

 

Other than that: perfectly feasible, especially 1912/1935 in the one locale.

 

 

Edited August 18, 2019 by Nearholmer

[PaulRhB]

My Lulworth Castle is primarily British 1960's steam but also does Modern era at shows by changing the vehicles and nameboards with magnets holding the signs on the front of the box. the signs are backed with steel from a drinks can.

At home it also jumps back to light railway days as the Stoke, EastHill & Creech Railway,  1930's SR, Metropolitan Rly with an alternative station building too and finally 1980's large logo West Highland!

Various pics throughout this thread,

 

[jamespetts]

Thank you both for your replies: most helpful. The Lulworth Castle layout does seem to be a successful implementation of the concept, so that was very interesting to see. I am now following the thread on that layout.

 

I am aware of regional variations with buildings; but the layout that I am planning does not have much space for modelling non-railway land, and the railway buildings can be made to be fairly generic (I imagine a station remodelled/rebuilt in the 1900s in both cases, so a red brick style with an overall roof for the platforms would be suitable for most locations), so this can be circumvented to a large extent. Modelling the geology itself may be the greater challenge, as I will need a tunnel mouth somewhere, and the grey rock of south Wales is a little different from the chalk escarpments of the south coast of England, but the solution, given limited space actually to model much of the landscape, is again likely to be a generic approach.

 

In any event, thank you both for your assistance. It is very good to see the idea in context. If anyone else has any multi-guise layouts in the Lulworth Castle way of things (or even with a different way of doing this, if there be different ways of doing this), then it would be splendid to see them.

 

Incidentally, I do like Lulworth Castle's pre-grouping guise in particular, as I am a great fan of all things pre-grouping.

[PaulRhB]

You could consider a feature like a stone or chalk cutting as a short optional board that can be swapped depending on the theme. Say a 18” long board leading into a bridge or tunnel scene divider. Just to add a definite geographic theme. Alternatively a stone wall that swaps out and is attached with magnets could also be of a signature material that sets location. 

[Dave John]

Out of your list changing the type of signal might be a tricky one. 

 

Although I developed them to reduce the chances of damage some sort of plug in signal might be an idea.

 

 

[jamespetts]

Interesting ideas. I am not quite sure how I will deal with the scenery yet, so I shall have to investigate the idea of being able to swap part of this further when I am closer to the time, although I do worry that it might be difficult to store the one not being used.

 

The signal mount is intriguing - do I detect the use of a magnet to interface with the servo? Are kits for this available?

[Zomboid]

I'd be surprised if GWR 1900 architecture looked much like LBSCR/ LSWR 1900 architecture. Even the track plan is questionable - I know the back story for the South coast, but why would there be 2 sheds with turntables next to each other in South Wales?

 

The same station at different times in the steam era is credible without huge changes, but for me the differences between Sussex and South Wales would pose serious problems.

[jamespetts]

Station architecture is unlikely to have to be represented, at least directly. The track plan

 

 

is one which does not give much space beyond the ends of the terminal platforms for station buildings. There may well not be any space at all to model the actual station buildings. There is also not space for buildings at the sides of the platforms (on the far wall, the carriage sidings get in the way and the other side would get in the way of viewing), and only some stations had these in any event. An overall roof is intended to be represented, but from what I understand, there were not strong company styles associated with these.

 

The other relevant architecture is of signal boxes and engine sheds. The signal boxes, as already indicated, are intended to be removed and replaced as necessary. I am not aware of strongly typed company architecture with engine sheds; but if it turned out that this were the case, these could be removable in the same way as the signal boxes, providing that I could find kits for two styles of each of two engine sheds in exactly the right sizes.

 

Other structures would be confined to coaling stages, huts/sheds in the vicinity of the engine sheds and possibly a tunnel mouth and/or overbridge to mark the transition from the scenic area. I am not aware of coaling stages having significant company typing. The sheds could be replaced easily if they require company colours, and the latter is not something about which I have sufficient information to be clear on whether there was any strong regional or company typing in structures of this sort such as would render such structures on the south coast of England fundamentally different in appearance from such structures on the south coast of Wales.

 

As to the track plan, the south Wales version is intended as a pastiche of what Swansea might have been like if the three main stations (High Street, Victoria and St. Thomas) had been combined into one in the 1900s as was apparently contemplated seriously at one time (or possibly alternatively just a combination of High Street and Victoria; I have yet to decide this). Thus, the two engine sheds would be for the GWR and LMS respectively. The two main lines would represent the line to Cardiff and London in one direction and the line to Carmarthen/Neyland/Pembroke/Fishguard in the other, with the LMS lines branching from this somewhere in or before Llanelli.

Edited August 19, 2019 by jamespetts

[MarcD]

Our exhibition layout changes location all the time. It's next run out at Folkstone, in October is as LBSCR/LSWR. But it's has operated as Furness and GER. Not just a case of swapping stock and buildings unless you are in an urban area, you have to make sure the landscape is compatable.

Low lying fen land in our case is pretty common in coastal areas. There are a few places in the UK that it doesn't appear.

Marc

[The Johnster]

With regard to geology, some rock types are to be found in different areas of the country; the chalk for instance is good for the North and South Downs, Chilterns, and Salisbury Plain.  The Peak District and Yorkshire dales are famous for their distinctive Carboniferous Limestone topography, but similar features are seen in other places that it outcrops, including Bristol and the Mendips, the Southern fringes of the Brecon Beacons, the Wye Valley between Ross and Chepstow Forest of Dean, the Clwydian Range of Flintshire, North Yorks Moors, Pembrokeshire, Gower, and the Clyde Valley in Scotland.  It outcrops on the Cumbrian coast at St Bee’s, and in North Devon as well, so a layout featuring it is adaptable to probably all the English and Welsh main line railways except the Brighton and SECR, and the Caley and G&SW.

 

 

[jamespetts]

Furness: very interesting. Have you any pictures of this layout?

 

The Johnster: thank you for the geological details; most interesting.

[Nearholmer]

Here’s something to keep geology- matchers happy for a long while.

 

I do like the idea of coastal wetlands though; as Furness says they are pretty widespread.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[TheQ]

53 minutes ago, The Johnster said:

With regard to geology, some rock types are to be found in different areas of the country; the chalk for instance is good for the North and South Downs, Chilterns, and Salisbury Plain.  

 

 

And Norfolk... near Norwich.

 

One of our club layouts was designed to be UK and Japan.. but that was with a change of buildings as well..

[MarcD]

9 hours ago, jamespetts said:

Furness: very interesting. Have you any pictures of this layout?

 

The Johnster: thank you for the geological details; most interesting.

I have attached a few shots of scratchy bottom.

Marc

[Nearholmer]

That is very clever!

 

For one thing, it could almost be a scale-model of Dungeness station (http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/d/dungeness/index.shtml), but it could also be numerous other places that did and didn't have stations.

 

 

Edited August 19, 2019 by Nearholmer

[PaulRhB]

11 hours ago, Furness Wagon said:

.

Low lying fen land in our case is pretty common in coastal areas. There are a few places in the UK that it doesn't appear.

 

 

34 minutes ago, Furness Wagon said:

I have attached a few shots of scratchy bottom.

Marc

 

 

 

Very nice. 

 

Gonna be a long walk to Durdle Door though if it’s fen land   

 

[Nearholmer]

It struck me as much more shingly than fenny, so maybe Chesil Beach, which is in the same county as Durdle Door, isn't it?

 

Or Hoo Ness, or Spurn Point, or, or, or ......

 

The idea is so good, I'm on the brink of stealing it!

[jamespetts]

2 hours ago, Furness Wagon said:

I have attached a few shots of scratchy bottom.

Marc

 

Splendid, thank you for that. Lovely overgrown trackwork!

[Pete the Elaner]

This layout was built to be quickly converted between GWR, S&D and Midland. We regularly change it during a show, usually to represent S&D in the morning then Midland in the afternoon by changing the buildings, station signs & signals (not sure why but GWR went out of favour).

Region-specific stock also gets removed & replaced.

There is no reason why era could not be changed too, for instance from 1960s to 1920s.

 

[jamespetts]

Interesting: thank you for sharing that. That seems to work very well.

 

May I ask how you change the signal and whether it is a working signal?

 

Edited August 20, 2019 by jamespetts
Typing error