Building the same layout as someone else.

[Peak]

Can I build the same layout as someone else? Lets say that I was building an OO gauge layout of Paddington and someone else was doing the same, would that be fine?

[Phil Parker]

A bizarre question - why wouldn't it be fine? There aren't model railway police for this sort of thing. If they were, then they would have arrested loads of people for building Ashburton.

[melmerby]

3 minutes ago, Peak said:

Can I build the same layout as someone else? Lets say that I was building an OO gauge layout of Paddington and someone else was doing the same, would that be fine?

Why not?

Neither will be the same as the other, it all depends on the builders touch  what is actually arrived at.

Many artists have painted the same scene.

[Dan Randall]

I’ve often thought it would be nice to do a Western Region version of Gordon Gravett’s fantastic “Arun Quay”.  Same scale, same overall size (give or take), but different buildings and of course, different (WR), motive power.  It could even be done the other way round, i.e., from the water looking inland.

 

I actually mentioned this to Gordon at an exhibition last year, where he and his wife, Maggie, were exhibiting “Arun Quay” and gentleman that he is, he gave it his blessing.  I doubt I’ll ever do it, but if anyone else fancies having a go, be sure to post pictures, as things progress. 😄

 

 

Regards

 

Dan

Edited March 14 by Dan Randall

[t-b-g]

26 minutes ago, Peak said:

Can I build the same layout as someone else? Lets say that I was building an OO gauge layout of Paddington and someone else was doing the same, would that be fine?

 

Perhaps the right question to ask is whether you want to build a layout that will be the same as one somebody else is doing. There have been several stations that have been modelled by more than one person. There is no rule or restriction that stops you, other than your own decision as to whether you are happy duplicating what somebody else is doing.

[franciswilliamwebb]

28 minutes ago, Phil Parker said:

There aren't model railway police for this sort of thing. If they were, then they would have arrested loads of people for building Ashburton.

 

A miscarriage of justice that I've yet to put entirely behind me 😉

[KeithMacdonald]

On 14/03/2024 at 17:16, Phil Parker said:

There aren't model railway police for this sort of thing.

 

Evenin' all. 

 

We have been contacted by the Elucidated Brethren of the Order of the Rivet, who demanded to know if Mr Parker is assisting us with our enquiries into a possible breach of Modelling Rules. We would like to reassure all members of the modelling public that Rule One is still in force. Rule One = there are no rules. Although we still wish to interview @Ducking Giraffe about reports of "tracing" and unlicenced use of depleted uranium.

 

Mind how you go.

 

Edited March 16 by KeithMacdonald
Various typos while under the affluence of incahole.

[ianmianmianm]

Model railway police you say....... 

 

On a serious note, wasn't there an exhibition recently with two layouts, one in N and one in O, of the same station (Abngdon maybe) ?

[KeithMacdonald]

I refer my honourable colleagues to the last big Modelling Police incident. It is now legendary, and spoken of in hushed tones of awe and reverence.

 

 

[Mark Forrest]

As others have said, how you chose to spend your hobby time and what you build is nobody else's business - do what interests you and makes you happy.

 

That said, what you may come across is people warning against "making a model of a model".  That's not to be confused with basing your layout on a real location that somebody else has already done and refers more to ignoring the prototype and (potentially) repeating errors and compromises that have been made before.

[Hibelroad]

I was at the York show some years ago and rather surprised to find what appeared to be a copy of the MRJ Inkerman Street layout in 4mm scale. I asked if it was copied from Inkerman Street but the operator at the time was rather non committal and largely ignored me. However there is something to be said for copying what you know works, no need to reinvent the wheel. 

[njee20]

I think copying someone’s layout could be seen to be a bit odd. If you decided that you really liked someone’s layout and wanted to slavishly recreate it then I think I’d ask them. No obligation to, but it would just be a bit rude not to. But then it would be a curious thing to do… 
 

Otherwise there are, of course, no restrictions on building similar models. 

[AndyB]

Minories.

 

[DCB]

1 hour ago, Peak said:

Can I build the same layout as someone else? Lets say that I was building an OO gauge layout of Paddington and someone else was doing the same, would that be fine?

It's sort of OK,  Tens of thousands of simple layouts with 8  X 1st radius curves and a couple of straights  have been built hundreds of "Minories" style terminusses, and Ashburton clones probably many thousands of "Paddingtons" and especially "Box Tunnel" but there is only one "Madder Valley," one "Garsdale Road" or "Heckmondwyke(?)"  or "Craig"
I think it's a bit disrespectful to replicate someone else's layout and keep the name they invented for it if that name is fictitious, like "Haddenhoe" my branch terminus, "Goat of Barton" my Scottish station and not in common use  Hogwarts from Hairy Potter and Ffarquar from Thomas the Tank are ok by me.    However there is only room for one "Ugleigh" layout, The Ugleigh Branch meanders down the Valley past Ugleigh St Mary and Ugleigh St Anne through Stanton on Ug.   A mythical land where the Ugliegh Carnival is held annually and they crown the Ugleigh Carnival Queen,, the Ugleigh  Womens Institute have an annual outing  by train, the Ugleigh Dogs show is equally famous.  

Edited March 14 by DCB

[Mike Buckner]

There's only so much Paddington to go around.

[stivesnick]

15 minutes ago, ianmianmianm said:

On a serious note, wasn't there an exhibition recently with two layouts, one in N and one in O, of the same station (Abngdon maybe) ?

 

Yes at the Abingdon Show a few weeks back there were two layouts next to each other of Abingdon Station, one in O and the other in OO. Very intresting to compare the two and how they had slighly different approaches to fitting the layout in the space available.

 

There is also a pair of Swiss Layouts on the circuit by the same builder, with the layouts set in differnt eras. 

14 minutes ago, Mark Forrest said:

That said, what you may come across is people warning against is "making a model of a model".  That's not to be confused with basing your layout on a real location that somebody else has already done and refers more to ignoring the prototype and (potentially) repeating errors and compromises that have been made before.

 

This is more of an issue. If someone starts off with a layout based on a particular place, this is then copied and modified slightly a number of times until the result is something very un-railwaylike without the builder being aware of it. 

 

Bascially, model whatever you want but be aware of what you are doing.

 

Regards

 

Nick 

[jamieb]

3 hours ago, Phil Parker said:

A bizarre question - why wouldn't it be fine? There aren't model railway police for this sort of thing. If they were, then they would have arrested loads of people for building Ashburton.

Not Ashburton ,but I did once make a start on a model of Hemyock until I saw 2 other versions in the modelling magazines within the space of a few months

Then the metaphorical Model Railway Police knocked on the door and forced me to change my plans,so I switched to the LBSC! 

Edited March 14 by jamieb
Spelling

[melmoth]

1 hour ago, Phil Parker said:

A bizarre question - why wouldn't it be fine? There aren't model railway police for this sort of thing. If they were, then they would have arrested loads of people for building Ashburton.

 

If there were though, how many people would have been nicked for aiding and abetting Minories?

[Peter Kazmierczak]

21 minutes ago, Mike Buckner said:

There's only so much Paddington to go around.

Depends on the quality of the marmalade, I suppose.

[Chris M]

I guess lots of layouts have inspired other similar layouts over the years. I doubt that there are many exact copies.

 

As for modelling a real place, I think two or more layouts would be fascinating. Pretty much all models of real places have to have compromises made and different designers will make compromises in different places. They will also be working in different sized spaces, maybe different eras and possibly different scales. This means we are likely to end up some quite similar layouts but with a good number of differences. I bet folks here know of a number of duplicated models of real places. For starters I am sure there are a number of layouts of Garsdale/Hawes Junction around. It was good of the real place to change its name so any duplication of models isn't so obvious.

[Wheatley]

The only layout name I'd nick would be Kyle of Minogue (the significance of which will not be lost at all on Mrs Wheatley) , although probably not for another layout. A band or a yacht maybe, not that I have a band or a yacht.

 

There are two of us on here building Newton Stewart, and there are at least two South Pelaw Junction layouts, both in 4mm although different gauges

[Mike Buckner]

1 hour ago, stivesnick said:

If someone starts off with a layout based on a particular place, this is then copied and modified slightly a number of times until the result is something very un-railwaylike without the builder being aware of it. 

 

Chinese Whispers:

Initial verbal message:  "We're going to advance - send us reinforcements"

After several radio re-transmissions: "We're going to a dance - send us three and fourpence"

[mike morley]

A friend of mine has always wanted to model Pontrilas. 

Then, a few years ago, I saw Bucks Hill (Which, for those who havent seen it, is a 7mm scale masterpiece that is Pontrilas in everything but name).

Ever since then I've been trying to persuade him to give up the idea on the grounds that it would inevitably be compared unfavourably with Bucks Hill.  I've never quite convinced him - mostly, I suspect, because he's yet to see Bucks Hill.

[MichaelE]

There are quite a few who've built Langwies, Switzerland, but we've managed to keep the Swiss Police at bay.

[BoD]

1 hour ago, jamieb said:

Not Ashburton ,but I did once make a start on a model of Hemlock until I saw 2 other versions in the modelling magazines within the space of a few months

Then the metaphorical Model Railway Police knocked on the door and forced me to change my plans,so I switched to the LBSC! 

 

Why?   
 

Im not trying to be facetious, just wondering why it would put you off.  
Unless all three of you are looking to exhibit the layouts, but that again would depend on relative location.

 

If I wanted to  build a model of a particular location it wouldn’t bother me how many other models of that location there are.  It’s my interpretation and my creation of something I obviously like and want to model.