DanielB Posted December 2, 2014 Share Posted December 2, 2014 I agree there! I couldn't work out what I wanted to build (still can't), so I built Cane River. It's helped immensely with getting my Mojo going. I'd recommend going on Carl Arendt's site and looking at micros until you like the look of one, then just build it - just to get your mojo into gear. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted December 2, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 2, 2014 Its a tricky situation planning layouts. I do love the little track plenty of space type layouts but when operating them for long hours at shows many times, then it can become tiresome. Ok slightly different to a fixed shed layout but trying to get the balance right isn't easy. At least with a roundy layout you can sit back and watch if you dont fancing switching. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Reichert Posted December 2, 2014 Share Posted December 2, 2014 That's why I tend to think in terms of modelling one (or more) sections of an actual prototype. As much as is practical obviously. Not only does that solve the track plan, it creates other limits that means you can focus right away on modelling, rather than spending days, months, years, choosing from a list of endless possibilities . The problem is somewhat worse for US modellers, in that there were so many independent RR companies in the first place. So the idea of a freelance Duckville and Pacific RR, doesn't seem so out of place, at least until you start to want to have it do some of everything. . . . . Andy 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ceejaydee Posted December 2, 2014 Share Posted December 2, 2014 I had a lot of fun with a temporary 6 X 4 roundy that I set up in the front room about this time last year. All Peco Setrack so no pretensions of accuracy but I could run trains, hold them in sidings (loops) whilst running a different consist and with ample spurs there was the opportunity to switch when the mood took me. With switchers, road switchers and 50` or less cars it worked well for me and powering up the Bachmann sound equipped Alco S4 was positively addictive yet strangely relaxing after a day at work. I should get my backside in gear and build the permanent enlarged 8 X 5 ish version of the same layout sometime and get back to having model railroading fun rather than simply thinking about it! 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allegheny1600 Posted December 2, 2014 Share Posted December 2, 2014 Dear Dr G-F, Sounds like I'm very similar indeed to Simon D above, in that I've also wasted many, many years chasing after something and not really knowing what it is that I'm chasing. Take a break from it all, watch some of your videos, look at your own photos and try to remember what it is about railways that makes you want to model them. Then, when something takes your fancy, note it down, form a sketch and see if that would suit you. Thread drift (sorry), Do/did NA railroads have any specific track plans that shout "Pennsy", "Espee" or whatever, please? I'm thinking of how UK and Euro railways did for instance, the Midland's aversion to facing points, the Great Centrals island platforms on the 'extension', Bavarian loop arrangements etc. I'm just wondering as maybe this might help the good doctor along somewhat. Cheers, John. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeHohn Posted December 3, 2014 Share Posted December 3, 2014 Do/did NA railroads have any specific track plans that shout "Pennsy", "Espee" or whatever, please? I'm thinking of how UK and Euro railways did for instance, the Midland's aversion to facing points, the Great Centrals island platforms on the 'extension', Bavarian loop arrangements etc. I'm just wondering as maybe this might help the good doctor along somewhat. Cheers, John. What an interesting question!! A very small minority of US railroads ran 'left-handed' such as the Chigago and North Western: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_and_North_Western_Transportation_Company The C&NW was also famous for its "pink lady" ballast, a pink quartzite. N.A. railroads varied in the signal systems they used, but that's not track plan, of course. Multitrack mainlines were more characteristic of the northeastern US than western lines because of the heavy traffic. More sophisticated signaling changed that as the 20th century progressed. Much of what distinguishes the individual railroads was the architecture, reflecting the region, era, and purposeful design of standard depots and other structures. For instance, the pagoda style depots of the Delaware, Lackawanna and western: http://gold.mylargescale.com/scottychaos/DLW-Pagoda/index.html Or the southwest style of the Santa Fe: http://bartlesvillelocomotive.org/45-2/ Mike Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-UnitMad Posted December 3, 2014 Share Posted December 3, 2014 A trackplan that stands out to me as "US Railroads" is the flat crossing, often at 90°, of two railroads across each other, often with an interchange link between them. I know that isn't "RR specific" but it seems a very common feature, whereas in the UK it's a rare thing indeed. (I mean 90° crossings; shallow-angle diamonds & slips are/were common enough) The trouble with a 90° crossing is working it into a layout plan, unless one of the routes is a "dummy" line and not operational. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeHohn Posted December 3, 2014 Share Posted December 3, 2014 Every few years an article appears in the hobby press illustrating hypothetical models of crossings, but they seem rather contrived in most cases. The geometry of fully functional crossings makes them impractical for reasons of space and operational aspect unless they cross at a very acute angle, and even then I'm not so sure. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talltim Posted December 3, 2014 Share Posted December 3, 2014 Yes, so often you end up with at least one of the 4 legs of the crossing as a dummy and using the chords between the lines instead of the mainlines. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Gerbil-Fritters Posted December 16, 2014 Author Share Posted December 16, 2014 I managed to sneak an hour in the shed this evening. I moved some track around, did some glueing of tiny - and I mean TINY - pipe couplings on the Walthers Plastic Pellet Transfer Facility and felt the first slight fluttering of the mojo coming back. I've left the shed now - don't want to frighten it off. I'll keep you posted, fingers crossed... 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielB Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 Take your time Doc, we can wait. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-UnitMad Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 Take your time Doc, we can wait. No, we can't!!! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
long island jack Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 I managed to sneak an hour in the shed this evening. I moved some track around, did some glueing of tiny - and I mean TINY - pipe couplings on the Walthers Plastic Pellet Transfer Facility and felt the first slight fluttering of the mojo coming back. I've left the shed now - don't want to frighten it off. I'll keep you posted, fingers crossed... Having the same trouble myself, very little mojo,wish you could buy it in a bottle! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted December 17, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 17, 2014 Having the same trouble myself, very little mojo,wish you could buy it in a bottle! https://plus.google.com/+RogueAles/posts Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Reichert Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 V 0.2 of my experimental Amfleet trucks etch arrived today, so my mojo is has the hammer down, or it ain't gonna be a 125 mph Christmas. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
long island jack Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 (edited) https://plus.google.com/+RogueAles/posts THIS MAY HELP!!!!!!!!!! Ray Edited December 17, 2014 by long island jack 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alcanman Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 Strangely enough, since 'Spoons and M&S started selling 'Lagunitas IPA' my US mojo has returned! Mal 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Gerbil-Fritters Posted December 18, 2014 Author Share Posted December 18, 2014 The mojo returned this week.... and happily coincided with a day off work. So, when last we visited 'Whatever Yard, Ca' it was in a state of disarray. There followed several weeks of occasional visits to the shed, staring at empty base boards, sighing and walking out again. Then on Sunday I tentatively hit upon the idea of making the staging tracks look more like one end of a proper yard - a 'bitsa' layout if you will. I moved track around until I was reasonably happy, then left it to brew for a few days. I was happy enough with it to actually lay it out properly today, pending a tune up and fixing down tomorrow, What I have, is one ladder at the end of the four track yard, a pair of crossovers, an industry spur and then the industrial lead and the main running off scene. The usual highway overpass clichés will frame the ends of the modelled portion of the yard. The other side of the layout is still a blank canvas at this point pending some more turnouts from Hattons. In the 'bowl' formed by the leads and the main on the left and the ladder on the right will be the yard offices, equipment huts and a small parking lot for RR employees. I also envisage having a couple of light towers for night ops/atmosphere. There is enough room to flat switch this yard, blocking cars for the various industries and - this was an important point that the previous iteration failed on - somewhere where my bigger main line motive power won't look too out of place, even if they are only on stage in a cameo role. I need several more of these neat little offices from Walthers to build a proper yard facility, also those concrete barriers that get used along the edge of the RoW a lot. Feeling quite pleased with the effect so far - it was designed to be a nice spot to take some railfan pictures from, as well as supporting slightly more ops interest than just a plain staging yard. 10 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alastairb Posted December 18, 2014 Share Posted December 18, 2014 (edited) Jersey Barriers"also those concrete barriers that get used along the edge of the RoW a lot."BLMA make some, but I've found these ones from Unit Models are fine and a bit easier to get hold of in the UK http://www.unitmodels.com/product.php?id_product=123 Edited December 18, 2014 by alastairb Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Gerbil-Fritters Posted March 14, 2015 Author Share Posted March 14, 2015 Three desultory months on, and although I've jiggled the track and built some buildings I have to conclude I am not feeling the love any more - the industrial spur in America idea has just upped and died on me Not sure what to do next, although I am tempted to start selling off the stock to free up some cash pending whatever happens next. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pH Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 Not sure what to do next Copper Basin Railway ... Copper Basin Railway ... Copper Basin Railway 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-UnitMad Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 Copper Basin Railway ... Copper Basin Railway ... Copper Basin Railway Nah.......!!! Go O Scale... go O Scale... go O Scale... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Gary H Posted March 14, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 14, 2015 Three desultory months on, and although I've jiggled the track and built some buildings I have to conclude I am not feeling the love any more - the industrial spur in America idea has just upped and died on me Not sure what to do next, although I am tempted to start selling off the stock to free up some cash pending whatever happens next. All sounds very familiar! Its even worse when you have a fully built and 99% finished 12 x 9' 6 though!! I think the only thing that stops me destroying mine and starting again is the fact that I cant afford to at the moment, that and the fact I would hear the gasps of disbelief from the mrs until the end of time! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
switcher 1 Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 If it's any help; I find the larger scales (0 & bigger) appeal more to me, even though I don't have much room. But I am not going to try to fill every available bit of space, not any more a 'railway empire' for me, but a nice compact layout that has everything within reach, so that I can sit down & operate it in comfort. I've tried to create 'something' in the smaller scales & it never works out for me. I have a nice 'collection' of H0 locos & freight cars, but could never get the right layout design to keep my interest going. Now thinking that they might end up in a display case on the wall, as I still like looking at them. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allegheny1600 Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 Three desultory months on, and although I've jiggled the track and built some buildings I have to conclude I am not feeling the love any more - the industrial spur in America idea has just upped and died on me Not sure what to do next, although I am tempted to start selling off the stock to free up some cash pending whatever happens next. My sincere sympathies. If it's of any help at all, I've completed the boards for my German themed layout and now feel exactly the same way about that! The true railroad, the Espee has warmed my heart again though, thankfully! I know it doesn't represent the same amount of 'investment' in time & money as a shed but I wonder if one reaches a certain point of critical mass, then has doubts? I'm certainly regretting all that investment that I've put in - into something I adored and obsessed about only to now think it was a fools errand! However, while I do think a change IS as good as a rest but maybe a holiday well away from railways of any kind may also do some good. Chin up! John E. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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