Perhaps the worst big layout ever?

[Philly Bill]

Good points -- my own MR work is very basic as well, and I ate some of my words earlier in the thread.  Maybe I started the thread with a bit of buyer's remorse having paid good bucks for the view.  In some ways, it wasn't the track per se, but the scenery layout with all these oval loops of non-running slot car trak in blocks in a row, that bothered me.

[EM-1]

The last time I got sent on business to the Keewana peninsula, I got to stop in at the big layout builder just across the ship channel from Michigan Technical University campus in Houghton, Mi. They were in the process of rebuilding the old Flieschman display layout. That was a layout built sometime in the early or mid 50s, I think for a World's Fair, to showcase their product line. Fairly small for portability, very compact but well done, for the time, scenery, including a dockside vignette, and basically a number of loops. I think maybe nothing with bigger than an 18" radius, and mostly 14" or 15", but designed so short European style trains could be run all day long without problems by maybe a single person as a monitor. The pics in their ads made a certain young pre-teen want to go out and buy a lot of Flieschman rolling stock. Just what it was built for. I actually did manage to buy a few pieces when I was in the AF. One of the locos I bought was a 2-8-4 tank engine. Spent about $30.00. Last issue of that Loco, according to a Walther's catalog, about 2 years ago, was something around $600. Display layouts like those mentioned do fill a purpose, even if if they don't meet the standards held to by the serious scale modeler. After all, the Cedar Point Amusement Park has a large loop that runs through the grounds, running about 2 trains of something like 5 or 6 open passenger cars pulled by real coal fired steam locos. One part of the loop runs through a somewhat hoakey "Ghost Town" with animated ghosts. (Strickly Tinplate?) But it is reputed to carry more passengers in a season than any of their other rides, including any of their many roller coasters. Don't knock it. I hope the Yupper proprieters, if they read this, forgive me for having a senior moment and forgetting the name of their establishment, which I think I remember is in Lake Linden, Mi. I know they advertise in MR, but I'm away from my own computer which has the info. Today's my grandaughter's 2nd birthday party, so I'm not only away from my home computer, I'm away from my home state. (Another scale model?)

[beartracks]

I think it's OK

 Ever try to Operate with a crowd present?  Like with 22,000 viewers at the Amhearst Show?  Operation is usually best done with limited viewers and operators can concentrate on what is going on.

Our club operated a couple of HO, N & O scale modular layouts during the Xmas season (4-6 weeks) a number of years ago at the local college and malls.  You should have seen the faces of the kids lightup and their folks who saw it run.  I wish we could do it again but alas the school where we displayed is not avaulable.

BTW our layout was on display at the 2009 National Train Show.  Not too bad for running trains around.

ah

[jfallon]

 Having worked as a volunteer on a museum display layout, I can vouch for the fact that no turnouts is a plus. There were two loops in this layout, with one crossover which was out in the middle of the display area. That was the place where locomotives would stall or cars would derail, and someone would have to climb over the plexiglass and walk across the layout to fix it.

[cprted]

Layouts--whether public display pieces or otherwise--are absolutely open to critique.  However there are rules to be followed.  When I'm writing a book review, I have to to review the book that the author wrote, not the book I wished the author had written or the book I want to write.  The same holds true for layouts.  Ask yourself, who is the layout intended for, what purpose is the layout supposed to fulfil, and what goals did the owner have in its design and construction? 

With this framework, a layout can be 'excellent' and yet completely not you cup of tea all at the same time.

[Kurt_Laughlin]

What I don't get is the purpose of this thing.  It may be a great display layout, but why does it exist?  Does the club use it as a draw to get money (via admissions) to run their non-display, operationally dense "real" layout, or does it just feed itself?

 

KL

[ruderunner]

The point about continuous loops is valid, many layouts are built with hidden tracks to allow for continuous runninng during open houses or just because the owner wants to watch trains or break em in.  Mine included.

As an aside, in my earlier post I mentioned the possibility of putting decoders into slot cars.  Well it looks like our little brothers have beaten me to it.  I just picked up a slot car magazine and they have systems to allow speed control (including momentum) of 6 cars on 2 lanes with the operational possibility of changing lanes.  Huh, a simplistic system for sure but so were early DCC systems.  But then why not just go to RC?

[RedLeader]

Interesting thread, specially since I'm in the process of building one.  Many factors took place during the design face (and still change are made!).  The first thing to understand is that a public layout is intended for non-model railroaders (MR cowans.. ) that doesn't care much about scheduals, timetables, rr rules, speed limits, and prototypical operations.  "Normal" people just like to see things moving, and they like it big, fast and shiny.  What we MRders consider "realistic" and  "prototypical", most "normal" people consider boring!  For example, perhaps for us 4 SDs grinding up a 1.8% hill at 40mph pulling a 50+ cars train is quite a view, but a common folk will ask: "Can it go any faster?!"  How many times I've heard "I like the new one better..." from kids when confronted with new and weathedered engines or rolling stock.  Normal people just like things moving by themselves, and if they may control them even better.  That's why this new layout have "interactive" sections and accesories (like a couple of Heljan cranes) for people to interact with the layout.  Maybe these are two different worlds we're talking about...  Of course, being a MR since ever, a lot of "prototypical" action and design have been put into this design, but some things are just inevitable, like the continous runs, over 'n under scene, double main line with passing trains in opposite directions, tunnels, bridges and lots of blinking lights and moving things.  Automation is a must (or at least safe  marry-go-round continuous runs), imagine a guy controlling 10 trains 8 hours a day 7 days a week with a handheld... Maybe for some of us is a horrible layout, but for our neighbor's son is one of the coolest things his ever seen...