Pre-layout modeling . . . visualizing

[Mark300]

QUOTE: Originally posted by n2mopac

I already have a good idea how the train schedule will run and I enjoy going over it in my mind. Does/has anyone else done this level of visualizing before their layout was able to support running trains? I have found that it is fun and rewarding in itself.
Ron

Yes but be careful, there's nothing like day dreaming, imagining your life away and missing the real fun of actually building the model railroad. In design (the other part of my life) this is called imagined perfection. The variable of time is missing so things do or don't get accomplished. The antidote/solution is 'immediacy' in executing the plan. Things will change as you build, so starting sooner rather than later is the key.

In the real world, they build the railroad and usually build it peicemeal. They (should) debug and test running operations very carefully, then develop schedules based on what the crews can accomplish with their particular engines, switching, ruling grade, geography and other variables. It's a big stretch to have the timetables running before you get the train moving (There's a verision of this in construction were the homeowner has picked the color of the curtains or towels and hasn't even started to build.). [;)]

In a friendly way, immediacy is like the Nike commercial, 'Just do it!'

Like the motto on the Magazine says...'Dream it, Plan it, Build It.'

Mark

[Anonymous]

I have always drawn a detailed track plan and visualised the trains running on it in order to refine the location of sidings, industries, etc. In the old days (pre-computer) the track plan was on a poster-sized sheet of paper and I used lengths of string or flexible wire to represent trains. Now with computers I still do the same thing except that the track plan is drawn on screen (I use Microsoft Word or Excel - they have an excellent drawing toolbar that creates graceful flowing arcs and curves once you learn a few tricks) and I now create railroad cars and locomotives as colored rectangles that I can drag and drop on the track plan using the mouse.

It has greatly helped me to visualise station and siding track lengths and industry traffic flow. I have always said, as a kind of personal motto or catch-phrase: "If I can't build it on paper, then I can't build it on wood." and consequently, I will not start on the construction of a model railroad without ensuring that it runs (in theory) on paper.

Another thing I do in the last moments before falling asleep at night is to mentally run a train from one end of the line to the other. Half the time this relaxes me so that I fall asleep before reaching the other end of the line. The other half the time I end up leaping out of bed shouting "Eureka", scattering bedclothes and terrifying my poor wife as I scramble to switch on the computer and record the brilliant idea that just struck me as the (mental) train entered the (mental) station.

I guess each of us has to define his own reality. Crazy? No - just train mad.

[darth9x9]

That's funny Jetrock. I can't tell you how many times that I have been in a meeting and will start zoning out and start drawing track plans. I have a whole book a drawings that I need to sort out and see how I can incorporate them in the eventual model railroad empire.

[Jetrock]

I have made mini-layout models before but didn't this time--I did, however, spend a *lot* of time drawing track plans, over and over and over and over again, and plotting out perspective drawings of what they should look like when built.

Usually, I do this in staff meetings at work. It looks like I'm taking notes, and I usually only need to use about a tenth of my brain-power in a staff meeting anyhow...leaving the other nine-tenths to concentrate on trains!

[jwmurrayjr]

Some of you folks that aren't' in a position to build your layout yet, for whatever reason, but can do some modeling, might enjoy building a 3-D scale model of your "dream" layout. This can be a lot of fun and gives you the feeling that you are making progress on your layout.



When I finished the model I really felt like I was making progress toward the real layout (Heck, I thought I was halfway there! Boy was I wrong![:0])

You could even build the model in a larger scale, say 2 or 3 inches = 1 foot. Then you could build some pretty representative structures out of card stock.
[:p]
Well, I'm about to get carried away here but it's something to think about.

[CBQ_Guy]

I'm an expert of visualizing the layout...I've been doing it for years! Not just due to being comfortable in the armchair, though, as there were some severe health and disability problems during much of that time which just flat out kept me from building.

I think it is a good idea to visualize, though. Just realize that, like sketching on paper, you can only be so accurate and at some point you have to just start building. I have a pretty detailed picture in my mind by now what I want to do, what goes where, and how it all will look and operate, but I know that in reality I will build benchwork and then lay the mainlines first. From there I'll try to fit in the rest of it all, but realising it probably all won't fit like I envisioned. Of course this can work the other way sometimes, too, and you end up with more space in some area that you hadn't imagined. Also, actually building and seeing how it realistically fits and looks will give you new ideas you hadn't thought of before, too.

[BRAKIE]

Jim,I also think a 3D layout is a good idea..To my mind one can see the layout he/she has planed and they should be able to correct any problems or make a change if needed before cutting the first piece of lumber which of course will mean less waste of time and labor.

[jwmurrayjr]

After many pencil sketches and then finally working out details with Atlas' Right Track software (RTS) I built a 1"=1' 3-D scale model of my layout (ala Dave Frary) and have used it throughout the building process. The model was made from printouts from RTS and Sculptamold and painted with kids water colors.

Although I am very much a novice, especially at operations, this approach has saved me much time and, I'm sure, rework. When I did find a problem in the real layout I made the change to the model also. But usually I found the problem in the model first.



Of course the layout is far from perfect but I really think that the 3-D model helped me produce a better layout. And it was fun to build too.

[leighant]

Everytime I see a published track plan, I try to operate it mentally. What trains would it run? How would they be originated, switched, staged? I try to operate a few through trains-- what places to pass? What kind of passenger service could be offered? What places do trains transfer cars or passenger from one route to another? Then I try to image how local trains would operate, how would each spur or industry be switched? On an interesting plan, I may make a schematic diagram, the mainline represented as a straight line, and then a diagram of trains that would run and where on that line they would do what.
(I thought I had an example of that in my railimages album to demonstrate, but not. Maybe another time.)

People on this and other bulletin boards sometimes ask what they could design for a particular space. I often try to experiment with my desired layout in spaces I don't actually have, and in doing so, I learn about possibilities.
This is a scheme for the main lower level of my "grand design" in N scale in a 16x24' room I don't have.



It includes "most" of the things I think I need to have.
(I hope someday to have a 21' wide room. 21' feet is a magic number, three aisles each 3 feet wide for operator space with 2 foot shelf layout on each side of the aisle.)

I used to have access (at a television station) to a LightWave 3d laser-ray-tracing program on an Amiga computer, an early version of the computer program used to generate the computer images used in the film Titanic and other feature movies. I built 3d mathematical models of my dream layout and then made animated video of trains running over them, as viewed from an imaginary scale helicopter.


Causeway to the island


Passenger terminal at the island seaport (with night lighting)


Additional images for those who want to take time to load them:
http://www.railimages.com/albums/kennethanthony/abx.jpg
http://www.railimages.com/albums/kennethanthony/aby.jpg
http://www.railimages.com/albums/kennethanthony/abu.jpg
http://www.railimages.com/albums/kennethanthony/abv.jpg
http://www.railimages.com/albums/kennethanthony/abw.jpg

Finally, on my small 3x7' layout, I have shipments to and from industries that are part of my planned future layout.


The peanut butter factory, with a 2000 pound per hour production capacity, ships an average of one boxcar load of packaged peanut butter a week to grocery warehouses. One shipment goes to a wholesaler I plan to model "someday" in my main big city. Another shipment goes to a different wholesaler across town in that big city which will be unmodeled represented by interchange with a belt railroad. Still another shipment goes to a grocery outfit in the island seaport. And a fourth shipment goes to a town represented by the north end staging area. But ALL of the destinations are represented at the moment by the same staging tracks. The peanut butter factory also gets paperboard boxes from Canal Bag & Box Co in the future big city. Canal Bag & Box gets its corrugated cardboard from a papermill east of my existing layout. I don't plan to model the paper mill, ever, but I already model its traffic running across my existing one-town scene in through trains. But the paper mill gets pulpwood loaded on a spur in my modeled scene. And the paper mill uses "custom engineer starch" from Staley in Iowa to stiffen its corrugated cardboard. (I learned about this reading issues of Business Week from the 1950s at my public library. A tankcar lettered for Staley runs in through trains from time to time on my current small railroad. I am running traffic for a huge model railroad empire that doesn't exist yet except in my imagination AND IN ITS TRAFFIC MOVEMENTS.

[tstage]

Even using the FREE Atlas track demo* I found (and still find) VERY helpful. It's limited but...the price is right! [:D]

Tom

*See http://www.atlasrr.com

[jfugate]

If you have a track plan in hand, you can check it out to see what you can expect from it by way of basic operation by using some formulas.

See: http://siskiyou.railfan.net/layout.html

Works for evaluating published track plans, or one you've drawn yourself. The nice thing about using these formulas is they are quick. The downside is they are only approximate.

[BRAKIE]

After I get my bench work up-usually for industrial switching layouts-here is the way I visualize my track work..I place my buildings where I WOULD like them to be, then I simply lay my track in place and move it around till I like what I see..Of course this may mean I will need to relocate or change buildings to gain room.
I then draw a chalk line and start spiking the track in place...
Now what to do before you can run trains? LOTS! First I start by naming my industries according to the types of cars I own.For me I have lots of boxcars,covered hoppers,coil cars and tank cars..I shun open type cars except in some cases where I absolutely need to use them.Then I commence writing car cards and waybills,painting and lettering engines and cars for my C&HV,adding minor details to my locomotives and in general getting things ready for the big operating day.
What do I do after I finish my layout? Exactly what I built it for-operation..Oh,I may add some minor details here and there-if the urge hits me- but,my layouts is usually finish as far as I want to take it before I start to operate.[:D]

[Anonymous]

how about investing in TRAINZ 2004 and building it in your PC? Great way of trying out layouts and seeing if they are workable, interesting to operate.

I use it each time before starting anything - saves a lot of time and money![:)]

[Big_Boy_4005]

I do. It may seem a little like "cart before the horse" thinking, but it is inspiring. I have a very large layout planned, and it will take a long time to build. Sometimes going slow helps you see and correct problems before you actually build and have to make changes.

[AntonioFP45]

You bring up a very good idea.

Good to have a railroad in which "flows" like a transporation system.

I've been visualizing myself how my new layout will operate. I enjoy a balance of: small or medium sized industries, a two track mainline for good long runs, passenger service, and a small engine servicing facility. I'm going to put it down on paper (acutally on Microsoft word) so that as I come across new ideas I won't forget them (which I often do).

I've picked up a lot of good info on this forum, but there is so much that at times it can be a bit overwhelming. Jotting down Topic numbers is also very helpful.

Peace out!

[n2mopac]

In sports athletes are taught to visualize themselves performing their athletic skills perfectly to enhance their performance. I suppose I do somethin similar in model railroading. I am in the process of building my second layout. I started about 9 months ago, most of my basic benchwork is done, but I am probably a year from having trains running. What is a modeler to do in this time? I am enjoying seeing in my mind how the layout will run. I already have operating rules in place, I know what and where my industries will be as well at 3 live interchanges. I have made up car cards and waybills for the rolling stock I have on hand, and I have a list of the rolling stock and locomotives I need. I already have a good idea how the train schedule will run and I enjoy going over it in my mind. Does/has anyone else done this level of visualizing before their layout was able to support running trains? I have found that it is fun and rewarding in itself.
Ron