In the (very interesting) special edition issue of MR about the Milwaukee, Racine & Troy I noted that in each version of the MRT the direction of travel places West to the right.
Is there a reason for that ?
To me it seems counterintuitive. When I look at any map North is up, East is to the right and West to the left.
Martin
Martin4...To me it seems counterintuitive. When I look at any map North is up, East is to the right and West to the left.
Not at all: it seems obvious that it's meant to be viewed from the North.
My around-the-room layout has a North/South line and an East/West one, too, with some of each sharing some of the same track. I doubt that it would make much sense to a visitor, but it seems perfectly clear and simple to me.
Wayne
Could it be if they’re facing the layout to the south, your right side would be on the West and you’re left side on the East? My layout is mounted on casters and I occasionally turn it. The normal operation is looking east so my right would be South. Mel My Model Railroad http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/ Bakersfield, California I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
Could we hear from the ones who built this ?
So, how would look at a railroad that has a N-S designation? Would you always be standing at the end, with NB trains going away from you?
Not getting your point.
Mike.
My You Tube
Better question... does that match the compass for your layout space? Westbound on your layout is westbound in real life
Not sure what the question is. My tiny brain tells me that it is highly unlikely that a model RR will match real compass orientation as there are so many variables. I look North at my layout, yet it is an over the Rockies West/East layout where Alberta is to my left.
When I railfan in the Rockies, the train coming from the west will be coming from my right or left depending what side of the tracks I am on.
I have my pilots license and some basic seamanship courses and an outward bound survival course under my belt and orientating the map to the direction you are travelling in is/was the norm.
I wonder how many space travellers approach the Earth with North on top?
My daughter takes a lot of Psyc courses towards her medical degree and in one of her books they suggest putting an upside-down photo of the Earth on your fridge and try and guess what visitors to the house will either comment on the fact that the photo is upside down because North isn't up or will just turn the photo around because it bothers them so much that it is "upside-down". We had a lot of fun with that one and were spot on with who we thought would be bothered by it. Some people are easily programmable.
This is a good conversation and reminds me of the ones that ask, do you run your trains clockwise or Counterclockwise.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
LastspikemikeMany among us, particularly women I have noticed, do not acquire this perception bias. Often a woman will orient a map to face the direction they wish to route.
My wife does this. I find that I occasionally also do the same thing. The problem arises when I'm driving and she is reading the map upside down and giving directions.
Instead of saying you'll want to go East, she'll say you want to turn right. All the road signs I've seen are marked to go north and south or east and west. I've not seen one marked go left or go right.
Not my first wife. We could be on any Interstate at exit 10 and she couldn't find it on the map.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley