General Discussion (Model Railroader)

Autobus Prime wrote:

Folks: Not to interfere too much with threadvolution, but I do think we are straying too much into the "have what the prototype / typical prototype has" department.  That's a good department, and you'll note I addressed it in my post.  For instance, I don't have a wood trestle or a tunnel.  It's one we address all the time, though, with the same questions and answers every time. However, there is always a range of options available, some of which will do more for a layout than others.  SO the question I was considering while cribbin' away was: where we can choose, what should we pick? Even if we're replicating a prototype, we can do this, because we can rarely copy every mile.  The grade-crossing suggestion is great...not every foot of ROW has a grade crossing, but because it helps a viewer relate to the scene, that's a very good section of ROW to model. Obviously, not everybody can have cribbing or tunnels, but if you are one of these people, what do you consider something a model railroad representing some area of Japan or Kansas ought to have, to be interesting and railroady in that Japan or Kansas way?

Very well said, and I agree.  Even the prototype can stand a bit of freelance now and then.  IMO.  This is one reason why I do not, (at this time) want to model the protype myself.  I don't ever want to be held back by the real world.  I'd rather let my immagination run wild.  For instance.  If I ever model Japan I'll be sure to stick in some timber cribbing just to rock the boat! 

Hello.

 I model the SAL running on the Gulf coast in Florida. I want to show this location and so I need to be authentic and not include items that are associated more with the a mountainous region. Space limitations also determine what I can model and what I would need to leave off from my wish list of scenic attractions. However, having said all that, I don't see that I am limited all that much and if I am then it's in a good way as I can model the kinds of things I do like such as piers, wharves, fishing boats, USCG and the Navy - I guess these are perhaps more non-related railway activities. I still can manage a small steam/diesel service yard, some freight car storage, a passenger depot and some small industry serviced by the SAL - but no grand scenic statements such as tunnels and high wood trestles, I'm afraid.

Bruce

BlueHillsCPR wrote:

If I ever model Japan I'll be sure to stick in some timber cribbing just to rock the boat!

Every layout I've ever built has had...

A station...

A bridge...

A tunnel...

A switching area

A yard...

and most importanly (I think)... structure and street lighting...

Lee

My thoughts:

1.A small workable yard

2.Lots of industries-aviod placing industries on a switch back where you need to move a car to switch another industry-safety issues..

3.A engine house-although not really necessary for diesels they still look nice.

4.A small servicing area..On a small layout one track will suffice with or without a engine house.

5.Scale width roads.Be nice if space allows a drainage ditch on each side of the road.

6.Scenery that makes sense..I think that covers it..Follow good layout planing guides.Remember less can be more.Think:Do I really need a mountain sticking up in the middle of no where? Why not use rolling hills back drop scenes instead? Do I really need to climb a 4% grade just to cross over my track so I can use a bridge? Better would be to suggest crossing a creek,river or road by dropping the scenery below track level instead of climbing that 4% grade.

7.A river or creek..This looks good running along the edge before making a turn into the isle.This method also takes up less space since you only need a suggestion-maybe 1/4-1/2 of the river or creek.

8.Prototypical track design.Ask: Do I really need to jam in 2 tons of track in a 1 ton area?

Sorry, I didn't mean to drift off topic but,feel layouts need to be planned well above all other things.Do that and everything else seems to fall into place.

marknewton wrote:

BlueHillsCPR wrote: If I ever model Japan I'll be sure to stick in some timber cribbing just to rock the boat!  Kevin, there's only two people on the forum who'd know you were rocking the boat. Chuck's one, and I'm the other - and I don't think either of us would give you hard time about it! All the best, Mark.

Yes I doubt that too!

cbq9911a wrote:

1. Named places.  Names establish the character of a place.  The intersection of [Vaclav] Havel St. and [Eamon] DeValera Rd. is in a very different community than the intersection of [Richard] Nixon St. and [John] Birch Ave.

Here's an intersection for ya:

http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&FORM=LMLTCC&cp=40.673767~-74.002302&style=r&lvl=19&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&scene=18442246&phx=0&phy=0&phscl=1&encType=1

tomikawaTT wrote:

"A tunnel."  Again, are we talking Moffatt, Cascade, or the oversize rain culvert that carried the MILW under I-10 at Tucumcari, NM?

What branch of the Milwaukee Road was that one?  There must have been a secret turnout inside St.Paul pass tunnel that went south for a looooong way.

GS

• Road construction
  
• Power/telephone lines/poles/towers
  
• Electrical Sub Station
  
• Cemetery
  
• Propane Vendor
  
• Communications tower
  
• Freight/Shipping facility
  
• Bus station
  

Geared Steam wrote:

tomikawaTT wrote: "A tunnel."  Again, are we talking Moffatt, Cascade, or the oversize rain culvert that carried the MILW under I-40 at Tucumcari, NM? What branch of the Milwaukee Road was that one?  There must have been a secret turnout inside St.Paul pass tunnel that went south for a looooong way. GS

Beats me!  All I know is that there's a rail route identified as C,M,StP&P on the Texas road map that parallels I-40 across the northern extension of Texas.  It doesn't take a very sharp eye to follow the old roadbed, which continues on to Tucumcari.  The old overpass just east of Amarillo was flattened a few years ago when that stretch of interstate was repaved.  A last remnant with rails is used for car storage by BNSF at Amarillo.

Of course, there's one thing that every present-day North American layout should have lots of.

18-wheelers.

Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)

tomikawaTT wrote:

Geared Steam wrote:  tomikawaTT wrote: "A tunnel."  Again, are we talking Moffatt, Cascade, or the oversize rain culvert that carried the MILW under I-40 at Tucumcari, NM? What branch of the Milwaukee Road was that one?  There must have been a secret turnout inside St.Paul pass tunnel that went south for a looooong way. GS Beats me!  All I know is that there's a rail route identified as C,M,StP&P on the Texas road map that parallels I-40 across the northern extension of Texas.  It doesn't take a very sharp eye to follow the old roadbed, which continues on to Tucumcari.  The old overpass just east of Amarillo was flattened a few years ago when that stretch of interstate was repaved.  A last remnant with rails is used for car storage by BNSF at Amarillo. Of course, there's one thing that every present-day North American layout should have lots of. 18-wheelers. Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)

That rail line would've been the Rock Island, CRI&P.

Jeff

Well, The most important things are trains and track.

My ideas: 

• Train crew. Driver in the cab, et cetera. You should also try putting people in the coaches.
  
• If you're modeling a British line, simulate the BR headlamp code.
• Signals
• Telephone/power lines
• Lineside telephone boxes
• A station or two
  

Left Coast Rail wrote:

A few from my list that haven't been mentioned: Road construction Power/telephone lines/poles/towers Electrical Sub Station Cemetery Propane Vendor Communications tower Freight/Shipping facility Bus station

I model 1900

• Road construction - OK
  
• Power/telephone lines/poles/towers - Not invented yet
  
• Electrical Sub Station - Not invented yet
  
• Cemetery - OK
  
• Propane Vendor - Not discovered yet
  
• Communications tower - Not invented yet
  
• Freight/Shipping facility - OK
  
• Bus station - Not invented yet

That's the problem with lists that *every* layout should have.

Dave H.

Since my modeling interests lie in rural Texas; I would add a oil pump jack (aka a walking beam).  Models of these pop up from time to time; I have a couple to build.  In real life they vary in size, and the amount of time they actually pump is (or used to be) regulated by the Texas Railroad Commission (who's main function now is to regulate the Texas oil & gas industry).

I'd add a depot to the list; along with fencing, cattle pens, cattle and windmills.

I have a friend who works for a funeral home; he adds a cemetery to just about everything he models.

Thanks for the correction, Jeff.  I wonder if that was one of those deliberate errors mapmakers include to trip up copyright infringers.

In any event, just east of Tucumcari the ghost roadbed/dirt road crosses under I-40 (driving lanes, shoulders and median) at an acute angle in what can only be described as an oversize corrugated iron culvert.

And then there's the prototype for Lionel's tunnel.  The (now) JR-East Hachiko line crosses the approach to the main runway at Yokota AB in a shallow cut.  About 100 meters worth, in line with the runway centerline, has been covered with a concrete barrel arch and bermed over - a little artificial hill in an otherwise flat cow pasture, with a track running through it.  (It's the only thing on that 90-kilometer route that even vaguely resembles a tunnel.)

As for timber cribbing, well, there WERE stacks of drying wood in the yard of the sawmill at Agematsu...

Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - an area that has lots of bridges and tunnels)