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Greetings from the Rabbidgerbal, I'm new to the "club" (so to speak) and am currently in the mist of working up an inglenook style switcher on a 1' x 3' layout in HO. I'm really trying to pu***he limits of the space while remaining in HO standard scale. THE SCENE: FIrstly I'm pushing the scene in having a main line that branches up into a mine and down into a tiny dockside rail seaport. Plans for a tiny beach, a moonshine still area near the mine a couple of tiny houses and a train station...phew the space might call for some creative kitbashing in the end perhaps even more as the room allows... I got my eye on a nice bi-plane to sit on the beach. THE CARS: people don't seem to be talking much about their rolling stock. I think this is the key to my tiny layout. Thus far I scored a bobber caboose that's just over 25' in scale, a 22' ore car, and a 34' passenger car... with a 30' gondola car, 30' blacksmith car and 30' sleeper car just ordered. moreover my tiny 0-4-0 switcher measures in at a mighty 4.5 inches. The reason I say this all is key is in trying to maintain the inglenook game with nearly the same amount of cars as a much larger set up. THE LAYOUT: I'm currently leaning toward the main line cutting the board in half with a branch going off toward the top and one to the bottom slightly beyond that. MOREOVER ABOUT CARS: also the design may be used on a table or perhaps plug into a larger set up for a staging yard. the key here is in the "BIG" event of a mainline train coming through. Having these tiny cars will make the event of seeing something like the Howarts special rolling through with it's normal larger passenger cars as a serious event. THOUGHTS OF FICTION OF THE THREE INDUSTRIES: Well firstly you have a mainline going through, perhaps it was then that a survayer found a bit of stone that indicated a vein of gold or what have you... (Unobtainium?) that spawned the small mine, then that quickly spawned the dock and rail to the dock as supplies were carted in and out. Then in keeping with the dynamic theme (partially inspired by that recent mecian railroad in model railroading) I'm assuming bandits might attack the shipment going out by train. thus part of the blacksmith car will be retrofitted to allow some "protection" and maybe even a sopswith bi-plane might fly with the train and scout ahead during outgoing trains or even use it's guns to spook those who are in wait with ill intentions for the train. all this is going to bring the curious, and the station would support lots of folks from gamblers, miners, get rich quick hopefulls, and just the curious. The underground is also being considered. The moonshine still that orignally supported the miners will actually be bootlegged on the boat and train as it gains local fame. I know that a small still can only produce so much in reality, but it's fiction and they are pretty busy. The toobit (two bit) mine, at least that's its nickname in the planning, will hopefully be open for operation in the near future... but first I need to find a 1' x 3' board to begin. (I'm looking at stair treads or a cut up plywood on the cheap) THE GOALS: Well firstly I do want some fame out of the deal, and perhaps a spot in the microlayout page that just rocks the world. While the design may not be prototypical it does have focused goals of pushing the limits of the space trying to maintain the game as well, fictional purpose of the area, as some visual modeling. I'm trying to make this as portible as possible, to bring to church to let others enjoy the switching games and if I ever get to one of those neat train shows I always hear about. It would rock if it got some kind of ribbon or something. I do want it to be special. also doing this small rocks in that it's a skill builder. (I figure it's better to mess up with a tiny bit of water than ruin a 4X8 foot table) SO 2 cars, some track, a bobber caboose and a tiny train sit in waiting so far. Please tell me what you all think!
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