An interesting find at this last weekend's Titletown train show in Green Bay WI was a copy, in decent shape and costing just $3, of Al Kalmbach's book "Model Railroad Track and Layout." It might be that the various chapters were taken from the pages of Model Railroader since this dates back to when Al was not only publisher but editor.
There are relatively few photos (prototype or of models) but lots of drawings and most of those are initialed LW or LHW -- famed MR editor from the 1960s and 70s Linn Westcott.
I bought the book for just one reason: Kalmbach suggested an around the walls layout based on the C&NW's "belt line" around Milwaukee, complete with all the junctions and yards. I used to live at the southwest "corner" of that almost perfectly square belt line and Al's text had some discussion of prototype operations that I found interesting and certainly worth $3 to acquire.
But there is much else of interest, if only from an historical perspective. Most of the layouts shown are O scale (or as they said back then O gauge) since at that time I do not believe anybody on the Model Railroader staff was actually in HO or had any familiarity with it. And while lip service is paid to O scale two-rail, it is really oriented to O scale with outside third rail, which not only simplified wiring but made complete signals systems easier and more practical. What discussion of two rail wiring there is seems needlessly complex and again likely because nobody on the MR staff had or knew much about two rail.
Some issues of the era are no longer ones that concern us. He writes that an attic layout in an urban area usually means dust and dirt from all the nearby coal furnaces. That is in addition to the temperature extremes that make an attic impossible for parts of the year. Basements back then usually had dirt floors, which created its own problems. His own layout was in an attic and on the floor because he could extend the tracks closer to where the slope of the roof made standing impossible, and admits this was a horrible idea from a contruction and maintenance perspective. He does mention the point that continues to bedevil us today -- the ideal height for layout construction (he says 40") is not the ideal height for layout operation, which he says is closer to eye level.
Kalmbach makes the very reasonable point that there are certain very prototypical track arrangements which nonetheless are not practical for outside third rail, so in that sense track plans were confined to what was practical for the greatest number of modelers of the time. All that would change as HO and two rail became dominant.
Most layouts were ovals of some sort or another and the author freely admits "nine out of ten model layouts are an outgrowth of the circular track idea of the toy train ... but it doesn't suit reality in planning. Even with terminals and yards added to the oval, it does not approximate real operation, since real trains go someplace ...." And yet, he goes on, "it's hard to lay out a real point to point system in miniature [remember he's thinking of O scale] and even harder for an individual to operate such a system [and here we need to remember that there was no walk around control at the time, and even throttles were too bulky to be teathered.]
But on the other hand, Al Kalmbach did advocate studying the prototype for the "germ" of a track plan, not unlike Tony Koester's "Layout Design Elements," and set forth ideas about terminals, yards, easement curves, varied elevation to similate cuts and fills, yard throats and lead track, and other basics to layout design even today. He advocated for single track main lines because of the additional interest and challenge single track railroading creates in the way of meets and passes -- and train orders and dispatching. Indeed his ideas for grading the right of way reflect a familiarity with real railroad engineering practice that few layouts reflect even today. And handlaid O scale track is shown with actual tie plates and the prototype number of spikes involved, something rarely seen today in the smaller scales, although admittedly that realistic looking track is accompanied in the photos by the very odd looking outside third rail. Some ideas for hidden "storage" tracks to prolong a train's run approximate but do not equal the current notions of "staging." Actually the word "staging" does make an appearance but it is used to refer to the cribbing needed along a model or prototype right of way when the angle of slope is steeper than the ground can maintain on its own.
And he sets forth an idea for sectional construction of a layout, making it easier to move, that he credited to Linn Westcott thinkig up several years ago -- and that was as of 1940.
With just a couple of exceptions I do not think most people would glean a useful track plan from the examples in this book.
I'll close with this very interesting and perhaps even provocative thought from Al Kalmbach: "A layout should not be planned until one has actually built some track and switches, and until one at least understands the construction of scenery and benchwork. A working knowledge of track and benchwork construction enables one to plan a layout which can be built, and you'd be surprised at the number of impractical layout plans, plans which cause grief to their authors."
Dave Nelson
dknelsonprovocative thought from Al Kalmbach: "A layout should not be planned until one has actually built some track and switches, and until one at least understands the construction of scenery and benchwork. A working knowledge of track and benchwork construction enables one to plan a layout which can be built
-Matt
Returning to model railroading after 40 years and taking unconscionable liberties with the SP&S, Northern Pacific and Great Northern roads in the '40s and '50s.
I also bought that book in the used bin of our LHS a few years ago. I think I read most of it. I was surprised about how much of the content is actually still relevant today!
Simon
“The charm of history and its enigmatic lesson consist in the fact that, from age to age, nothing changes and yet everything is completely different. “— Aldous Huxley
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
Reading old books can be fascinating. How things were done in their day. Scenes that can easily be adapted to today. I have a few (U.K.) books written in the 1960s/70s and have 'pinched' several ideas.
To the world you are someone. To someone you are the world
I cannot afford the luxury of a negative thought
NorthBrit Reading old books can be fascinating. How things were done in their day. Scenes that can easily be adapted to today. I have a few (U.K.) books written in the 1960s/70s and have 'pinched' several ideas.
CJ Freezer or early Chris Leigh?
spe3376 CJ Freezer or early Chris Leigh?
Rev. Peter Denny, David Jenkinson, P.D. Hancock as well.
David
It's very interesting to think of what layouts will look like in the future. Some say the N Scale State Line route isn't an interesting layout and no way it was published 30/40 years ago, but it is a railroad of today.
The Class 1's aren't interested in the Single Car pickup. They want to run predictable Unit Trains between terminals, and interchange to a local carrier for the final mile to the customer. The idea of a local out on the main dropping off cars does not work for them or their performance metrics.
Old track plans can be fun to look at, but they definetly are a bowl of spaghetti as some would say. Houses were smaller, basements, attics, spare bedrooms aren't what they are now. Lighting, Electricity, oh my! And to think they did what they did without Youtube Views, Like and Subscribe buttons, or really any knowledge what anyone else was doing.
Rev. EW Beal also authored a fascinating series of very helpful books on UK OO.
Some old books can be very interesting. I remember reading old articles about using asbestos cloth and panels. Casting lead boilers and parts at home and other technics and materials that is banned or very unsafe by todays standards. You tend to wonder what future modelers will be using.
Pete.
wrench567 You tend to wonder what future modelers will be using. Pete.
You tend to wonder what future modelers will be using.