Large Scale Central

Define or describe your pike

General Discussion
#1

Good morning,

I’ve been in this hobby a year and a few months now, and I’ve learned quite a bit from many of you about the hobby. I’ve designed layouts that will never see the ground, and I’ve spent more time on paper than I have on the dirt. That is one thing that I going to change in 2007 here. But I need help from you folks once again.

The layout I have currently was put together with two goals in mind;

  1. Having a layout ready for our Christmas display, and

  2. Putting a layout together that I could run trains on and learn what it is I like to run, how I like to run, and learn more about the intricacies of the hobby.

What I’d like to get from those of you who would consider helping is this;

Define, or describe your layout for me. Maybe a couple sentences, or a couple paragraphs, your thoughts and your ideas that guided your layouts reason for being.

What is it that your layout does? Freight? Passengers? Mixtures?

Do you operate on a schedule? Do you run trains just to run them?

There are a few changes in store for my railroad for 2007, and this time the build is going to be a little more deliberate. The railroad will do something, it will have a goal, without being a “purist”, but having some story to tell to visitors that will give them a sense of “ahh…” when they see the layout.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

michael

#2

Michael,

May I suggest that you check out the Articles portion of this website. Many of us have “Articles” about our railroads and specific stories of how to do and maintain portions of them.

#3

Ric,

Thanks for the point. There are a couple in there that will help immensely!

michael

#4

Although I don’t have an article in the “articles” section, you can find mine in the forum just below this one. I’m one of those oddballs that model LS indoors. I’ve started an outdoor layout but I’m not too sure if it will ever get built. It seems that the weather just plain sucks every time I want to work on it. :frowning:

#5

Pike (n): A slender, freshwater fish with a long, narrow head. :wink:

#6

Michael, One more odd-ball: I model Swiss Meter gauge in 1:22.5 scale. While I can’t convince nature of my 1:22.5 dictum, I can build whatever needs building to that scale. :wink: I also like operating, the layout has been designed with that in mind.

#7

My layout, design process, tips, etc. are all on my web site http://www.elmassian.com

Regards, Greg

#8
Ray Dunakin said:
Pike (n): A slender, freshwater fish with a long, narrow head. ;)
Ray, you beat me to it!

Yeah, and real mean also!.
I’ve caught several hundred, prolly, over the years. Describing my biggest pike would be about 12 pounds, 36" long, and slimy, green spotted with huge teeth!!

Michael, is that the answer you was lookin’ for? :slight_smile: :slight_smile: :slight_smile:

I have an indoor layout, but I am in the process of building my outdoor layout also. Freezing cold or deep mud has put a halt to it for a short while.

See http://www.largescalecentral.com/LSCForums/viewtopic.php?id=6633 I’ll add more to it when I get back into action.

jb

#9

Until I can move my railroad outside, I am in a small confined space (my office). Here is the layout.

#10

What programs did you guys use to draw your trackplans?

#11
Quote:
Define, or describe your layout for me. Maybe a couple sentences, or a couple paragraphs, your thoughts and your ideas that guided your layouts reason for being.
My layout is a fictional railroad inspired by the Carrizo Gorge portion of the San Diego & Arizona Railway, as well as various defunct mining railroads of Nevada and the Mojave desert. My chief interest is watching trains run through spectacular desert scenery.
Quote:
What is it that your layout does? Freight? Passengers? Mixtures?
Both freight and passengers. I envision it as a railroad which serves mines and small mining communities as well as tourist excursions.
Quote:
Do you operate on a schedule? Do you run trains just to run them?
Haven't got it running yet. I've been working on it for a year and it will probably take another year to get it up and running.
#12

I have a small railroad folks come over and operate on from time to time. We run in rain or snow, plowing as needed. We built it high on purpose 15 years ago, and are glad now that we are older that we can actually operate it and not have to get down to ground level to do anything. My wife tries to keep some pictures on our website.

Two of our logging locos preparing to depart Laurel yard for the logging district of Hughes Lumber at High Point on the Lilac Branch.

#13
Ray Dunakin said:
What programs did you guys use to draw your trackplans?
I am using RR-Track, http://www.rrtrack.com/
#14
Ray Dunakin said:
What programs did you guys use to draw your trackplans?
Hi Ray,

I’m using CADrail. They have a free trial version. :wink:

#15

My Model Railroad was designed by two of us; sitting by the pond with a case of cold bheer, a clipboard of squared paper and a felt marking pencil.

As we sketched; the wasted paper was thrown into a Chimneia, to be burned, after we got tired of drawing.

I keep hoping to find those original drawings in my collection of junque. The overal layout is very little changed from the original We have just upgraded it over the years, increaing the radius of curves, adding industries, and sidings.

I was very fortunate NOT to have a wife or anyone else to tell me WHERE I COULDN’T LAY TRACK. That is the solution to most problems.

Staying away from the “Gawd Awful” idea that you have to start with a loop, made the layout enjoyable from the start, and keeps the interest perking.

I do not claim to have a garden railroad. I DO have a model railroad out in the garden.

#16

I used to build railroads in a slightly smaller scale for folks.
Indoor stuff.

I realized when an architect handed us the scale drawing of a layout that we were to build EXACTLY as drawn (with templates) on a shelf above the computers in the Kids room (house is…3 houses from Billy Gates monstrosity) that I was never again going to use any type of pre-planning.

We argued it wouldn’t work, told to do it “as drawn”, period.
We did.
Tracks against the wall and hanging over the edge.
They weren’t happy.
We asked them to compare each section of track to the architectural rendition…and it was right on.
So, for double the money, we fixed it.

If you are flat on the ground and no trackside interferences, no problem, but I have yet to see one lay out as drawn.
I, like Ferd, sketch a rough idea, then start laying track, and doing what real railroads did to overcome obstacles.

When you are 4 feet off the ground and hugging the edge, you want it right.

I have used flex track in all applications in the last 12 years or so.

TOC

#17

Well, I’d have to say my RR is loosely, and I do mean LOOSELY based on a western narrow gauge line somewhere in the Rocky Mountains. At present it doesn’t amount to much as it’s in it’s infancy building-wise. This is my second outdoor layout and much more thought is going into to this one than the first one. From the first layout I learned what I liked and didn’t like; what worked outside and what didn’t; what I’d like to have and can’t afford to what I’d like to have and CAN afford. As most folks will tell you, you never finish a layout…it evolves over time as your interests and talents change and evolve. Then of course, you meet others in the hobby and more ideas are added to the mix, more thoughts added to the process. What I hope it will become is a small short line RR with a mix of passenger and freight traffic with an interchange on either end to the outside world and some small industries along the line to generate revenue.

#18

Kevin Strong has presented a very good argument for his railroad in the last number of issues of Garden Railways. I felt he brought it together very well with this last issue. It is a simple track plan with many areas to expand or improve as time progresses. As he was building, and first putting the articles together, he allowed questions and suggestions that gave us all an insight in to what he was striving to build.

I’ve really enjoyed his articles and felt he has put together a good plan for the many layers of expertise of people that will be reading and following his advice.

It might be worthwhile to read through those 4 or 5 articles, to bolster your confidence and ideas. Jack Verduccii did a series last year in GR, with not quite as strong of a construction log. But it certainly gave a good idea of how and why he built ti the way he did.

#19

I don’t like typing that well, you can read a synopsis here

http://www.raccooncrkrwy.com/