Large Scale Central

Modules

General Discussion
#1

Howdy
Bart and I have tossed around some ideas about a module set, and I figure Id throw it out to the general populace here. We were pondering an operations set, instead of a roundy-roundy like the rest of the modules are. Yea, people like to watch trains go around, but at York, for example, there are a dozen of those already. We were pondering running some small ops.

So we’d have modules, say 5’ long a piece, single track mainline, with or without a couple industry sidings. Maybe one pair would be a passing siding, so we could run two trains.

So, instead of a visitor standing there watching the 50 car coal drag going by, we instead hand him a controller, and say “these two cars need to go to Farkus Furniture, pick up the empies there, too, and bring them back to the yard”

Opinions? Ideas?

#2

Hi Bob,

Our club tried to run some ops on our layout last year. They had a couple of yards and industrial sidings set up. I don’t think anyone noticed. To be frank, in my last two years of my going to ECLSTS, there doesn’t seem to be much interest in any of the displays. There was a bit of debate on whether we should even do a display this year. We are and will be doing one a bit of a different than our usual. If the response is flat, it may be our last.
There’s a guy who posts over on the GR forum who has an industrial display layout (similar to what you described) and wanted to show it at the SE show. I told him to contact Harry Hartman. Let’s just say Harry was not receptive to the idea. At East Coast there is also a space issue.
That said I have been pondering something similar for 7/8’s scale for the future utilizing the resources of various folks working in that scale. That may be a bit of a pipe dream though.

-Brian

#3

Ric had a very nice set up last year. It was a timesaver and Inglenook combined. Seems it was a big hit.

#4

Yea… I hung out there for most of the day, and giving a kid, or an adult, the controller and having them go at it was great. Im thinking expanding on that mode…

#5

Ric Golding and the Gateway Garden Railroad club have had good luck with Ric’s extended Timesaver module art ECLSTS and SELSTS doing almost exactly what Bob describes. Participation is mostly by youngsters, but people do check it out. Does it draw the crowds of the roundy-round layouts? Definitely not.

Getting a foot in the door at any of the established shows is another story. Amherst, MA is booked years in advance and the same groups have been filling the layout hall at ECLSTS for the last several years. You might consider a joint effort with either the NH or CT groups if they would even talk about it.

Jon

#6

I wonder if I can browbeat, er, I mean, convince Ric to let us hook on and run down the side wall past where he had the Inglenook set up?

#7

At the last show I attended, we had our roundy round module set up. I was running my passenger consist on the outside loop, bored silly.

I decided to let some Cub Scouts have a go at running the train, so I called them over and they were ecstatic to be allowed to control the throttle.

To make things interesting, I had the kids stop at the water tower with the tender correctly spotted, then next to a make-shift coal chute, then on to the station to spot the sleeper in front of the station door, to let the “swells” on and off.

I had the “momentum” switch on, which made things a bit more difficult, but the kids caught on quickly.

The parents weren’t interested in controlling the throttle, but they sure enjoyed watching their kids do it.

The kids loved it. As I understand it, they are still talking about it.

We had a huge write up in the local paper, too.

Bob, I’d say go for it. Have fun. You might even get someone hooked on trains.

#8

Bob McCown said:
Howdy Bart and I have tossed around some ideas about a module set, and I figure Id throw it out to the general populace here. We were pondering an operations set, instead of a roundy-roundy like the rest of the modules are. Yea, people like to watch trains go around, but at York, for example, there are a dozen of those already. We were pondering running some small ops. So we’d have modules, say 5’ long a piece, single track mainline, with or without a couple industry sidings. Maybe one pair would be a passing siding, so we could run two trains. So, instead of a visitor standing there watching the 50 car coal drag going by, we instead hand him a controller, and say “these two cars need to go to Farkus Furniture, pick up the empies there, too, and bring them back to the yard” Opinions? Ideas?

Bob, An ops module? Precisely what I’m in the process of building (slowly but surely) to take to shows and get people wise to the fact that LS doesn’t need to be huge to have some indoor switching fun.

(http://www.easternmountainmodels.com/TrackPlans/2300x2300_07.jpg)

#9

So HJ, are you going to stand around the outside, or in that little box in the middle :smiley:

#10

There is a great posting in the latest Dispatcher’s Office about a San Fransico Pier area layout. Never a circle, staged by bringing on car floats at one end and an SP connection on the other. About tweleve piers and a switching yard witha run around. Quite interesting. I’ll try to post a scan.

Of course, you could hook on to the Timesaver. I’ve tried to make that so it is totally adaptable to space. For me one of the hardest things is to make the switching layouts totally portable and transportable while being protected.

I think part of the reason it does not attract a large crowd for very long is that people are in a hurry to see it all and can’t stand and watch the entire principal of the switching moves, if they have a short time ot see the whole show. Think of how long it take to all of Suleski’s Big Green Layout. You can all of the switching modules with one sweep of the eyes. Most people don’t realize it takes a while to see what is going on. People want satisfaction now, not in 20 minutes. Their loss.

Let’s talk about this more.

HJ, could you force yourself to build that modular layout without the track being a circle? I think that is the starting point of operations.

#11

Ric,

Sure I could force myself, but that would negate the effect of the “passenger service” on the red circle. :smiley: :smiley: It’s there to cramp the style when the trains (set-outs and pickups) get a bit longer. That’s when the fun starts!

#12

Hey HJ I thought that looked an little familiar…

(http://www.rhb-grischun.ca/INET-PIX/2300x2300_04a_small.jpg)

Youz guys suggested this to John Busby over on the GR forum a while back for his indoor 8’x8’ area, I see its grown a little bit! Keep us updated on its progress. I’m working on my own portable “module”…all 9 square feet of it.

(http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/vsmith/Pizza%20Layout%2001.JPG)

and Yes, I consider it an Operations layout, you can operate it front ways or back ways.:smiley:

#13

OK, Ric, how about some track information (how far from the front, etc) ? Can another module or two hang off the far end of the Inglenook?

#14

The “Inglenook Yard” has a hard wall at the end of the tracks, so that end is not good.

(http://lscdata.com/users/rgolding/070219%20010.jpg)

However, between it and the “Timesaver” anything could be added. The “Timesaver” is 31 inches wides and the mainline track (closest to the front edge) is 3 7/8 inches (center of track) from the front edge. From the inside of the closest rail to the edge is 3 inches. I used LGB 332 track, but there is flexibility with transition rail clamps and such. One of th biggest problems might be height. However, I 've got a number of extra metal saw horses (they come from my portable steam track) so I could just bring along some extra ones. I bought them at different times and they are only the same height when at the lowest setting. I built both a 90 degree connection track and a 45 degree connection track to allow for different configurtations. I’ve only used the 90 degree, so far. The 45 degree could be used at the other end of the “Timesaver” mainline to run off that direction.

(http://lscdata.com/users/rgolding/070219%20009.jpg)

There is also the turnout that connects all of this to the KVRwy in the basement. However, that turnout has been cut up and really bastardized to fit the home trackage and would be the hardest connection. Anything and all things are possible with plywood, glue and guts enough to try. That’s half the fun. I’m always told I can fill up that alcove at York, any way I want.

(http://lscdata.com/users/rgolding/070219%20011.jpg)

#15

The ONLY reason to go to York, is to spend time with Ric and the boys in the ALCOVE.
I wish I could make it…Best place to be, with the best of friends…

#16

What about a wye module, if there is room? Then you could tee off some people. It might run into Jon Radders spot thought. Carfloat comes to mind.

#17
Marc Bergmueller said:
What about a wye module, if there is room? Then you could tee off some people. It might run into Jon Radders spot thought. Carfloat comes to mind.
Not my spot, just borrowed some of Ric's space. I'm not even sure I will be there this year and have no plans to do the EBT thing again.

Expand away!!

Jon

#18

He’s waffling guys. At the beginning of the year it was I’m definetly not going and it has already down to I may not go. FEBT is asking for volunteers and without Jon money will be lost to the EBT, cars will rust, engines will sit cold, it will snow in New England, Summer may not come back and it will be the end of the World as we know it, but Jon still says he may not be able to come share a meal with friends. There is even a live steam track for him to run his engine on. :wink:

#19

This could be interesting. I’m not sure I could build a module, but I’d come Friday and help out!

#20

Thanks for the specs, Ric. It looks like your modules are just 3/4 plywood, or similar? Hrm… this might work…