09-04-2010, 12:41 AM
Good observations, Justin. File those away and keep them in mind when planning.
I can attest to the fun of a timesaver, but even after I chose it as a basis for my layout I wouldn't begin construction until I had a good premise for such a convoluted arrangement of sidings. I like building scenery so I wanted some way to do that. Setting the tracks on a narrow spit of land as a river landing with pilings and docks made a good story as to how the tracks were laid to fit the area available. There's even a bit of history with an older dock area and a newer dock.
Think like Disney. Every element contributes somehow to the story. If not, it is minimized or omitted altogether. All must work together for a synthesis of ideas to present a cohesive picture. When I'm on a layout tour, I can tell the layouts that were constructed with a story in mind vs. those that are just showcases for nice craftsman kits or rolling stock, or just thrown together. To each his own, but I find myself more interested in those railroads that seem to have a reason for being beyond just playing with toy trains. Maybe that's why prototype modeling has received increasing hobby press in the past few decades vs. freelanced RRs. To freelance convincingly takes alot more than a custom paint scheme - it takes showmanship.
Just my 2 cents. And I'm not disappointed if it's not On30...as long as you're okay with that.
Galen
I can attest to the fun of a timesaver, but even after I chose it as a basis for my layout I wouldn't begin construction until I had a good premise for such a convoluted arrangement of sidings. I like building scenery so I wanted some way to do that. Setting the tracks on a narrow spit of land as a river landing with pilings and docks made a good story as to how the tracks were laid to fit the area available. There's even a bit of history with an older dock area and a newer dock.
Think like Disney. Every element contributes somehow to the story. If not, it is minimized or omitted altogether. All must work together for a synthesis of ideas to present a cohesive picture. When I'm on a layout tour, I can tell the layouts that were constructed with a story in mind vs. those that are just showcases for nice craftsman kits or rolling stock, or just thrown together. To each his own, but I find myself more interested in those railroads that seem to have a reason for being beyond just playing with toy trains. Maybe that's why prototype modeling has received increasing hobby press in the past few decades vs. freelanced RRs. To freelance convincingly takes alot more than a custom paint scheme - it takes showmanship.
Just my 2 cents. And I'm not disappointed if it's not On30...as long as you're okay with that.
Galen
I may not be a rivet counter, but I sure do like rivets!