03-27-2014, 03:50 PM
Chip on their shoulder? Why? I don't begrudge large layouts. If the layout owner is happy with his/her layout, then I'm happy for them. I've been to some great layouts that are amazing to see. I don't agree with everything that Lance Mindheim says, but I do share some of his views, even before he became bigger in the model railroading scene. I'm actually a bigger fan of Sir Ian Rice (to bestow "honorary knighthood" on a Brit is big coming from an Irish Catholic such as myself).
Me personally, I am a big fan of short lines. I want to run my GE 45 tonner with a short freight and push back to the interchange caboose first. That's what I like to see. I like track plans without runarounds because most prototypical runarounds are at least a 1/4 mile long, which would be 15 feet in HO Scale. Short lines are easier to model, especially in ISL form. I like my small track plan because it will be easier to build in a shorter lifetime and it won't take up too much of my time when it's built. I've been to some train layouts that are more time consuming to maintain (keeping dust off the layout, track maintenance, repairs, rolling stock, staging, etc.).
I don't want to consume that large a portion of my time with the layout, especially since my wife (who I absolutely love being with) and I want to one day start a family and I like to couch potato with my wife every night while watching The Big Bang Theory (yes, I'm aware that I am too sugary sweet for some of you).
There's room for everybody in this hobby.
Me personally, I am a big fan of short lines. I want to run my GE 45 tonner with a short freight and push back to the interchange caboose first. That's what I like to see. I like track plans without runarounds because most prototypical runarounds are at least a 1/4 mile long, which would be 15 feet in HO Scale. Short lines are easier to model, especially in ISL form. I like my small track plan because it will be easier to build in a shorter lifetime and it won't take up too much of my time when it's built. I've been to some train layouts that are more time consuming to maintain (keeping dust off the layout, track maintenance, repairs, rolling stock, staging, etc.).
I don't want to consume that large a portion of my time with the layout, especially since my wife (who I absolutely love being with) and I want to one day start a family and I like to couch potato with my wife every night while watching The Big Bang Theory (yes, I'm aware that I am too sugary sweet for some of you).
There's room for everybody in this hobby.
Mike Kieran
Port Able Lines
" If the world were perfect, it wouldn't be " - Yogi Berra.
Port Able Lines
" If the world were perfect, it wouldn't be " - Yogi Berra.