How much can we justify spending?
Here's a link to a video of a layout a guy has been posting about on a couple of other forums: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWdVeBlc8p8">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWdVeBlc8p8</a><!-- m -->

There's a well-known professional layout builder who has a blog, and who so far this year has posted that (1) a layout should have no more than 12 (0r is its 15?) switches; (2) a layout should have no grades; (3) an operating session should last no more than 45 minutes -- and so forth. Takes about 12 minutes just to run one train around this layout. I say go for it, and I tend to wonder about the cultists who insist this isn't the kind of layout to have. There are times when I wonder if some of these guys would want to ration our hobby.
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While it's interesting to hear what other modellers are doing, it seems pretty high-handed when anyone starts pontificating about their method being the best. It is, after all, a hobby. Wink Misngth

Wayne
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doctorwayne Wrote:While it's interesting to hear what other modellers are doing, it seems pretty high-handed when anyone starts pontificating about their method being the best. It is, after all, a hobby. Wink Misngth
Wayne
"Doc", One of the greatest movie lines ever written, was in the prologue to "Fellowship of The Ring".....
"Nine rings were given to the race of Men,.... who,.... above all things,.... d e s i r e .. p o w e r. "
It is from this desire that "High-Handedness" has its beginnings, and there is a lot less of it here, than in "some other forums, that shall go unnamed". Big Grin
I know,... it is a never ending job,... "moderating" . Wink Thumbsup
We always learn far more from our own mistakes, than we will ever learn from another's advice.
The greatest place to live life, is on the sharp leading edge of a learning curve.
Lead me not into temptation.....I can find it myself!
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Oh man..!!
Why didn't someone tell me about these "rules" before..?? Now I'm gonna have to rip out a chunk of my main yard to get to the 12 switch limit...!! Goldth

Pompous a--...
Gus (LC&P).
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I am in trouble, I think I have about 40 in my main yard. And 14 in my hidden yards.
Les
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.lesterperry.webs.com/">http://www.lesterperry.webs.com/</a><!-- m --> Check it out
http://www.youtube.com/lesterperry/
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I'll play devil's advocate here...


Technically speaking, the individual's advice has a point. 12-15 switches really does cut down on complexity, a problem a lot of layouts face. I think many times I see newbies come in with their track plan ideas, and they have so many turnouts and switch backs to the point where not only does it not look right, but it also wouldn't operate smoothly, let alone give the scenery and structures any room to breath.

I know that I had to cut down on my layout's number of industries (from three to one!) just so that it could make sense and not be ultra crowded.


If there are people out there RIGIDLY following that advice.... they're silly. Lester's layout is a great example. I went and visited it last November, and it is fantastic. While his layout obviously is much larger, its following all the same rules. There is plenty of space between towns, between buildings, between industries. He's also got the operation down to a science. There aren't more switches than he needs, very few of those switches are off-the-wall nuts (and when they are, I find them to be very entertaining, such as the logging run! Cool stuff!). Nothing is more complex than it needs to be, and so it functions VERY well.


I think that is ultimately the main conclusion to be drawn. I know there is a tendency in this hobby to strictly adopt certain fads (or perhaps that's a general human trait?) but when you encounter those people, don't let them get to you. They've got a one-track mind.
Modeling New Jersey Under the Wire 1978-1979.  
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I think it's problematic to impose a rigid set of rules for any kind of art, which model railroads are at basis. If the Strasburg is 6 miles long, its main line in HO would be 360+ feet. Two end stations and a middle passing siding -- Lance Mindheim would smile with approval (and no need for the wrong bridge at Trenton!). Dave Frary, definitely an artist, had a lot of tips in his original scenery book -- put two scenes at different levels, for instance, or divide them with tree lines or whatever. This is no different from what painters like Vermeer did -- too much stuff to fit on a table in your still life, no problem, just sorta-kinda finesse the edges of the table! Too much going on in Hamlet? No problem, just make the whole time scheme kinda crazy, where people report time-warp style things going on between scenes!

Artists always break the rules. The question is how well they can get away with it. I've visited Jim Vail's narrow gauge layout a couple of times -- it's in the latest MR. Lance would frown: too much track, too many scenes. I think JIm's layout is one of the greats.
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" Artists always break the rules. The question is how well they can get away with it. "

This is why I like railroad "modules"......there's two tracks, that run from one end of the module to the other. They have to be at an exact height, and they have to be a specific distance from the front edge. When "set up", I can run a train, as long as the locomotives I am using, can pull. The rest of the module's space? That is where I can be "creative".
In the 24 linear feet of modules I now have,( this photo shows the first 12 feet ) there are four turnouts, two of those just split off the narrow Gauge from the standard Gauge , so the narrow gauge can run around behind the "skyboards" that are the "back" of each module. There's on for the standard gauge siding at the coal tower, and one that takes the upper standard gauge line above the two fixed standard gauge "module tracks".
   
THIS, is how one gets to "Play with their toys.......in Public" ! 8-) Wink 357

[[ My avatar photo, is on the dual gauge, in the middle of the far right hand module ]]
We always learn far more from our own mistakes, than we will ever learn from another's advice.
The greatest place to live life, is on the sharp leading edge of a learning curve.
Lead me not into temptation.....I can find it myself!
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I love this hobby but like most guys I don`t think I would want to be spending thousands to purchase items. I would purchase rolling stock and parts that are extremely difficult to make but that would be it. As for scenery, it`s more fun making it myself and besides, I am guaranteed that it will be exactly to what I want.

However, if I were to specify a cost that can be justified, I would apply this simple formula. Justified= Can+we+pay+our+other+bills+after+spending+this+amount+on+the+hobby?
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