Reviewing my layout plans

[Mike Kieran]

Well put Matt.

As far as freelance is concerned, if you can't railfan, then freelance can free you from worrying if you're keeping it real. Look at Ralph's Kings Port & Western. It's freelanced and believable. If you build a layout, scenic it properly, weather it properly, and you have a believable operating scheme, then it could work. Just pointing out something to consider.

[MasonJar]

Thanks Matt and Andrew. I am sold on the simple track plan believe ME. I may not have come across that I am but two industries and a tram track is what I'm after. I have bought some cheap set track and flex track to try out some smile plans for the space. I work in IT web industry but I have seriously struggled with imagining a drawn design to its reality at HO size.

The crux of my issue ( in my head, one of many no doubt) is of modelling some part of reality so that it is recognisable as that. Be it true to prototype or proto-free,ance. All my previous work has been micro layouts from imagination based in England. So I was gravitating towards modelling true to prototype as a way to ensure I got an authentic look from track plan, operation and scenary. I think I just need to read, absorb and maybe try a few modelling exercises to replicate what I see.

Thanks again for the support and encouragement.

Steve

I would definitely go with some mock ups. Quick work with cereal boxes and a hot glue gun will really help visualize what you're thinking. I don't know if you came across Trevor's post on trees, but he mocks up even his tree placements...!

Print out pictures of your chosen locale and industries and stick them up above or near the mock ups. Lay your track temporarily, and run it for a bit.

Looking forward to hearing more!

Andrew

[Green_Elite_Cab]

Thank you and I really appreciate the time you took to post that. I had looked at Hainsport as there was a thread on here that had looked into it for someone's layout planning. Your video is in my YouTube favourites so thanks for posting that. Those extended top gons are nice.

It certainly has a lot of possibilities and hits a couple of my favourite car types. I'll invest some more time looking over the park.

I can't thank those who have posted enough for their time. I hope I can return the favour in some way in the future.

Kind regards,

Steve

Its not problem! I live here, so if you ever do decide to model Hainesport, all of this is literally within two minutes of my house.

You could model half Hainesport industrial park and have enough on your plate for years to come.

Matt

Its funny you say that. About "half" of what you see in that ZTS chart is what is left of the Hainesport Industrial park. In fact, for a couple years now, the Hainesport Inudstrial park is its own railroad (the Hainesport Industrial Railroad, HIRR), complete with a small fleet of cars and a trackmobile. CSAO simply "interchanges" on track 234, treating the whole industrial park as if it were "one" business. The trackmobile handles the rest.

You could almost just make a layout out of JUST the HIRR, and fit it in HO scale.

[Engfanuk]

You can see the trackmobile in action here <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://youtu.be/0Ej_AKuxXwE">http://youtu.be/0Ej_AKuxXwE</a><!-- m --> were CSAO still switching in the park in 2007? I would be using geeps.

Given my 9ft x 9ft x 18in corner shelves I'd have to compress the North-South dimensions so industries were on either side of the 18in board sides. It would take on more of a concrete canyon look than the more open feel of the real Hainesport park. I still like the idea of using a specific prototype as a way to guide me in design and modelling even if in reality it's closer to freelance.

I have "reserved" the living room wooden floor this weekend as the only area large enough to lay out some track until the baseboards are built. I have chosen to order baseboards from a company to avoid having to buy or hire power tools in cutting up plywood. I don't have a car living in London so getting the supplies is quite a challenge. If it didn't have to be semi-portable (I live in rented accommodation) I would do the 2x1 frame and insulation foam direct on the walls myself.

This is feeling good guys, thanks for the motivation.

Steve.