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They say one can look at a piece of art and learn something about about the artist. Do you think that is true with your layout? Can someone else look at your layout and learn a little about your personality?

If I look at my layout - I can see a few clues to my interests and who I am. The vertical scenery on my layout illustrates my preference for topography over flat land. It also illustrates my interest in the earth and geology. My choice of gauge (3') and prototype (not colorado) illustrate my desire to do something a little different than everyone else, but not so different that I stand out too much (otherwise I would have chosen an extremely rare/scale combination Goldth ). My time frame (1920) illustrates my curiosity with old things, and old places, and how people lived before I was born. I have always been curious about the remnants I see, and wonder what they must have been like to see in their prime. Finally, the small mining community that I model illustrates the adventures I have when taking road trips around my region.

So what about your layout? What does it say about who you are?
After taking eight years to complete a loop, scenery work here, and there.....I'm a procrastinator.
eightyeightfan1 Wrote:After taking eight years to complete a loop, scenery work here, and there.....I'm a procrastinator.
...or possibly a severe perfectionist!
They say one can look at a piece of art and learn something about about the artist. Do you think that is true with your layout? Can someone else look at your layout and learn a little about your personality?
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Interesting I never considered myself a artist.. 357

On my past layouts I suspect one could tell I simple man that likes simple ways and a tad on the nonconforming side. Confusedhock:
It is not the words we speak, but the deeds we do, that define us to the world.
Yes, there is much of my "personality" in my layout, and model work.
Yup - mine too - - My layout:

is set up for easy operation - laziness

built mostly by scratchbuilding (a function of the 1:20.3 scale) - cheap

has only i store bought engine (U-25B in G) the other ones were all bought on e-bay - Online buyer

Has been used very little if at all in the past few years Nope Nope Nope -- Busy with work & the websites i manage including this one Big Grin Big Grin

Has items on it that are "Tongue in Cheek" --

so - YES - my layout is a very accurate "reflection of my personality"

G R E A T -- Q U E S T I O N!!!!!
Good question!

My main 4x6 layout is fairly simple (out of necessity and lack of space) but it does have two loops of track and some sidings so I can shunt cars from the centre part of the layout to its outer edges. I've tweaked and added these things gradually. So I obviously like simplicity and getting into more complicated things over time. (I've also avoided DCC partly for this reason!)

The layout also has some hills and scenery. I added a hiking trail because of my interest in nature and hiking. The trail splits off into different directions and I've added small figures of hikers on the trail.

I also usually operate the layout in "British" mode -- that is, most of the time I run it as a British layout. I enjoy making it purposely look like England, with appropriate buildings, narrow roads, 1950s British motor cars and buses, cobble-stone sidewalks, English bobbies, buffer stops at the ends of sidings, British railway signals, red phone booths and mail boxes, etc. Again, this reflects my fondness for "all things British".

It has a small town scene & scenery, but no cities, which reflects my ongoing dislike of cities in favour of rural or small town areas! There are no industries but I plan to add some at a couple of the sidings.


Rob
They wonder if the rest of my mind works the same way... 8-) ...and they secretly hope that it doesn't.





[Image: smiley13.gif]
im like you guys im a procrastinator too. i just started building my layout this week. and took me 6 years to finally start it.



todd
Good Question .......

I am one of these modellers who start new projects before the last is done and spend lots of time thinking about what can be done ...... lost count of the jobs that need doing on the layouts Icon_lol

Suppose it comes from my days building cars/trucks /military projects where i had two cupboards full of stuff on the go Goldth

Yes i too am a procastinator 357
Yep...

Simple dogbone...simple minded.
Unfinished scenery...little imagination.
Almost completely flat terrain...simply too little imagination.
I don't know that I can adequately answer the question. The most robust personality theory is called the "Trait Theory" and has been refined in recent years to what we call the "Big Five" traits (conscientiousness, agreeableness, extraversion, neuroticism, and openness). I guess an observer would point out parts of my layout that indicate a root in any one of these. I don't know that conscientiousness applies to me greatly because I frotolance (not much fidelity there!). I don't have to agree with a single person about my layout, except for She Who Must be Obeyed (what else is new.) I am an introvert mostly, and have to work at appearing to be extraverted. My introversion suits me nicely because I can be, as always, my own best friend (does that sound pathetic? I have never thought so...I am a very healthy and contented soul who can be alone for extended periods.). I would have to say that I am not at all neurotic. I have been a successful leader, soldier, teacher, husband, and father to three grown daughters. I really can't think of a way that my neuroticism or lack of it could be reflected in my layout, unless the roundy-round style of my folded loop speaks volumes. Big Grin

-Crandell
Crandell said:My introversion suits me nicely because I can be, as always, my own best friend (does that sound pathetic? I have never thought so...I am a very healthy and contented soul who can be alone for extended periods.).
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Whew! I am glad to read that..I was beginning to worry if something was wrong with me..I to can spend hours in the company of my best friend and critic---me..I always did like my hours of solitude and my late wife respected that quirk.I don't think she fully understood it but,still respected my need to be alone.
Brakie Wrote:Crandell said:My introversion suits me nicely because I can be, as always, my own best friend (does that sound pathetic? I have never thought so...I am a very healthy and contented soul who can be alone for extended periods.).
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Whew! I am glad to read that..I was beginning to worry if something was wrong with me..I to can spend hours in the company of my best friend and critic---me..I always did like my hours of solitude and my late wife respected that quirk.I don't think she fully understood it but,still respected my need to be alone.


Wow -- I can totally relate to this! I enjoy spending time by myself and find it refreshing, whether it's spending hours working at my day job (as a magazine designer) or working/operating my layout. I actually find this relaxing. My wife also respects and understands this quirk of mine. I know of some people who are literally the opposite of this! Rob
I am happy to hear that both of you can relate.

Larry, I would say, from my numerous encounters with him here and on a couple other forums, would rank high on agreeableness. I don't know that my critics on MR forums would apply that label to me, but I am pretty sure my success as a teacher and counsellor lends some currency for its application to me. My now grown daughters would probably have mixed feelings. I was demanding and often strict, but I was also a good dad who now enjoys a wonderful rapport with the grown girls.

Also, I think retirement "does things" to people. One thing that modern personality theorists seem to agree on is that the manifestations of traits are highly responsive to situational variables. Changing circumstances will very often lead to a change in orientation in people. It kind of calls into question how robust or fixed, or strong, traits really are!

-Crandell
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