.
..Well it's nearly the years end and I still find myself unconvinced of the layout I have created so far. The past few days I have come to the realisation that what I would like to have in relation to a layout is not what can realistically be be achieved with the space I have. There is too much compression which to me looks unrealistic. I think for the new year I will concentrate on seeing what I can realistically achieve with the space I have.
Any of the VR major towns such as Dimboola and Horsham, which I tried to model, involves to much compression for my liking.
Photo's below show the problem I see as of too much "compression":
One thing I learnt is that I like to see trains running, like being a railfan track-side, so the idea of depicting one of the smaller towns, such as Gordon, Jung, Dooen, or Buangor, having three or four roads max, with enough space to add some atmosphere, may be a better alternate. Being on the Western Main line, I can realistically run quite a number of freights, and have the off Roadside pull up, and I really enjoy seeing trains cross in loops. What I would like and what I can realistically achieve is on either side of the spectrum.
Here are some photos of the locations mentioned from Mark Bau's wonderful site, all small and lovely looking places:
http://www.victorianrailways.net/photogallery/westsou/gordon/gordon.html
http://www.victorianrailways.net/photogallery/westsou/jung/jung.html
http://www.victorianrailways.net/photogallery/westsou/dooen/dooen.html
http://www.victorianrailways.net/photogallery/westsou/buangor/buangor.html
Some others:
http://www.victorianrailways.net/photogallery/westsou/trawalla/trawalla.html
http://www.victorianrailways.net/photogallery/westsou/avoca/avoca.html
http://www.victorianrailways.net/photogallery/westsou/wal_wal/walwal.html
Lets see how the new year pans out....
Love to hear your thoughts...reply below....
..Well it's nearly the years end and I still find myself unconvinced of the layout I have created so far. The past few days I have come to the realisation that what I would like to have in relation to a layout is not what can realistically be be achieved with the space I have. There is too much compression which to me looks unrealistic. I think for the new year I will concentrate on seeing what I can realistically achieve with the space I have.
Any of the VR major towns such as Dimboola and Horsham, which I tried to model, involves to much compression for my liking.
Photo's below show the problem I see as of too much "compression":
One thing I learnt is that I like to see trains running, like being a railfan track-side, so the idea of depicting one of the smaller towns, such as Gordon, Jung, Dooen, or Buangor, having three or four roads max, with enough space to add some atmosphere, may be a better alternate. Being on the Western Main line, I can realistically run quite a number of freights, and have the off Roadside pull up, and I really enjoy seeing trains cross in loops. What I would like and what I can realistically achieve is on either side of the spectrum.
Here are some photos of the locations mentioned from Mark Bau's wonderful site, all small and lovely looking places:
http://www.victorianrailways.net/photogallery/westsou/gordon/gordon.html
http://www.victorianrailways.net/photogallery/westsou/jung/jung.html
http://www.victorianrailways.net/photogallery/westsou/dooen/dooen.html
http://www.victorianrailways.net/photogallery/westsou/buangor/buangor.html
Some others:
http://www.victorianrailways.net/photogallery/westsou/trawalla/trawalla.html
http://www.victorianrailways.net/photogallery/westsou/avoca/avoca.html
http://www.victorianrailways.net/photogallery/westsou/wal_wal/walwal.html
Lets see how the new year pans out....
Love to hear your thoughts...reply below....
Hi Shelton.
ReplyDeleteI feel your pain about trying to meet your goals in a space that seems too small. But having read your previous comments about operating on other layouts, I wonder how long you'll be content to just watch trains "cross in loops". At the very least, I think you'll want to model a town that has enough shunting activity to keep you busy for an hour or two, with staging on the other side of the room to represent distant locations.
Playing devil's advocate though, have you considered switching to N scale, which might allow you to represent Dimboola or Horsham with an acceptable amount of compression? These days you can get some excellent Australian prototype models in N scale, and people are building some very fine VR layouts in N scale:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwKkr1NMMJ4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmLkRHmxIJU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUfUou9f8rQ
BTW - thanks for the link to that VR site - it has some very interesting photos.
Regards,
Ron
Ron
ReplyDeleteVery good comments. Your dead right about how long I'll be content with just watching trains...
N scale is little too small for my liking - yes it has crossed my mind a few times but I have dismissed the idea.
Another option I have is to pack it all away and exit the hobby completely...this has also crossed my mind several times!!....I think what was in my minds eye when I first started and what I could realistically achieve are on very different levels.
Glad you enjoyed Mark's website.
Cheers
Shelton
A little too small ... LOL.
DeleteI've been trying to figure out how I might build a HO layout in your room. How would you feel about a twice-around-the-room layout? There'd be a duck-under across the door-way, and Dimboola/Horsham would wrap around one side and the back wall. Along the second wall, the track would duck down to, and rise back up from, staging tracks underneath the town.
Regards,
Ron
Ron
ReplyDeleteI have considered the layout going under - the issue was there is not enough space to clear the support beams without going into some crazy grades....I have had dimboola on one side only, then the issue of a yard with curves arose, giving rise to yet another issue - that of signals and sighting issues if a pass stops at the station, the signals cannot be seen - also a yard such as Dimboola has five roads, not enough room on the far side to give the layout a feeling of "space" or "country", hence the concept of looking at one of the smaller locations.
Cheers
Shelton
Shelton,
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear you are feeling frustrations again. Remember, modelling is always about the "art of the compromise" ...
You have a really good space to work with and have come up with some good uses of that space in the time I've known you. I've always enjoyed visiting "Western Victoria" and its many incarnations (one was Tottenham, I think?!).
I'd give you a question to ponder ... do you need to go as "small" a location as some of those you cite? What about Nhill, Kaniva or Lubeck as possibilities? The "Nhill" idea builds from what I last saw, with some grain on a peninsula, but you could rationalise the trackplan a little for a "more like Nhill" yard. Kaniva is smaller again, while Lubeck provides a branch (just don't panic at all those semaphores!).
I would hazard a guess that if you built a smaller locale ... say Trawalla (always been a favourite of mine, something about those searchlight heads on the lattice posts) ... you will soon wish for something with greater shunting possibilities.
Lastly, I'd encourage you not to give the hobby up ... you would be suprised at what you can achieve ...
Regards,
Anthony
Anthony
DeleteThanks for the comments. I always think I need about double the space I currently have to depict what I really like to have, which means at least 12m x 6m. Something with the locations you have mentioned, I think I need more depth on the bench work as once I have all those yard tracks layed out, there is no depth left.
Also, unfortunately, I cannot model the convex of the curves which would somewhat hide the curves to some extent. On the Border District, you have done this really well.
I will look closely at the locations you have mentioned, keeping in mind that four (straight) points eats up a metre of space, then add a realistically looking curve on either side all of a sudden six metres is down to four or three metres, then we add signal posts on either side, and bang, we have a very unprototypical looking yard which is way too small for a mainline.
Cheers
Shelton
Shelton,
DeleteI reckon I need twice the space I have ... I reckon every modeller thinks the same too! Of course, if we had twice the space, we would still need twice the space ...
Thanks for your kind words regarding the Border District. For what it is worth, I reckon you could get away with curved points at the "grain" end of the station on your current layout. I'd suggest moving the mainline to become the furthest track from the operator - this allows the yard ladders to extend inwards (and so through the sharper diverging route of a curved turnout). Reducing from five to four roads will help a little too.
However, perhaps Ron could be on to something ... your shed becomes nearly 12m x 6m if you were modelling N scale ...
Hi Shelton,
ReplyDeleteMark H here. Although I operated your layout just once (with Anthony) I would suggest you have enough room to model a decent VR station in HO. To model Dimboola and it's open space you would probably need more than 12 mts. Of your station thoughts Jung sounds good. You could model it using the old track plan:
http://www.signaldiagramsandphotos.com/mywebpages/vr/Western_and_South_Western/17'39.htm
or later version (less track work):
http://www.signaldiagramsandphotos.com/mywebpages/vr/Western_and_South_Western/40'83.htm
It would give you the space to set up the signalling, run plenty of through trains and have local shunting/roadside goods. Station on one side, staging on the other. Set up the staging area to allow for prototypical make-up & break up of trains - just to add a bit more operation.
Just a few thoughts for you.
Cheers,
Mark