I was talking to a guy at work the other day that was telling me he built his layout for one reason, to run trains… I was like, okay, but isn’t that the reason we all build layouts?. He went on to explain that his layout only had track and scenery such as hills, trees and bushes with a two lane highway running along one side of it, but that he didn’t have any houses or structures on it. He said that the idea was to represent the countryside, and that in order to change eras, all he had to do was change out the trains and automobiles on the highway. Well. That might be okay for him and those that prefer it, but I personally like having a community and so forth with things going on to make the layout more interesting.
So is there anyone else out there that has a layout for just running trains?.
A museum near me has a layout like that. Generic hills, roads, grass and trees. They have a hidden staging yard with different era trains made up. None of them look out of place on the generic layout.
Now ME, I half build to run trains and half build because I like doing buildings and scenery.
[#wstupid] I know that the main part of the hobby is the trains, but I get my kicks (on rt 66) building the town and industries and vehicles as much as the trains. Sure running the trains is important , but I like having a reason for the trains running.
In a way, yes, I am. The n scale layout I’m currently working on is simulating Powder River unit coal trains.
Seeing as the only time those things stop is for crew changes, fuel, and at their final destination, pretty much “just” for running trains
p.s. Found a term/theory awhile back that I like in regards to layout building. Instead of Koester’s “Layout Design Elements”, it was “Plausible Design Elements.”
Tracklayer,I know a gent that has a 4x8 foot layout which is painted green with painted on roads.The trees are the “lollipop” type from years ago.cars and trucks are old matchbox cars,the buildings are the older small cardboard buildings from the years gone by while others was built from scratch from cardboad…Locomotives are AHM,Mantua and Model Power most cars are AHM or Mantua complete with X2F couplers.All he is interested in is relaxing by watching trains run on his double track layout.
BTW…You can look for a switch all you want…There isn’t any.Just 2 loops of track.
Mailman, I like your signature “realism is over rated” Maade me think of operating sessions where they generate all that paper work. How’d you like to clean up after all that HO livestock? Never mind sewage and water systems for your villages. The little buggers 'd be calling you up all the time griping about the service and half of em wouldn’t pay there utility bills. Everytime you stuck your hand in the power lines,the phone 'd be ringing off the hook.Lord help you if there’s a wreck.[:P]
Back in the dark ages, a modeler built a railroad the visible part of which was a single track snaking through a canyon - no stations, no sidings, nothing…
The staging yard that fed trains to that track was in front, but buried under the near wall of the canyon! You looked down from the top, just as he had seen the prototype.
He and his visitors loved the effect. If I owned it, it would have bored me to tears, but I am an operator. He was obviously a train watcher.
One of this country’s early famous layouts, Francisthaite, was something like 40’x100’ 0 gauge LBSCR steam. The track was little more than a spectacle shape with fields and a passeneger station. I don’t recall any freight yard. The owner (who could afford to have it built for him) liked to watch passenger trains running at realistic speed. So that was what he designed and what he did.
Still “back then” one fascinating exhibition layout was a “hotspot” on a fill. Trains came and went from hidden sidings at each end. The interest was the trains themselves and the operations of some trains taking precedence over others. That layout was interesting for hours.
Switching, in my view, has limited interest. Very few layouts can do it reliably and well for long periods… and even they tend to suffer from the operators getting bored. “God’s hand” rarely manages to refrain from putting in an appearance and breaking the illusion.
Then again… there is such a vast range of interest in researching, getting the bits, practicisng, developing… endless years of terrific things to do to build all sorts of amazing models… you don’t even really need a train anywhere… if that is what you enjoy…
We have one of the most diverse hobbies on the planet!
I am about 80% with him, but I did elect to have a decent yard and a representation of a small town. I like to actually look up from my throttle, or from looking for my skewer to insert it into the next two turnouts in the yard to line them once in a while. I just appreciate my beautiful Niagara, all four drivers linked by what must have been massive, yet sleek, hardware, churning in concert at track speed with my NYC two-tone grey heavies behind it. After a few minutes, I can park the Niagara in front of the station and set about a switching operation. Maybe service the diner with my SW8, or run an engine out of the rounhouse, turn it, and run it to the yard for service.
All is good when one has variety at hand. In our world, we have to create it. Or, not.
None for me thanks, I like modelling buildings and such about as much as the trains. Even my 0-27 layout as a kid had quite a bit of open space for a main street with street lights, with Plasticville buildings, parking lots, etc.
Layout designs can be of one operator sitting in one position and the layout spreads before him going thru mountains climbing higher, then returns. Grab that throttle, switch some cars on and run that baby.
I like a layout that covers a lot of territory, just running but heavy operations if you wanna.
Althou my current layout plan is siding on the operation and more accurate details and a good scene replication of real places, I’ll make it so I can jut kick back and loop a train around, but it wont be a simple oval, you would have to align turnouts and do things to do that.
I intend to model the heavy N&W steam upgrade with heavy tonnage at slow speed, that heavy grind.
I have been thinking for some time that it might be nice to create a very basic layout, with the focus on watching trains run. I thought this might be the way to go.
Then a couple weeks ago I visited the San Diego model railroad museum again. The Tehachapi layout is HUGE. It’s an amazing layout, with everything - lots of open continuous running space, HUGE yards for assembling trains, etc.
I found myself more attracted to the more complex track sections of the layout, rather than the wide open spaces.
It’s difficult to decide these things without visiting some layouts.
Most of us must make do with much less than we see in the magazines, etc. So we have to make choices - wide open, simple spaces, vs. smaller complex switching layouts, etc. (as opposed to all of the above).
For example, in my space, I could have a pretty basic looping layout, or a pretty complex switching layout without continuous running, which would look much more realistic, be easier to manage space-wise with the rest of life, etc.
I’m currently leaning towards smaller, more complex. It just seems there’s more activity this way.
My layout has two main lines which are powered by different power packs. All my industrial sidings are powered by another with block wiring. Thus I can run two trains continuously and do switching at the same time![8D]
There is a guy near me who is highly regarded as one of the better modelers in the area and he has a significant collection of both G and HO. When he had an open house and the HO layout was running I introduced myself and asked if there was an oportunity to earn my way onto an operating group for the layout. I was a bit taken by the response of something to the extent of what operating its running now. So I looked much closer at the layout and there were basicaly three continoues loops and few passing tracks or sidings. There were deisel and steam service areas but no yard. Made me think they were just trophy cases. As cool and interesting as some of the features were I would get board, but he and his wife loved the results. Thats ok though its theirs. I have experienced some of the operating fun so my layout is designed for three or four people to interact(make fun of eachother), as some people have solutions that will leave you rolling.
One of the fellas I railfan with has just that-a layout for just running trains. Since he has trouble with his wet basement, the 2nd floor has been taken over by Lionel track. He’s cut holes in walls, etc, & has no operating pattern or anything like that-he just likes to watch them roll by. (All CSX & predecessors, BTW, since that’s the line we hit railfanning (Sterling, Ohio) Not my cup of tea layout wise, but it’s his, he’s happy with it, so who am I to say anything. At least his is running-mine is still in the planning stages.
My layout is designed for either “running sessions” or “operating sessions”. The operating sessions are supposed to simulate operations based upon real railroading. In that case, only certain locomotives and cars are used for operations. Running sessions, on the other hand, means anything goes, and normally is continuous running.
