Hello all, I haven’t been around much this summer but now I’m back[yeah] [swg] and have a strange curiosity. By no means am I trying to offend those with large transition era layouts. They are wonderful. However, I am curious in why MRR tends to only cover small modern (1990-present) layouts. I have to admit, it seems like most contemporary layouts are small. This could be due to the fact that the younger crowd is the most interested so they are not retired. I bring this up because people who aren’t retired tend to have less space because of kids and such. Maybe this is true but I still wonder. Why aren’t there many BIG (600+ square feet) Layouts? If i am wrong, and I hope I am, why aren’t they being featured in MRR???
Six hundred square feet is a basement-sized space; observe the demographics of the past 30 years and you will find that there has been a considerable shift in population from the Northeast and Midwest into the South and Southwest where basements are less common. Therefore 12’ X 12’ spare bedrooms have become more popular as layout locations.
You must not be into N-scale as there seems to many large 500 sq ft plus layouts in the N scale magazines.
I believe there are many reasons to include limited hobby budgets versus the high hobby costs which makes smaller layouts more attractive…I have also notice a growth of modern design switching layouts that focus on super details,sound equipped locomotive and highly detailed freight cars while limiting the amount of track and structures-in fact a lot of structures are scratch built 1/2 buildings and computer enhance building flats along the backdrop and we can also add limited hobby time to that mixture due to work and family time.
It seems that most of the layouts I encounter in person are transition era to early 1960s too. There is a much smaller pool of layouts (of any size) depicting modern railroading, so less material for the magazines to draw from.
One of the nicer and more ambitious large home layouts with a modern theme is John Parker’s BNSF. It’s about 3000 square feet worth. See http://www.bnsfrr.net/ .
When you read the articles you’ll find that a lot of these big layouts are decades in the works. So there hasn’t been enough time for folks to get them built. Of course when they do, they won’t be the modern era anymore. [oops]
Also the transition era being by far the most popular there just aren’t that many people in the modern era. It’s the same with the 1880’s, 1900’s, 1920’s, and so forth. There are some but not that many.
Enjoy
Paul
Layouts like John Parker’s are exactly what I mean. His is amazing. And no I don’t mean N scale but if you know of any that are West Coast ish themed let me know. I m focused more on HO scale but Im willing to look at large West Coast layouts.
The comment about decades in the making for the large basement sized layouts is correct. Unless you find someone who has an unlimited budget and doesn’t work you probably won’t find anyone who builds a magazine quality layout that is basement filling in only a few years.
My Uncles basement sized layout started in the mid-late 80’s, and it’s only been within the last 5 years that he has been able to get magazine features. Albeit small ones, and not yet in MRR.
Have ya checked out any of the Great Model Railroads videos???
UPteen,
I think the points that you’ve raised are some legitimate reasons why there aren’t many large modern layouts. BIG layouts cost BIG money and require BIG space (aka BIG house) and BIG time with a BIG budget to cover the BIG tab. Even a modest layout these days can go into the thousands of dollars. Add kids and other responsibilities and - unless you have someone else build the layout for you - your basement empire is going to take a lonnnnnnng time to come to fruition.
With MR and big modern layouts: They are most likely trying to balance the appeal of the magazine to the mass “budgets” and interests of their clientele. Most modelers are retired and, as you pointed out, interested in the transition periods that they grew up with. Although I’m not retired, my love for trains tends to find pleasure in both steam and early diesel.
Like yourself, that doesn’t mean that I can’t or don’t enjoy a layout that is modeled outside my era. I can still learn many useful techniques and appreciate the artistry of guys like Pelle Soeborg and Lance Mindheim. However, I love the “variety” of locomotives and the modern era just doesn’t allow for that - i.e. at least from my perspective. Most SDs all start looking the same after a while.
Also, in the US, there are probably more 4 x 8 layouts that any other configuration. If you are talking European layouts, that would be considered a medium size layout, as most are smaller than that because of lack of space.
And bigger doesn’t necessarily mean better. A well-designed small layout can allow you plenty of action and interest that a “not well thought out” large layout lacks. Also, most modern locomotives are six-axle and require the large radii
My N scale Golden State Railroad is 12 1/2 by 39 feet. It will include a working hump yard with 10 classification tracks.
Here are the classifiction tracks with the hump in the background.
Also the transition era being by far the most popular there just aren’t that many people in the modern era. It’s the same with the 1880’s, 1900’s, 1920’s, and so forth. There are some but not that many.
Enjoy
Paul
Paul,I’m not so sure considering the number of “modern” cars and locomotives being release if we say 1970-20011 is “modern”…Is there a real cutoff date between “modern” eras? I simply don’t know but,realize that is food for thought and a whole topic within its self…
As a observation I’ve notice a lot of “modern” short line locomotives and cars being offered…
I never really understood that trend unless some of the smaller short lines are being modeled?
Mine is big (1800 sq ft) but set in 1980. So I doubt if you’d call it modern. One of the guys in our round robin has a modern day U.P. layout that is pretty big
http://www.semichops.org/Layouts/BME/layout.html
See ya
Larry, you may be right if you go from 1970-2011, but the OP was talking 1990-2011. I agree though, once you’re past the last of steam, it’s hard to define an era. But I think if you take history in smaller chunks of 10-12 years, 1947-1958 is most popular.
Enjoy
Paul
Because covering a basement-sized modern layout; which would be populated with nothing but six axle wide cabs pulling either unit double stacks, unit coal hoppers, or unit grain hoppers; would be boring. [:D]
Doughless: If that is your thoughts on more modern railroading [^o)]then I can tell you must not do any. So sad.[:(]
The unit double stacks, unit coal hoppers, unit tank or unit grain hoppers are what one may see on the mains from ports or mines, but once they get there the trains are broken down and the cars are mixed with other types and sent on their way to subdivisions and branch line yards for distribution to the final destination. Many cars transporting goods will never part of unit trains.
So there[:-,] My [2c]
It´s a strange world we live in! [(-D]
Many times, the Kalmbach folks have been “accused” of only featuring “big” layouts in MR, now we see the opposite of that. [(-D]
It could very well be, that, in the times of economic turmoil, there are less big layouts being built, but first of all, Kalmbach relies on reader contributions to fill the monthly issue. So here is a call to all builders/owners of big layouts to write an article about their layout. And one to the ones building small layouts as well!
Add general freights,Amtrak,locals,and reefer trains(UP/CSX),older SD40-2s,GP40-2s,GP38-2s,SW1500sGP15s,MP15s and other 4 axle locomotives then you may be spot on…
There’s more to modern railroading then most think…
The beauty of a smaller layout is that it can be expanded to make it “grow up” to a bigger layout.
Many people do not have the space to dedicate to a larger layout. Not everybody has a whole basement/2 car garage/attic/warehouse in which to build a layout.
Many people don’t have the money to accomodate a larger layout’s expenses.
You can always “build to suit tenant” your layout based on your space.
Also there HAS been a bit of a shift at MRR just to show what can be done with smaller layouts- from 4x8’s and up. MAny people complained to MRR they didn’t have the space for a 15 foot x 30 foot ginormus layout and “what could be done with a 4x8 or 5x9?”
If you have the space and want to build big…then look at MRR’s larger layout plans for ideas and plans.