New to the forums here, but I am into some difficulty. I have been searching high and low, and can’t seem to find it, but I know somewhere buried in my pile of 5+ years of model railroaders there is an article on a “switchmaster” layout by John Armstrong.
It was one were you basically make puzzles on it by the use of randomly dealing cards, then trying to “switch” the layout. It is a simple shelf layout, but I can’t seem to find it anywhere. I only ask cause my current situation will only allow for a small space and small budget layout, and thinking back to this one has me entrigued.
Can anyone tell me where to find it? or where to look for it? Realize I am not 100% sure it is called the switchmaster, but for some reason that rings a bell
Welcome to the forum. I think you may acutally be mixing at least two, and perhaps three, persons and concepts here.
John Allen (not Armstrong) developed the Timesaver switching game that has been used for a variety of puzzle-oreinted layouts. You are probably thinking of John Flann’s article on his Timesaver-like layout described in the article "Timesaver + " in Model Railroad Planning, 2003 page 84. John Flann describes switching the cars based on the turn of a card, although John Allen used a different method.
While the Timesaver is popular, I personally find layouts based upon it rather tedious to operate. A more interesting basis for a small operating layout (again, just my opinion) is Linn Westcott’s "Switchman’s Nightma