I recieved an add for Model RRplanning 2006 today.
One of the cover statements is “dream basement.”
OK, how many copies do they plan to sale and how many different ways can you tell about the hobby?
My point is why can’t we do one with outdoor trains of different scales?
I’m thinking I’ve seen planning books for years and its same old stuff made a fresh.
Would it just not be cost effective to print?
How about “dream backyard”?
Or a collection of custumized shays, or tricked out diesels as part of it.
I think MTH is reaching the toy train bunch and Aristo and USA reaching the modelers.
How do we get the normal Joe or Jane to take a serious look at outdoor trains.
An around the back yard type RR.
Folks complain about the GRY issues having too many adds.
Lets have a meat filled booklet that you could study and dream about.
Beginners can dream and veterans can be challenged.
As one who does “a bit” of layout planning, I can assure you going the “dream backyard” route would be a challenge.
Just in case you forgot[}:)][;)], basements are in most cases flat, the dimensions may differ but you basically start from “ground zero”. In contrast gardens come in all types of undulations - unless one gets to use the back forty like you do - and unless one is an absolute fiend for shovelling dirt or playing with a bobcat it is good practice to make the best use of what is there.
Now on the “Modelrailroad Planning 2006” what Tony K and Co. could do - they did that for the “Spare bedroom” idea - is come up with a topo map of a “typical” garden and then let us have a go at it.
Lots of ideas in my noggin, but unless you have parameters to work to, it is just a “yeah that would be nice” dream.
At least that’s the way I see it.
Now since Tony K got his feet wet with the modular thing, he may give this some consideration or perhaps Marc H can plant a bug in his ear!
Can you imagine… a slew of layouts all in the same space the theme covering everything from Whimsy to Proto! WOW
Han’s, I think it could be done, You would have to plan basically on a flat yard and ways to create the effects of terain differental. Also tied in would be a way for terain challanged modelers to overcome the obsticles.
Hi Marty
I see no reason why not.
But the book would have to start with a brief explanation of what a garden railway is and the options available also the things that are supposedly so obvious that for some reason no one seems to tell you.
I also think it would have to have some small lines to start with say 30’ x 20’
and 30’ x 10" to show that it can be achieved in what we would probably call
small space and poss ably even squeezing a line into a court yard.
regards John
Nice thinking Marty, could we not also - with help from Rene - have a topic that stays at the top of the forum where we all submit the story of our line with pictures and discuss the difficulties we faced and the methods we used. Anybody looking in for the first time would see a treasure chest of information and inspiration. We have all sorts covered here, from your massive set up to RR’s in flowerbeds and all around the world from the frozen north to RR’s that run upside down in Oz and NZ.
Just a thought,
Kim
I concur. Garden RRing is just as important as indoor RRing. Besides, nobody has a basement in my area, so what good is a “dream basement” article to the 6 million people that live in the greater Hampton Roads area? An outdoor planning book can be a fairly generic study of the different scales, road bed ideas for different zones, a study of balance between structures and plants, and an in depth look at control systems. Something like that sure would have made my entry into Gumby scale a lot easier.
I say we stage a WTO style protest at Kalmbach until they recognize that we have rights! Basement, no, we won’t go! Basement, no, we won’t go! Basement, no, we won’t go! Basement, no, we won’t go! Basement, no, we won’t go![soapbox]
TJ
BUT I LIKE BOTH basements and out side railroads, when the snow comes and i can’t get out side to run trains ,i can do it in side , nothing wrong with that. NOW I’LL BE BEHIND THE [8] BEEN THEIR BEFORE. ben
I think and maybe Marty will clarify, I think the point is is to show model railroading outside. Not just a railroad in the garden but the level of detail on a railroad as seen in Model railroader but done outside. Remember there already is a getting started in Garden railroading availible from Kalmbach. I believe about achieving “Is It Real Or Just Outside”[;)]
True, I was thinking also about something more than a starter primer. A real meat and potato book on the how and why’s of the garden RR. There can still be generic application of ideas, even though our yards are considerably different, we all use track and trains. An in depth study, not just a review, of how certain power supplies are working in the real world, how to modify a loco for DCC/Batt/RC or whatever, real track laying as shown on real people’s layouts, handlayed, homemade and commercial.
I agree that it should be “real” model RRing with timetables and detailing, but at the same time having that ideal incorporated into the real world environment. You know, the usual things we discuss here (weeds, bugs, rain etc) that and indoor RRer would think an impossible obstacle. I would love to contribute something to a garden RR planner (I promis it won’t be rocket powered!) and legitimize this hobby.
Barring a publication, I like Kim’s idea of a “top forum” topic that covers these items. The trick is to prevent off topics and flame wars. Maybe the topic can be locked by the poster? It would be a little like an online planner. Might work. I’d sure like to add how-to’s and planning ideas to such a forum.
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