I’ve been listening to the debate about having a contest based upon an Layout Design Element. The consensus seems to be that the LDE should be a small mid-western town. On one hand, the designers want freedom to go with their ideas. On the other, the voters have asked me for more standardization so that the voting is not such a chore. So, here is my proposal open to debate before launch.
Smallville USA.
The challenge is to design a small Midwestern agricultural-based town, either real or free-lance in 1950-1955 that provides operational and visual interest. We are assuming that the layout extends in both directions and there is adequate staging and traffic to meet the needs of the small town.
The space for the layout is in the corner of a larger space and there is an obstacle. Use the space creatively. The adjoining sides of the layout are 30" deep. Nowhere should reach exceed 30" and aisle space should not drop below 30". There is only one level.
You can use any structure or landscape feature that would be found in an early 50’s Midwestern town. To further standardize, this layout is in HO scale. I know you can do more in N, but his is about design ability not about the war of scales. The same challenges exist in N scale as HO.
This one will be a challenge for me because I don’t know diddly about mid-western towns.
A “Layout Design Element” is a key prototype feature that is critical to the design of the layout. If you want a contest that involves a “layout design element” then YOU have to to provide tha prototype data about the element, where it is, track plan, what industries are there, what commodities are shipped, how the trains work the station, etc.
You have not created a contest involving a “layout design element”, you have just given a footprint and said design a small town.
If you want to make it a Layout Design Element contest, YOU give the footprint and the element that has to be designed into the layout, then the contestants have to see how well they can capture that element in their design. a critical part of the contest should be an explanation of what the designer thought was the critical takeaway from the prototype and what element of the prototype he or she was attempting to duplicate.
To be honest, neither do I. But, I do see the opportunity to design something that will improve my skills and be of use on a future layout design. All larger layouts have corners. And it only makes sense that a small Midwest Town can become a Colorado Mining town if you substitute the grain towers for a refinery and the produce broker for a produce distribution facility.
The fact that is is set in the Midwest should have nothing to do with the skills you develop.
Mmm - interesting point. You are of course right in the way LDEs were originally defined.
Tony Koester defined LDE this way: “An LDE is a model of all or part of a specific yard, engine terminal, industry, junction, town or other prototype installation or scene that faithfully captures the key aesthetic and operational charateristics of that prototype”
Yet, it feels like the the name Layout Design Element is too descriptive to be limited to only scenes that are based on one specific prototype location.
What would you call a single small scene that captures key aestetical and operational features of prototype railroad railroads in a given region and era, even if it is not based on one single prototype location, but rather is a composite created by combining features from several prototype locations from the modelled region and era ?
If a criteria is 30" max, then the legs of the L would max out at 21" and change to be able to reach the corner OR a curved corner back drop would be needed.
I am having a hard time visualizing how I’m going to capture the feel of a Midwestern small town going around a 90 degree bend. Just doesn’t happen in Indiana, Illinois, Kansas, and so on unless you allow a river or relocate to the hillier parts in Wisconsin, Northern Minnesota or Yuper land. The limitations on era don’t do a whole lot for me, either.
Again, if you want a variety of ideas, throw it open as to location and era, and don’t worry about the competition so much. If you want to compare apples to apples, more rigidly define the town and/or prototype. At present, you are at the evil mid-point. I can choose the town/area that will best fit my pre-conceived LDE, or I can choose a “generic” 1950s small town and try to design to capture that.
As Stein said, the designer write-up is going to be at least as important as the actual layout.
Personally, I’d like the 2x8 ft shelf design as an LDE(s). Open everything else (including scale), except it attaches to the rest of the layout at one or both ends. Again, the write-up is as important as the design, so others can see how you tried to meet your goals.
I think Fred is wright. Er…well…you know what I mean. (Fred will pretend to laugh and say he hasn’t heard that one before…right, Fred?)
Any-hoo…I do agree with him. If you map out a workable task element that becomes a LDE, one that really exists/existed, it has a far longer axis than it has a wide axis (neglecting the industrial footprint that the task/layout design element serves). IOW, stand at the prime turnout off a siding or off a main, whatever, and look back down into the industrial tracks as they disappear between buildings or trees. You know they go far longer to walk down than they would to walk across by the physical requirements of pushing cars servicing the industries. So, to me, a 6X6 seems an artificial boundary for something that we rarely see, save a large foresting operation of an open pit. It is more likely that we’ll serve something longer in profile/footprint than something wide. Am I making any sense?
Also, for the sake of modellers everywhere, particularly in Europe where space is at a premium in most dwellings, a 2X8 seems to be a good chunk of a dream layout…a good start. Six-by is something I would consider in Chuck’s garage as a part of something greater.
Does this mean that the entire room is to be used, but only the “given” corner will be judged? Or can you fore-see someone placing and Isle into the corner somehow? The way I understand your proposal, the shaded areas of your drawing are “assumed” areas, and not needing to be shown in full or detail?
As for the small, mid-west town idea, not my cup of tea, but OK, I guess that would be part of the challange; to design something y
Have you seen the television series called Smallville ? I watch it regularly and have yet to see a train in it It is supposedly in Kansas with lots of farms. I foresee lots of prairie skyscrapers, grain loaders and hopper cars.
I like the corner footprint as it provides more of a challenge. I think I would have preffered to pick anyplace, but having a standardization of theme makes the contest more fair. However you may get less entries by limiting their locale.
Actually…The Era WAS specified as 1950 to 1955, and I do believe that almost ALL small towns would have some provision for watering and coaling a steam engine, even if it were only a small tank and a bin to shovel from.
Heres a thought, we have several people giving some input but so far Chip and one or two others are the only ones to define in detail the contest parameters, soooo, how about if we take a few days to chew this info other and anyone interested can submit complete detail parameters that would serve as the contest basis. At this point those submissions can be “voted most popular” and refined even more as to please the majority and still be in such a format to make compiling doable and voting uniform.
As Chip said, he is trying to comprimise (he also said doing so means no one is happy), so this method would allow others to fully interject thier entire contest concept.
So, Chip’s idea of a contest to design an LDE for a LAYOUT has now turned into a contest to see who can design the RULES of the contest??? LOL
Maybe not such a bad idea! I’ve read Chip’s comments about the difficulties he encountered with the last contest. I don’t blame him for wanting to tighten up the specs on a new contest!
Unfortunately, I can’t add much to the discussion as my designing skills are virtually non-existant! I do, however, enjoy seeing the results of the contests.
My hat’s off to you, Chip! It’s not everyone who will stand up in a crowd with a bulls-eye painted on their chest! LOL
It is supposedly in Kansas with lots of farms. I foresee lots of prairie skyscrapers, grain loaders and hopper cars.