I’ve been thinking of putting my layout on the Fall Layout Tour
Still undecided
The negatives are
It’s very amateur
It has a duck under entrance
only 4 or 5 people can be in the room at once
The positives are
Most of the scenery is complete
I do have a closed circuit TV that people can watch from the living room
if they don’t want to duck under
You can see photos at my album site
and let me know if it’s worth putting on the tour
Terry,
I vote for you being on the tour…if you inspire one person to start a layout or get involved in our hobby, it’s a win for everybody!
Don Z.
Most show organizers are always looking for new layouts to add to the tour, and most (no, make that all) modelers are interested in seeing what our fellow modellers are doing. You’ve done some good work there (I especially like your New River scene), so go ahead and show it. As the previous poster said, you will probably inspire someone, and you will probably pick up a few tips as well. Go for it!
Go for it…Just remeber 99 per cent of us are amateurs…I have enjoyed a lot of layout tours over the years but never came away from one no matter what scale or what time period {heck some didn’t even have a time period} that I didn’t learn something from…Cox 47
I would say definatly show, your layout looks great! love the couch…lol. Seriously the layout looks great.
I would go ahead and add your layout. It will be a great way to meet fellow modellers that you may never have met before. It will give you a reason to “spruce up” area’s that your not happy with as well. From the pics your layout looks great.
YES - IF:
you can let people know the size limitations ahead of time.
you can have a couple of friends there for "crowd control’
you have a place for waiters to wait.
you have a way to keep people out of the rest of your house. (One bad experience can ruin it for everyone else. There are people who will think it is a house tour as well.)
the tour director thinks it fits the purpose of the tour. (I am assistant tour director for our division and I would include it for the 40 people we have show up over a 4 hour period.)
I hadn’t thought of the last 2 Art but of course if the people venture to the back of the house my Cocker Spaniel Guard Dogs will lickem to death
Do it! Showing your layout is very rewarding. Don’t worry if you don’t think it’s good enough. There are two universal truths that apply:
You’re typically much more critical of your own work than anyone else will be, and
Most of the people who will come to see it don’t have a layout of their own, so you’ll be a source of inspiration.
I love showing my layout. It’s much more fun to run trains with people than just to talk about them!
Will leave it up to the experienced modelers to offer advice. I do want to add how impressed I am with the mine scene (mine 9). Hope when I finally build a layout, I can produce something that looks that good. Neat contrast of colors between grey rock face and the rest of the mountain.
[C):-)] Rob
Thanks For the Complement Rob
I had a lot of fun building the mine
Hi,
Here in Cambridge, Kitchener, Waterloo, Guelph and surrounding area is the “Doubleheades Model Railroad Self-guided Home/Club LAYOUR TOUR” which involves 30+ layouts. Having gone to this event regularly over the last years I can tell you that the layouts on the tour range in every respect imaginable. Some layouts have been featured in MR while others are just being started and everything in between. This is what makes the layout tour into a wonderful learning experience for everyone.
Also your layout scenes are very good. I am hoping that what is being build in my living room will look as good as your creation. So if you can get some help on show day it would be a wonderful layout to have on any tour. So go for it.
Frank
Terry,
I would say, “Go for it!”
Last summer my layout was on the LOTS Saratoga Springs convention tour. I was hesitant also at first at the thought of over 165 people and three tour buses coming and going at my home over the course of about 6 hours, but it was a great experience. I, for one, learn something from every layout I see regardless of size or level of completion and those on the tour seemed to think likewise.
An added benefit was that my wife was impressed with the number of nice people who attended. She has an increased appreciation of the hobby in general and my layout in particular.
A lot depends on the tour organizers. Just don’t be afraid to speak up and set guidelines as far as the number of persons admitted at one time and security for the rest of the house. We were fortunate that LOTS has much experience in this area and spelled out the groundrules very clearly for all participants.
Good luck,
Jim Policastro
You have a nice layout and you should share it.
I have been thinking the same thing. The organizer in southern California has been visiting layouts himself to come see what each person has to offer and come up with guidelines for each layout.
So, submit it and ask if someone could come out and help you with the decision and give you some basic preparedness guidelines.
Of coarse its easy for me to say. I have yet to submit mine.
[#ditto]
I’ve been on layout tours at a few national events, and I’d personally pass on seeing very small layouts IF I had a choice; most times you don’t know until you get there. When a busload of 55 or so modelers decend upon a house with a small layout and only 2-3 can visit the layout at a time, it makes for a long visit without many real benefits.
Layouts I’ve seen included a small one that occipied the whole small room, there was only space in the center (past the duckunder) for the operator. So we were limited to 2-3 guys peering through the door at the layout. I don’t care how great a layout is if you have to view it this way. For half a dozen visitors at a time, no problem. But when you know there are 50 or more guys waiting behind you to take a peek too, you don’t want to spend too much time looking. As a result you don’t really see much or appreciate what the host has done.
And what are those who have seen the layout going to do while waiting for the rest to look? Not a whole lot of fun waiting around, especially if it is very hot and humid. Offering lemonade or icewater helps a bit.
Whatever you do, have fun!
Well Bob i was counting on the fact that others feel the same as you do about seeing small layouts
There are no tour busses on this layout tour and since my friend Art’s Layout is only 5 blocks away and is much larger if it gets crowed here i’ll just send them over there.
Art’s layout is huge 250 ft of double track main line so i’m sure all the Bigger is Better People will be over there
I doubt i’ll have more than a dozen visitors tops
Having some bottled water is a good idea
Show it! There are many folks who like to see small layouts. It’s a learning experience all the way around. [^]
That’s why I am thinking of showing it Dragenrider
I think that’s the number one reason more people don’t have layouts because they just don’t have the space for it
Thank goodness for Club Layouts and Modular Layouts