I have been having trouble with planning my layouts trackplan So my question is would it be cheating if i borrowed different parts of layouts from my vast collection of model railroader mags Anybody ever do this Thanks
Dark
I think its a fine idea. Nothing in this hobby is cheating. Do you have a basic idea of what you want to model?
Cheating? No. I think I would call it finding inspiration. Face it, you are not going to be able to copy what you find exactly even if you wanted to.
Good luck.
never heard of track panning LOL. i would not consider it cheating if you took some ideas from MR
Darkstar, I am doing the same thing, pulling different ideas from different layout plans that I have saved over the years. Putting them into the same scale I am drawing my plan in, and changing them as far as leads to fit them into the space I have to work with. Thats what they are there for, as buk said" Inspiration". Thats what the hobby is all about.
Actually, this is something Tony Koester has recommended for some time. Only he says to use the protoype not other model railroads. He says that using the prototype means you’ll get an arrangement that worked for the railroad. Anyway as you have said, you pick out your favorite locations/arrangements (condense them for your space, if necessary) and then arrange them into a layout with connecting tracks in between.
MR used to run a regular feature (and still does occasionally) called “A Railroad You Can Model” that did this for a whole layout.
Everyone of my railroads has been inspired and used pieces from other plans and/or the prototype.
Enjoy
Paul
I got ideas for my layout from Kalmbachs 101 Track Plans.
I’m pretty sure that’s why they put them in the magazines to give us other guys ideas.
Gordon
Well I’ve started planning with the pile of magazines that i have taking elements from layouts that I like and transfering them on to tracing paper to create my freelanced railroad between Youngstown and Pittsburgh. Now all I have to do is sweet talk the wife into allocating space in the basement. Thanks for the feedback
Dark
Published track plans are there to inspire other model railroaders to do likewise–making use of elements of a track plan that you like is not cheating, it is how a model railroader learns to design their own plans. Inspiration from the prototype is important too.