Well, now this is over and we wait to see who the winning layout designer is, here's my not so humble thoughts on the layouts proposals.
The winner, “Endearing Creek Timber & Mining Co.” is a nicely simple layout, which I think could be modeled in one piece and still fit in the back seat of a car. There is plenty of opportunity to model nice little detailed areas around the mine. there is a fair bit of NZ bush to make. This plan has also given me some thoughts for a small bush tram layout for my Cb to run on.
Possibly an adaption would be to bend the river a bit further round to provide a bit of a scenic block.
The second place getter, Rangiuru Passing Loop, East Coast Main Trunk, Bay of Plenty, is a bit more problematic. While I can see its attractions from a train running point of view, I think it has some fundamental problems as a layout in a boxfile.
The main one is that there is no way you can fit that many points into the top left hand box short of using Peco Setrack points. This detracts a bit from the visual appeal. I also think that, for me personally, its not quite what I think boxfile layouts are all about, which is small areas full of details and the chance to experiment with something you wouldn't normally build. However it would make an interesting shelf layout.
I also think that we as a scale should try to come up with a baby modular layout system for next convention. Given that we are all useless at designing anything as a committee I think its probably wishful thinking :v).
So, what does everyone else think?
8 comments:
I feel it was a dissappointing effort. I wasn't in a position to place an entry, so I'm part of the problem but I really expected a few more than 2 entries!
Or...isn't this an idea that modellers want to spend their time on.
thats a good point sxytrain - is this an area where only a few people have interest? possibly the majority may have interest in the bits with wheels? or perhaps some of it comes down to the idea of lets wait to see who sets the ball rolling... and with 2 maybe people were shied away?
I agree on the subject of passing loops too... points can be horrendously long even the traditional kiwi station of two loops and backshunts can't be considered compact - same as in real life - thats why UK branch terminii have mileage yards (the rows of sidings ending in buffers) whereas NZ terminii are laid out like a through station...
btw I was one of the 'wait and see what others put in first'...
I agree with Russell that the number of entries into the competition was disappointing, but feel that the reason might be quite easy to spot. In my humble opinion, the time between when the competition was announced and the deadline was far to long. It would have been better to keep the competition length to a month and mine the enthusiasm shown in the forum threads in the early days. I think by the time the deadline rolled around, everyone had moved on in their hobby and their lives and the competition had lost relevance. I'm sorry, but again I have to lay the blame for this squarely on the needs of the print media, and the advertising of the competition in the journal. I cant really see a way around this; sure we need more people to be aware, but the lead time needed for the journal to even print a "competition start with details on the website" as well as its inconsistent delivery time means the competition dates are a constant moving target.
sorry to reject the levelling of blame for people's slackness on this comp to Journal deadlines etc.
for a variety of reasons this comp WAS NEVER ADVERTISED IN JOURNAL.
the original concept was for an actual layout to be built, which could then have been used in Journal etc to promote NZ120.
the comp was only advertised well on the NZ120 site and MD's blog.despite this the 110+ modellers could only manage two entries, both of which were only drawings in the end.
remember the original concept was to actually BUILD a layout in a box - the comp promoter softened that requirement to allow just plans, in order to make it easier for the evidently HUGE "armchair modeller" brigade people to enter; the deadline was extended twice to allow people to enter.
after all that,still just two entries - so why should one bother to try a promotion of the scale?
My apologies, it appears I was misinformed. I stand corrected.
also want to add - yeah two entries is very disappointing, but to build an actual box layout - not everyone is, or feels that they are, up to an advanced state of modelling - must remember that the well-respected NZ120 personalities have set the benchmark pretty high - anything that head druff does is awesome - the midland line modules sold recently were supreme etc...
But the idea is for modellers to 'give it a go'. Instead the results (even the voting) suggests, 'we can't be bothered' or 'it's to much effort', or 'what I have to offer isn't good enough'. What more inspiration do we need, having been so lucky in this small country, to have the forum and related blog sites, that are giving you the idea's and how-to's to do exactly that.
Just give something a go! Build something! Let everyone know how you did it etc
after a first exitement on my side for the idea I fast figured out that the space was way too small for what I have had in mind to build. and 2nd I started to ask myself why on earth would I build something that fits into a file box anyway, after all not my cup of tea. and so the enthusiasm was burried and I did waste my time on other projects... but at least I was one of the few who did vote thou ;-) that does not mean that I can't get excited again for another competition...
steve w.
GE 'dashing' nineing
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