Over the last couple of months (as you will have noticed) I have not been doing a lot of modeling. Now normally this time of the year is a low modeling productivity time as we are all expected to do things outside, or at least be somewhere visible to the rest of our friends and family. But I currently have other distractions.
Before you all say "oh no he's gone mad and headed off to another scale" Thats not quite the whole truth. I I started off buying On30 stuff 15 years ago as it was cheap and reminded me of 19th centuy Baldwin equipment. I even built a layout after we brought a house and I had no space for Paekakariki. I nearly sold it last year. However it has proved very usefull to properly test a new cheap DCC system. And while doing this I have had an epiphany of sorts.
NZR modelers are model makers. Its simply who we are and where we have come from, given that there is no RTR. That means assembling a sizable number of locomotives and rolling stock takes a lot of modeling time. Then on top of that there's building a layout to run it on which really isn't trivial either, both in terms of work and time (though hand laying your own track is never going to set any records).
I'll contrast this with US modelers. Now I will be the first to admit that I have less interest in US railways than I do in the tax codes of Bohemia in the 15th century (though the armies are another matter entirely). However one thing that they do do extremely well is building layouts that operate like the real thing, quite unlike anything else on the planet. And I think its something NZR modelers really miss out on.
I think that the big issue is that for most of the stations in New zealand between the main centers, theres not much difference in design. "n" Passing loops where "n" is a number betwen 1 and 6, a goods shed on the furtherest passing loop from the station building, if n is >4 an option for an engine shed and/or possibly a way and works yard at an end. Oh, sorry, and options for either being straight or on a curve. if there4 is an industry its something to do with agriculture. You really have to go out of your way to find something outside these options (ports being an obvious exception). Whats really missing is the "play value" and by this I mean not just letting trains run, but stopping to do some shunting along the way. For this you need rolling stock that runs well, track thats layed flat and a coupler other than the standard NZR( if you want to go "hands free").
Junctions are a bit more interesting but you start to hit size issues in the larger scales (as with the larger "n" stations) not just with length but with width as well.
Right, I'm going to post this now as I've been adding to this for a month and I should draw a line and throw it out to the peanut gallery for comment.
7 comments:
Don't entirely agree, as there is always freelancing as the Yanks do.
You can model several favourite scenes and locations if you feel the urge.
Agree though, that the time factor is the big limit, unless you like to share the workload..
Suppose it depends what you are into. Horses for courses etc. If I wanted a shunting layout, I wouldn't pick NZ120, you can fit a bit onto a shelf in S or NZ87.
I reckon NZ120 is a great scale for 'trainwatching' and 'exhibitions'. Trackgang, Otaki to Cass, Glen Anthony's midland line layout.
Plenty of modelable whacky and interesting things in NZ if you look around.
David Weedon's layout is almost all things to all people.
I think the biggest limiting factor is the mindset of people modelling. S scale is not HO or OO and you can't expect S equipment, particularly steamers to negotiate HO/OO curvature. The same applies to N scale versus NZ120. Everything is a compromise no matter what scale or gauge you are modelling. Not many of us have custom built rooms or sheds for our empire and unlimited budgets. Most model railways will never be finished- I disagreed with this for many years, but now in my 60's, I am realistic about it and it dosen't bother me as much now. The biggest thing is to enjoy the experience otherwise its time to do something else. Its amazing how running a loco with its wagons through part of your incomplete layout can trigger memories from your childhood, etc and that is so fullfilling for me. I get great satisfaction from completing a model or part of my layout to my standard and getting feedback from other people whether they are fellow modellers (the toughest critics sometimes) or joe public. shows or conventions are still very important to inspire us and motivate us. The Te Awamutu show this past weekend was very frustrating initially with several issues involving the setup and running of the Trackgang NZ120 layout. By Saturday afternoon things were running well and sunday afternoon before packing up, I reflected on the public and modeller feedback. Yes! It was worth the efforts required. Renewed energy obtained for projects for the next few months. Russell said it well when asked what area or place was represented by certain scenes on the modular layout. His reply was all the scenes have certain similarities/ geographic features or points of interest to areas he has visited or seen over the years. we are all recreating from the minds eye and its a bonus if other people sometimes recognise that. sometimes you need to knock that little critic on your shoulder to the floor and kick him into a dark corner for a while.
Great comments beaka. You're right in that I expect a lot of that 'operations/dispatcher/card systems' stuff in American magazines comes from having big basements that can host large setups with multiple towns with multiple industries. Such space is not unknown, but far less common here. Not to mention the tens (and sometimes even hundreds) of thousands (in NZD$) that must be spent on some of these setups including the rolling stock. Almost all the exhibition layouts in Europe I have seen are 'trains running through scenery or stations' There are 'operating sessions' in NZ but the ones I have seen were on relatively small or shunting layouts and in large scales. There is no reason an NZ120 layout couldn't have car cards (even Studholme had the fruit loading area, goods shed, two loading banks, an overhead crane, a coal merchant and two wool/seed stores), but I don't think I'd want to do that in an exhibition setting with fiddly NZ120 / N couplers and easily upset wagons.
MDs original speal and a couple of interesting videos watched since, have got me thinking about my own effort/s. I've now changed my thinking a little in regard to planning my next layout (home based) in S scale.
You don't need a track or lead for every situation, one lead can cover a few situations...
I'm primarily wanting to run trains through an urban setting, so yards packed with sidings and trains are a plus...
Thanks for the comments, gents.
Re operations, it doesn't just involve large basement layouts, it can also be extended to much smaller layouts, for which I would point you all to Lance Mindheim's blog. This shows that there is an underground counterculture in the US against the basement layout.
Someting I have considered for an NZR layout is to have trains set up with a fixed part (5-6 wagons plus the van with fixed couplers) and a "shunting" part whcih is switched at each station.
My goodness, the blog lives!
My experiments/experience in NZR running, shunting and operation in an exhibition environment are yet to be revealed to the world in their entirety.
But they are coming (when I've relaid the track etc).
Fixed 3 wagon sub consists are used successfully by Steve Smith in Auckland, and for 4 wheelers especially the idea is hard to fault. After all you don't have to do it exclusively and an obviously unique load in an open can have operating couplers at both ends.
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