Riley Triggs. Dynamic Model RailRoad Modular Layout. The information that you gave on the video was very interesting. Thank you for sharing this information.
This is insane and wow! It is like N-Trak going up the next level or two. You could focus on Russel, Kentucky yard to Queen City yard in Cincinnati as far as operations go say for the C&O in 1955 or 1975. It would include the coal trains running from West Virginia to Ohio steel mills and power plants with the George Washington passenger train coming through Huntington twice a day. This just sparks all kinds of ideas in terms of operations.
Thanks for the note, Robert. These are meant to be in N Scale. I am looking at what the HO implications are, and you are right about 4 feet being limited at that scale. Or, there would need to be more intermediate modules like yard module that is just tracks and no switches. A respectable ladder can be done in HO in 4'. It just would have much yard track on it. Hopefully, I'll be developing these ideas some more this summer and actually build some to test this out...
I haven't figured it out all the way to Chicago, yet, but it seems that one would only need enough modules for double and 4 track mainlines, two yards, four towns, two interchanges, and then maybe a couple of other specialty situations. I'll post a part two when I finish the entire length of the Erie with exactly what is needed. (I may even build it.)
Interesting concept. I think the main problem with this is where to store the modules you´re not using in a session. Maybe can built some industrial modules and swap them every session. I´m modeling a CSX local train and my layout is 20 feet long x 18'' wide.
That's an unusual shaped house you got there at 1:25. My house is a simple 20' by 40' rectangle. That would be perfect for a huge railroad, but unfortunately, my basement is unsuitable for a model railroad because my tenants have access to the laundry facilities down there. Plus it has other issues like ceiling too low, water heaters and HVAC units for the apartments filling much of the space in the center, pipes and electrical panels in inconvenient locations. So for now, I'm building a tiny modular layout with three modules in my spare bedroom. I use HO, so I came up with my own modular standard. I'm thinking of someday converting my attic, which has about 40' by 10' of usable stand-up space (it's an older house with a real stand-up walk-around attic), to a recreation room and then moving my layout up there and then expanding it with more modules. But it's not gonna be cheap or quick to put heat and A/C up there and prepare it to look nice for the railroad.
Yes, it is a little unusual. I'm an architect and was fortunate enough to redesign my boyhood home, so I had some fun with it. :) The shape comes from site constraints and wanting to create a solar bowl configuration for energy efficiency and quality of light in the house. You don't need a huge room to do a layout. There is a lot of interesting and intensive modeling to be done on smaller layouts. Check out Lance Mindheim's approach with smaller layouts, which I fully endorse: lancemindheim.com/ as well as Trevor Marshall of the Model Railway Show podcast and his Achievable Layouts blog: themodelrailwayshow.com/LayoutDesign/ Also, Rick De Candido's Fillmore Avenue Roundhouse is a small layout with lots of modeling and operations: fillmoreavenueroundhouse.wordpress.com/ I'd suggest starting small like you are with modules - you can always grow, but you don't need to bite off the whole thing all at once. My own layout is a group of smaller layouts taking a similar approach to Lance, etc. with small pocket terminals of New York Harbor: ponyrr.blogspot.com
So basically you pick and choose the yards/towns/interchanges you want to model. Build them as modules, then you use multiple generic straight/curve/double track modules to swap in and out? Could be a lot of work re-aranging your modules after a day or two of operating because you would have to remove all your rolling stock and put it somewhere safe while you move the modules around. But I do like your idea, basically you could have the entire railroad in modules racked up ready to be arranged
Even in N scale a large station in precise scale will fill the entire house. unlike making a model building or model train, making a model railroad can only be a caricature.
Yes, you can! It's called freelancing. Just make up your own imaginary railroad and then rewrite history a little bit. The hard part of that is you'll have to buy undecorated locos and paint them with your imaginary railroad's color scheme and logo.
You can still model actual railroad locomotives with an interchange track to connect to the outside world and still have your own freelance locomotives running side by side with actual railroad names like BNSF UP SP Santa Fe, NS , CSX, NW, PRR, C&O , B&O , D&RG, and many others.
Sorry, I haven't made it, yet! It is on the long to do list, though... You can see the full article in the Layout Design Journal No 47 Summer 2012. www.ldsig.org/publications/journal Also written material at my blog: modelrailroaddesign.blogspot.com/2012/05/erie-dynamos-in-n-scale-part-deux.html
Ah, I don't have any specific technical plans on the modules. We have a local guy who builds modules for a living - you might be interested: www.masterpiecemodules.com/index.php
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This was an interesting concept and a good example of "thinking outside the box". Some people focus on scenery. It doesn't seem incompatible with your core idea. I wonder if you ever did a part 2 of this presentation? (oh I see you put a link to ldsig in a comment below... but I don't seem to have access to it)
Outside the box? He set the box on fire and hasn't looked back. He got outside the box and he's off in another galaxy now. His box was a black hole that sent him to another dimension. 💥
Riley: It is now 10 years after publishing this set of ideas for a layout, but I see no follow up video about attempted execution of the theory. So, have you built a set of modules/sectional/dominoes to try out this abstraction of operation theory? How is it received by the operating crew? It would seem that this basic idea could be enhanced by applying some the building techniques of FreeMo N and the Sipping and Switching Society of North Carolina. The S&SS have a module building technique that yields a very ridged, light weight module and uses a standard folding leg with casters. That would make rearranging this layout much easier and storage of unused sections much easier. S&SS also has a jig/gauge that they us to align the tracks at the end of a module that might be applicable to what you are trying to achieve here. FreeMo N has a very good module/track butt joint system that save a lot of time at set up.
Thanks for your comment. Wow, ten years. I have not furthered this idea, although I think about it often. I do need to build it or at least someone does! You are correct about your club's building techniques - I did a search and found how you go about it. Very nicely done, clean, and straightforward! Also, it looks like you have a great overall layout that must be fun to operate. If I do something about this, I'll definitely post a follow up video.
@@RileyTriggs Didn't mean to mislead you: I'm not associated with either of those groups. I am associated with the Operations Road Show that you can find on line by that name.
Maybe it's just me, but the track plan of the Erie from NY to Chicago in the video simply looks like a cluttered mess. There isn't a visual break anywhere, and it just isn't realistic. Maximum realism, which I would assume is the goal for most model railroaders, can only be achieved by focusing on what can be reasonably compressed into a layout. If track arrangements are standardized like this, then where does the unique flavor of the railroad being modeled go? Lance Mindheim and Tim Horton's layout are good examples of layout design. The railroad you chose to model can also make a big difference. I draw lots of track plans, and I drew a 2.5 mile CSX branch, and the entire Fort Saint John subdivision of the British columbia railway in the same space. One was much harder to compress than the other, because the way the BCOL yards are set up concentrates operations in one area with long scenic breaks in between. this made it much easier to fit into a room than the CSX branch that had operations all along the line.
Hi, Christian. You are correct that this is not for maximum modeling realism, but rather for maximum operational flexibility and simulation. I am a real fan of Lance's, and my other endeavors are about maximum realistic modeling and exacting prototypical operations on a moderate size layout. I am interested in ultra-slow operation on a thoroughly and painstakingly researched prototype, the Hoboken Shore Railroad. Please see my blogs, PoNYRR.blogspot.com and ModelRailroadDesign.blogspot.com for proof of my dedication to your style of modeling. The Dynamo is simply a thought experiment about isolating and abstracting modeling of an otherwise unattainable subject of a transcontinental size railroad. Thanks for viewing and commenting!
Interesting concept, but there is NO way I would be interested in building a layout with such minimal or non-existent scenery. Scenery is a priority to me personally. You have an interesting thought experiment though. I would argue that if you are going to minimalize it to this extent that you may as well just play the "game" in a virtual simulator. Then you can fit any size railroad into any space ;-)
+Jonathan Hatfield I think you can do both. With DCC and decent track operations group, things would not work as perfectly as a computer simulation. If you don't agree with this what occurs to me is that it causes me to think differently about your layout as part of an operation. So you have switching operation for the locals you do, but those have to be worked between the schedule freight, coal and passenger runs. It becomes a more interesting logistics game, too, as well as something to model.
Except you are thinking too narrow mindedly, this modular approach can include scenery/ tunnels/ bridges and extend out into scenery modules that can be worked on external to the layout and slotted into place when ready.
Over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and overandoverandoverandover. But, this is an award winning video - it spends almost 15 minutes to say 2 minutes of information (over and over and over and over...) so wins the most boring video of all time.
Mike L, There are several ideas for building a railroad layout yourself Find a suitable set of plans online Find a colleague who wants to build one too so you have someone to encourage you (I learned these and why they work from Jareks hobby club site )
Riley Triggs.
Dynamic Model RailRoad Modular Layout.
The information that you gave on the video was very interesting.
Thank you for sharing this information.
This is insane and wow! It is like N-Trak going up the next level or two. You could focus on Russel, Kentucky yard to Queen City yard in Cincinnati as far as operations go say for the C&O in 1955 or 1975. It would include the coal trains running from West Virginia to Ohio steel mills and power plants with the George Washington passenger train coming through Huntington twice a day. This just sparks all kinds of ideas in terms of operations.
thanks for the video - looking forward to the next one Colin
Thanks for the note, Robert. These are meant to be in N Scale. I am looking at what the HO implications are, and you are right about 4 feet being limited at that scale. Or, there would need to be more intermediate modules like yard module that is just tracks and no switches. A respectable ladder can be done in HO in 4'. It just would have much yard track on it. Hopefully, I'll be developing these ideas some more this summer and actually build some to test this out...
Interesting concept, Thanks for the idea.
Nice presentation and idea.
My railroad plans are modest in scale due to the scale, running from NEWARK to points west. Very interesting idea you present here.
I haven't figured it out all the way to Chicago, yet, but it seems that one would only need enough modules for double and 4 track mainlines, two yards, four towns, two interchanges, and then maybe a couple of other specialty situations. I'll post a part two when I finish the entire length of the Erie with exactly what is needed. (I may even build it.)
Interesting! Need to think about it.
I have a single 24 inch diameter railroad track. My train goes around and around this track. It is a model train.
Interesting concept. I think the main problem with this is where to store the modules you´re not using in a session. Maybe can built some industrial modules and swap them every session. I´m modeling a CSX local train and my layout is 20 feet long x 18'' wide.
That's an unusual shaped house you got there at 1:25. My house is a simple 20' by 40' rectangle. That would be perfect for a huge railroad, but unfortunately, my basement is unsuitable for a model railroad because my tenants have access to the laundry facilities down there. Plus it has other issues like ceiling too low, water heaters and HVAC units for the apartments filling much of the space in the center, pipes and electrical panels in inconvenient locations. So for now, I'm building a tiny modular layout with three modules in my spare bedroom. I use HO, so I came up with my own modular standard. I'm thinking of someday converting my attic, which has about 40' by 10' of usable stand-up space (it's an older house with a real stand-up walk-around attic), to a recreation room and then moving my layout up there and then expanding it with more modules. But it's not gonna be cheap or quick to put heat and A/C up there and prepare it to look nice for the railroad.
Yes, it is a little unusual. I'm an architect and was fortunate enough to redesign my boyhood home, so I had some fun with it. :) The shape comes from site constraints and wanting to create a solar bowl configuration for energy efficiency and quality of light in the house.
You don't need a huge room to do a layout. There is a lot of interesting and intensive modeling to be done on smaller layouts. Check out Lance Mindheim's approach with smaller layouts, which I fully endorse: lancemindheim.com/ as well as Trevor Marshall of the Model Railway Show podcast and his Achievable Layouts blog: themodelrailwayshow.com/LayoutDesign/ Also, Rick De Candido's Fillmore Avenue Roundhouse is a small layout with lots of modeling and operations: fillmoreavenueroundhouse.wordpress.com/
I'd suggest starting small like you are with modules - you can always grow, but you don't need to bite off the whole thing all at once.
My own layout is a group of smaller layouts taking a similar approach to Lance, etc. with small pocket terminals of New York Harbor: ponyrr.blogspot.com
So basically you pick and choose the yards/towns/interchanges you want to model. Build them as modules, then you use multiple generic straight/curve/double track modules to swap in and out?
Could be a lot of work re-aranging your modules after a day or two of operating because you would have to remove all your rolling stock and put it somewhere safe while you move the modules around.
But I do like your idea, basically you could have the entire railroad in modules racked up ready to be arranged
Even in N scale a large station in precise scale will fill the entire house. unlike making a model building or model train, making a model railroad can only be a caricature.
i just whant to have a modle rail road to (play) with my trains cant i use a phantasy rail road?
Yes, you can! It's called freelancing. Just make up your own imaginary railroad and then rewrite history a little bit. The hard part of that is you'll have to buy undecorated locos and paint them with your imaginary railroad's color scheme and logo.
You can still model actual railroad locomotives with an interchange track to connect to the outside world and still have your own freelance locomotives running side by side with actual railroad names like BNSF UP SP Santa Fe, NS , CSX, NW, PRR, C&O , B&O , D&RG, and many others.
Name of computer modeling program? Great video presentation. I'm into O-scale, so space is a prime concern. Thank you.
So what was the second video called?Thanks, great concept.
+Eric Dufresne Haven't made it, yet! Thanks for watching!
I have very small 2x4 layout
I find ho is best for a small layout but n scale is great to for a small layout
How do I find Part 2 of this video
Sorry, I haven't made it, yet! It is on the long to do list, though... You can see the full article in the Layout Design Journal No 47 Summer 2012. www.ldsig.org/publications/journal Also written material at my blog: modelrailroaddesign.blogspot.com/2012/05/erie-dynamos-in-n-scale-part-deux.html
Thank you I read what was on the sample it was interesting But I am looking for info on how to build modular assembly's and there connections.
Ah, I don't have any specific technical plans on the modules. We have a local guy who builds modules for a living - you might be interested: www.masterpiecemodules.com/index.php
This was an interesting concept and a good example of "thinking outside the box".
Some people focus on scenery. It doesn't seem incompatible with your core idea.
I wonder if you ever did a part 2 of this presentation? (oh I see you put a link to ldsig in a comment below... but I don't seem to have access to it)
Outside the box? He set the box on fire and hasn't looked back. He got outside the box and he's off in another galaxy now. His box was a black hole that sent him to another dimension. 💥
I like your video and I have 2 layout that use module but I do not have module size on paper your video give me some to try for that thank you.
Thanks for watching, Ray, and good luck with your layouts!
🤔😧😖🤪🥴😵🤯 What just happened. That's craziness.
Riley: It is now 10 years after publishing this set of ideas for a layout, but I see no follow up video about attempted execution of the theory. So, have you built a set of modules/sectional/dominoes to try out this abstraction of operation theory? How is it received by the operating crew?
It would seem that this basic idea could be enhanced by applying some the building techniques of FreeMo N and the Sipping and Switching Society of North Carolina. The S&SS have a module building technique that yields a very ridged, light weight module and uses a standard folding leg with casters. That would make rearranging this layout much easier and storage of unused sections much easier. S&SS also has a jig/gauge that they us to align the tracks at the end of a module that might be applicable to what you are trying to achieve here. FreeMo N has a very good module/track butt joint system that save a lot of time at set up.
Thanks for your comment. Wow, ten years. I have not furthered this idea, although I think about it often. I do need to build it or at least someone does!
You are correct about your club's building techniques - I did a search and found how you go about it. Very nicely done, clean, and straightforward! Also, it looks like you have a great overall layout that must be fun to operate.
If I do something about this, I'll definitely post a follow up video.
@@RileyTriggs Didn't mean to mislead you: I'm not associated with either of those groups. I am associated with the Operations Road Show that you can find on line by that name.
@@cdjhyoung Ah - no worries at all. The Road Show is another interesting group!
Maybe it's just me, but the track plan of the Erie from NY to Chicago in the video simply looks like a cluttered mess. There isn't a visual break anywhere, and it just isn't realistic. Maximum realism, which I would assume is the goal for most model railroaders, can only be achieved by focusing on what can be reasonably compressed into a layout. If track arrangements are standardized like this, then where does the unique flavor of the railroad being modeled go? Lance Mindheim and Tim Horton's layout are good examples of layout design. The railroad you chose to model can also make a big difference. I draw lots of track plans, and I drew a 2.5 mile CSX branch, and the entire Fort Saint John subdivision of the British columbia railway in the same space. One was much harder to compress than the other, because the way the BCOL yards are set up concentrates operations in one area with long scenic breaks in between. this made it much easier to fit into a room than the CSX branch that had operations all along the line.
Hi, Christian. You are correct that this is not for maximum modeling realism, but rather for maximum operational flexibility and simulation. I am a real fan of Lance's, and my other endeavors are about maximum realistic modeling and exacting prototypical operations on a moderate size layout. I am interested in ultra-slow operation on a thoroughly and painstakingly researched prototype, the Hoboken Shore Railroad. Please see my blogs, PoNYRR.blogspot.com and ModelRailroadDesign.blogspot.com for proof of my dedication to your style of modeling. The Dynamo is simply a thought experiment about isolating and abstracting modeling of an otherwise unattainable subject of a transcontinental size railroad. Thanks for viewing and commenting!
Interesting concept, but there is NO way I would be interested in building a layout with such minimal or non-existent scenery. Scenery is a priority to me personally. You have an interesting thought experiment though. I would argue that if you are going to minimalize it to this extent that you may as well just play the "game" in a virtual simulator. Then you can fit any size railroad into any space ;-)
+Jonathan Hatfield I think you can do both. With DCC and decent track operations group, things would not work as perfectly as a computer simulation. If you don't agree with this what occurs to me is that it causes me to think differently about your layout as part of an operation. So you have switching operation for the locals you do, but those have to be worked between the schedule freight, coal and passenger runs. It becomes a more interesting logistics game, too, as well as something to model.
Except you are thinking too narrow mindedly, this modular approach can include scenery/ tunnels/ bridges and extend out into scenery modules that can be worked on external to the layout and slotted into place when ready.
My brain hurts...
;)
Over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and overandoverandoverandover. But, this is an award winning video - it spends almost 15 minutes to say 2 minutes of information (over and over and over and over...) so wins the most boring video of all time.
Mike L, There are several ideas for building a railroad layout yourself
Find a suitable set of plans online Find a colleague who wants to build one too so you have someone to encourage you (I learned these and why they work from Jareks hobby club site )