Bill,
I somewhat understand your dilemna. Before I got involved in the S Scale
Workshop, trains with no scenery were alright with me. In fact, I thought
scenery was a distraction.
I was wrong and my opinions have changed.
My first module was only a 2 foot by 4 foot endevour with a single track
going down the middle on a 'Tee' beam with nothing on either side. I used
the famous Simon Parent code 83 tie plates which took their share of time.
At any rate, I was under the gun to get it ready for a show the next day and
had no time to add anything else. So to make sure there would be no locos
on the floor, we simply stapled some plastic garbage bags between the sides
of the module and the edge of the beam that the track was on. At least half
of the modules were at some state of incompleteness but mine stood out.
When someone asked what the garbage bags represented, I quipped "It's a
swamp!"
It kind of stuck and I eventually built up swamp scenery with a stone
causeway. It was an eye opener for me. When I placed my locos on it, they
came alive especially when a backdrop was placed behind. This completely
changed my outlook. Any RR I do will have to have scenery on it to provide
a good stage for my equiment.
I have four other modules that I connect together that form the Brewery, its
lead track and tail track. One astute observer noted that the Brewery was
in fact a John Allen Timesaver with a slight modification. I checked and he
was right. The modules are senicked but not detailed enough yet. I do like
to operate it but it does leave me kind of dry after a while.
I know that you believe that just running trains around in a loop will
satisfy your needs but having listened to you about your knowledge of the
PRR and the LIRR, I believe that you may eventually tire of that and find
that you actually want to operate prototypically. If you don't take that
into your design considerations, you may find that your ovals eventually
appear to become a waste of time and money spent.
As far as your 'small' room goes, you should invest $20 in the Tony Koester
book about multi level RR and the book from Kalmbach about How to Build More
Layout in Less Space. I read these cover to cover. If you are worried
about your walls, a 'mushroom' layout in the centre might work.
My room is 22' x 18'. Somewhat smaller than yours but I have managed to
design an around the wall shelf layout that I plan to build that will use a
helix with a 50" radius. This way I can do the CNR branch line from Owen
Sound -> Park Head -> Wiarton in 1956 complete with wye and staging yard in
another room. One thing they emphasize in those books that a scenicked
shelf can look really great at only 8 to 10 inches wide. That's less
material being used in every area.
Anyway, before you spike again or buy more materials, you may want to
consider what I have said. Then again, having seen you with your Flyer at
an early age, you may want to keep your loop ideas to remain in touch with
your..."INNER FLYER" and just watch those brass babies go round and round as
fast as they can;->
cheers, eh?
Andy Malette
------------------------------------
Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/
<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional
<*> To change settings online go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/join
(Yahoo! ID required)
<*> To change settings via email:
[email protected]
[email protected]
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
[email protected]
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
