FROM FREELANCE TO PROTOTYPE

Transcription

1 FROM FREELANCE TO PROTOTYPE Ways to improve your layout s representation of the prototype without doing a total makeover GAYLORD GILL OCTOBER

2 Model Railroading A Continuum Toylike appeals to the child in all of us Faithful reproduction in miniature Generally everyone in the hobby fits somewhere on this continuum. 2

3 Typical Evolution of the Modeler PICK A SCALE PICK PROTO RR(S) PICK A SET- TING PICK AN ERA During our evolution as modelers, we usually pass certain milestones by selecting a particular scale, era, prototype railroads, etc As our knowledge and skills increase, we tend to sharpen our focus on what s acceptable in terms of realism WE EACH DECIDE HOW FAR TO REACH FOR PROTOTYPICAL REALISM 3

4 GOAL FOR THIS CLINIC We will discuss ways you can use research to improve your layout s representation of the prototype, without doing a total makeover We will do this through use of a case study (my formerly freelanced layout) 4

5 VARIABLES (THE DISCLAIMERS!) YOUR EXPERIENCES MIGHT BE DIFFERENT BECAUSE OF THE SCALE YOU MODEL IN Product availability is more limited in some scales THE RAILROAD(S) YOU WANT TO REPRESENT The more well-known roads are better documented THE LOCATION(S) YOU CHOOSE Again, some locations are just better documented YOUR AVAILABLE RESOURCES (LAYOUT SPACE, TIME AND MONEY) All the usual constraints may limit your implementation BUT, THERE ARE PROBABLY IDEAS IN HERE YOU CAN USE! 5

6 CASE STUDY INTRODUCING THE CASE STUDY GENERAL DESCRIPTION (AS OF THREE YEARS AGO) A FREELANCED EAST-WEST LAYOUT, SET IN 1953 LOCALE WAS SOMEWHERE IN THE GREAT LAKES REGION OFFSTAGE ENDPOINTS WERE CHICAGO AND BUFFALO FIVE FICTIOUS TOWNS AS DESTINATIONS RUNNING TRAINS OF B&O, NYC AND PRR TRACKWORK WAS NEARLY DONE, SCENERY WAS WELL ALONG 6

7 CASE STUDY INTRODUCING THE CASE STUDY (CONT D) SOME ASPECTS OF THE LAYOUT FELT RIGHT I PINNED DOWN AN ERA AND STUCK WITH IT AN OPERATIONS-ORIENTED DESIGN POINT-TO-POINT SINGLE-TRACKED WITH PASSING SIDINGS REVERSING LOOPS AT EACH END DCC FOR INDEPENDENT CONTROL OF TRAINS SCENERY SUPPORTED THE LOCALE 7

8 CASE STUDY INTRODUCING THE CASE STUDY (CONT D) SOME ASPECTS NO LONGER REALISTIC ENOUGH: RUNNING B&O + NYC + PRR EVERYWHERE NOT A REALISTIC SCENARIO SINGLE-TRACK MAIN NOT REPRESENTATIVE OF EAST-WEST CORRIDOR END CITIES 600 MILES APART TOO GREAT A DISTANCE TO REPRESENT NO HOME ROAD NO PLAN FOR DEPOTS, TOWERS 8

9 CASE STUDY INTRODUCING THE CASE STUDY (CONT D) WANTED TO EXPLORE RELOCATING MY LAYOUT, WITH THESE OBJECTIVES: 1. KEEP SAME ERA (1953) AND REGION OF THE COUNTRY 2. MINIMAL CHANGES TO MY TRACK PLAN 3. USE AS MUCH EXISTING EQUIPMENT AS POSSIBLE A. DEVELOP A HOME ROAD B. CREATE INTERCHANGES C. MAYBE SOME SHARED TRACKAGE 4. FOR STRUCTURES, USE ALREADY-PURCHASED KITS IF POSSIBLE 9

10 WE WILL DISCUSS SEVEN ELEMENTS OF LAYOUT CONSTRUCTION Each of these can contribute to (or detract from) realism All of these are interrelated, can be addressed in any order Era Location Equipment Trackwork Operations Structures Scenery 10

11 THE BIG PICTURE ONE RECOMMENDED FIRST STEP: DOCUMENT YOUR REQUIRED AND DESIRED LAYOUT FEATURES WHAT LAYOUT DESIGNER JOHN ARMSTRONG CALLED GIVENS AND DRUTHERS COMMITTING THESE IN WRITING HELPS YOU STICK TO THEM! THIS PROCESS GIVES YOU A BIG-PICTURE FRAMEWORK TO WORK FROM 11

12 ERA A PRETTY PERSONAL CHOICE FIGURE OUT WHAT YOU LIKE NOTE THERE ARE NOT ACCEPTED DEFINITIONS OF RAILROAD ERAS BEST LAYOUTS STICK TO A SINGLE YEAR (MAYBE EVEN A SPECIFIC DATE) RANGE OF YEARS CAN WORK, BUT THE BROADER THE RANGE, THE MORE WE STRETCH CREDIBILITY 12

13 LOCATION DOES YOUR LAYOUT REPRESENT SPECIFIC PROTOTYPE LOCATIONS? BENEFITS: LESS ARM-WAVING WHEN EXPLAINING YOUR LAYOUT TO VISITORS OPERATORS LIKELY TO RELATE BETTER TO THEIR ASSIGNMENTS MIGHT EVEN SIMPLIFY YOUR RESEARCH (NARROWS YOUR SEARCH) 13

14 LOCATION CASE STUDY MY LAYOUT DIDN T MEASURE UP: SINGLE-TRACKED MAIN REPRESENTING 600-MILE SPAN HOW TO RELOCATE YOUR FREELANCED LAYOUT TO A PROTOTYPE SETTING?? I GOT A LOT OF HELP FROM THE 1948 RAILROAD ATLAS 14

15 LOCATION (CONT D) THE ATLAS SHOWS A LINE- DRAWING MAP FOR EACH STATE 15

16 LOCATION (CONT D) THE MAPS SHOW CITIES AND TOWNS RAILROAD LINES WHICH CONNECT THEM DISTANCES BETWEEN THEM BUT THE MAPS DON T SHOW SPECIFIC TRACK CONFIGURATIONS 16

17 LOCATION (CONT D) WHAT SEEMED A GOOD CANDIDATE FOR MY EXISTING TRACK PLAN: PRR s BUFFALO MAIN LINE PLUS THEIR CHAUTAUQUA BRANCH CASE STUDY OTHER LOCATIONS CONSIDERED: COLUMBUS FORT WAYNE ERIE GRAND RAPIDS BUT I NEEDED TO RESEARCH THE SPECIFIC TRACK CONFIGURATIONS (MORE LATER) 17

18 EQUIPMENT ARE YOUR LOCOS AND ROLLING STOCK APPROPRIATE? ARE YOU HOLDING TO YOUR ERA? DO YOU HAVE A HOME ROAD? RIGHT EQUIPMENT FOR YOUR LOCATION? AS YOU ZERO IN ON ERA, LOCATION AND RAILROAD(S), YOU MIGHT NEED TO JUGGLE YOUR ROSTER CASE STUDY I WANTED TO RETAIN AS MUCH EQUIPMENT AS POSSIBLE FOR MY THREE ROADS 18

19 TRACKWORK IS YOUR TRACKWORK APPROPRIATE TO YOUR ERA AND LOCATION? CASE STUDY AFTER GETTING AN APPROXIMATION FROM THE ATLAS, I NEEDED A CLOSER LOOK AT THE PRR TRACKAGE IN WESTERN NEW YORK INTERNET SEARCHES TURNED UP PRR DIVISION MAPS US GEOLOGICAL SURVEY MAPS PRR TRACK CHARTS 19

20 TRACKWORK (CONT D) PRR MAP OF NORTHERN DIVISION CASE STUDY 20

21 TRACKWORK (CONT D) 1950 USGS MAP OF BUFFALO S RAILROADS CASE STUDY 21

22 Each chart is a continuous, landscape-format sheet for a single mainline or branch (this is just a small segment) READING A TRACK CHART Note: it s geographically based, but not a map No compass orientation Only partly to scale Mileposts from some reference point (in this case, Buffalo, NY) Cities and towns (incl. populations) Mainline(s) and sidings always shown as straight lines Towers and interlockings Crossings with other railroads Grades (%) and elevations (feet) Other landmarks (grade crossings, rivers, etc) PRR S NORTHERN DIVISION, BUFFALO MAIN JAN 1, 1955 Courtesy Keystone Crossings Restrictive curves in degrees of curvature 22

23 CASE STUDY TRACKWORK (CONT D) REGARDING MY PROPOSED LOCATION (BUFFALO AREA) AND RAILROAD (PRR): OVERALL I HAD A GOOD FIT: MOSTLY SINGLE-TRACKED PRR (BECAME MY HOME ROAD) REASONABLE DISTANCES I DID IDENTIFY TWO ADAPTATIONS: MY FORMER BRANCHLINE BECAME AN NYC INTERCHANGE WANTED TO ADD CROSSINGS (AND TOWER) WITH ERIE RR 23

24 TRACKWORK (CONT D) ADDING CROSSINGS WOULD BE A CHALLENGE: MOST OF MY TRACKS ARE AROUND THE PERIMETER NO GOOD WAY TO RUN TRACKS INTO THE BACKDROP CASE STUDY 24

25 TRACKWORK (CONT D) A UNIQUE SOLUTION JUST FOR THIS SPOT: RUN CROSSING TRACKS INTO ELECTRIC SERVICE PANEL (I M ALREADY ASKING VIEWERS TO SUSPEND DISBELIEF) CASE STUDY 25

26 OPERATIONS RESEARCH TIMETABLES AND OTHER REFERENCES TO UNDERSTAND WHAT TRAINS OPERATED CASE STUDY FROM EMPLOYEE TIMETABLE, I LEARNED PASSENGER TRAINS RAN ON BUFFALO MAIN BUT NOT ON CHAUTAUQUA BRANCH B&O MAIN RAN PARALLEL TO BUFFALO MAIN OPPORTUNITY FOR SHARED TRACKAGE THERE 26

27 READING AN EMPLOYEE TIMETABLE List of stations and distances Table of engine restrictions but even more useful is detailed list of industry spots Types of interlockings and block stations Other sections: Passenger train schedules Sidings and capacities (in number of cars) Operating rules Speed restrictions Signal rules PRR S NORTHERN DIVISION APR 25, 1954 Courtesy Keystone Crossings 27

28 STRUCTURES ARE YOUR STRUCTURES APPROPRIATE TO YOUR RAILROAD(S), LOCATION AND ERA? ROAD-SPECIFIC STRUCTURES (DEPOTS, TOWERS, SERVICE FACILTIES) ARE MOST VISIBLE KEYS TO YOUR PROTOTYPE ALSO CONSIDER OTHER SIGNATURE STRUCTURES (COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS, CHURCHES, BRIDGES, ETC) 28

29 STRUCTURES (CONT D) RESOURCES INCLUDE: RAILROAD-SPECIFIC BOOKS (INCLUDING SOME WHICH FOCUS ON FACILITIES) SANBORN MAPS, SHOWING STRUCTURE FOOTPRINT AND PLACEMENT INTERNET SITES FIELD TRIPS BE PREPARED TO CUSTOMIZE KITS OR SCRATCHBUILD TO GET THE SPECIFIC STRUCTURE MODELS YOU WANT 29

30 STRUCTURES (CONT D) CASE STUDY FOR MY RAILROAD: A FACILITIES BOOK FOR PRR NORTHERN DIVISION HAD SPECIFIC TOWERS AND DEPOTS I WAS ABLE TO TRACK DOWN RR HISTORIANS, WHO I MET DURING A FIELD TRIP TO THE AREA A SIGNATURE FEATURE FOR BUFFALO IS THE NUMBER OF CONCRETE GRAIN SILOS NEAR THE WATERFRONT 30

31 STRUCTURES (CONT D) CASE STUDY 31

32 SCENERY CASE STUDY LOOK FOR GEOLOGIC FEATURES REPRESENTATIVE OF YOUR CHOSEN LOCATION I NEED TO ELEVATE MY BACKDROP TERRAIN IN A COUPLE PLACES (A BIT TOO FLAT FOR SOUTHWEST NEW YORK STATE) MY SLOPE TO LAKE ERIE IS TOO STEEP, AND I NEED TO ADD MORE BUILDING FLATS TOWARDS THE BACKDROP 32

33 SCENERY (CONT D) CASE STUDY TERRAIN SOUTH OF OLEAN CONTAINS SHALE OUTCROPPINGS, SOMETHING I CAN DUPLICATE IN MY SCENERY VINTAGE PHOTO OF BABCOCK STREET YARD REVEALED EXCESSIVE VEGETATION GROWING IN THE YARD (DUE TO SPILLED GRAIN). 33

34 SUMMARY TO IMPROVE YOUR LAYOUT S REPRESENTATION OF THE PROTOTYPE: EACH OF THE 7 LAYOUT-BUILDING ELEMENTS WILL CONTRIBUTE WORK ALL 7 OF THE LAYOUT ELEMENTS INTERACTIVELY USE THE RESEARCH GUIDE HANDOUT BE PERSISTENT IN YOUR RESEARCH NOT JUST ONE SOURCE SET GOALS AND MAKE ADJUSTMENTS OVER TIME AND REMEMBER WE EACH DECIDE HOW FAR TO REACH FOR PROTOTYPICAL REALISM 34