I was sixteen when the model railroad bug bit in earnest. In the early years of the hobby EVERYTHING is interesting and we really want it all. At that time my parents were on a two year overseas sabbatical and we lived in a small apartment. Our Cape Cod house in the states, complete with […]
Category: Model Railroad Design
Are Dramatic Scenes Necessary?
A big part of model railroading is creating images that we enjoy looking at. Although totally lacking in drama, this shot of the Sanchelima Dairy is one of my favorites of the layout. A visitor to my website brought up an interesting point yesterday. It’s an issue that I’ve been subconsciously aware of. Given its […]
The First Layout, A Better Example
Model railroading is a lot more fun when we achieve some degree of success early in the process. Having a layout that never reaches critical mass or doesn’t run reliably just isn’t that enjoyable. I believe not having a satisfying first experience is the reason a lot of people leave the hobby in frustration. One […]
Avoiding the Layout Design Death Spiral
In MRP 2010, Jim Lincoln gives an excellent example of having your cake and eating it to. That is, having fascinating operations without needing much track to do so. During the design phase, model railroaders are often terrified that their layout will be boring, that it won’t have enough elements to keep their interest. […]