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rsn48
Canada
4407 Posts |
 Posted - 03/11/2004 : 14:48:15
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So would people be interested in an area on the net where they can go visit "The Layout of the Month?"
Basically some one would be invited to display their layout with pictures at a site; and, questions would be forwarded to them for answers. Kind of a Model Railroader layout display but more of a question and answer format. Needless to say, over time there would be many layouts featured as the old featured layouts would remain. So for example, at the end of one year there would be 12 layouts, two years 24 layouts, etc.
Questions such as:
1) What is the favourite part of your layout and why?
2) If you could do it over again now, what on your layout would you improve and why?
3) What part of layout building has become your favourite? And your least favourite?
4) What lessons did you learn the hard way?
5) What important information do you feel layout builders should know about concerning layout building?
6) What is the history, era, and location of your layout whether free lanced or prototypical?
7) What are the significant stats of your layout: length of mainline, min radius, max grades, benchwork style and height, etc.?
8) What single tip can you pass on to others?
Not only do I want to know if this would interest you, but what questions have I left out that you feel should be included? I welcome any constructive critiques.
Also, would you be willing to submit your layout for this (I'm not looking for solicitations yet, this puppy isn't off the ground at present). If you wouldn't submit your layout, I'd be interested to hear why.
Also no locations of layouts would be divulged.
All scales would be welcome.
There would be no charge to view the layouts.
Rick Nicholson
North Vancouver, BC
Work on the simple,
nibble on the complex
and the complex will become simple. |
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Big Steam
USA
1 Posts |
Posted - 03/12/2004 : 11:50:40
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I think thats a great idea. I expecially like to view track plans.
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traingeekboy
Djibouti
2185 Posts |
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audiojim
USA
237 Posts |
Posted - 03/12/2004 : 13:53:05
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geek boy
Are they? Where? In O Scale?
Jim
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rsn48
Canada
4407 Posts |
Posted - 03/12/2004 : 21:38:15
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I'm just copying and pasting this response to some questions in the HO and N scale forums here, I thought some of you guys might find it interesting...maybe not...lol.
Ken,
You ask some good questions. First, I don't want to do this by myself and would prefer to have three other dedicated (not lazy & in for the long haul) people working with me. I know that if I had to find one layout a month, ask for permission & wait for a response, send the questions, wait for a response, then help set it up in the appropriate location, I'd almost have a full time job on my hands. If four people are working on it, that means only one person is responsible for a layout every three months. I'm lazy too.
Picking a layout. Like MR a layout wouldn't need to be "done." But one section should look good in pics. In fact, I'd be willing to run a photo or two of benchwork if it is a good illustration of L girder, open grid, foam on shelf brackets, etc. Heck if the guys wiring is a piece of artistic work, I'd like to show some pics of wiring.
I think the actual picking would be after a discussion with the other guys. My biases is towards a visually good looking layout vs operations, but some of the other guys may be more ops bent or whatever their "thing" is.
The first early layouts selected would basically be from guys who already have their own web site or have lots of images ready to go, like in Railimages, or other hosted sites. I see the first couple of layouts being selected a bit of a scramble for myself, so whatever makes my scrambling easier, I'm all for.
Also I snoop about the net of many occasions looking at web sites of guys. For example, the NMRA site has many layouts and web rings have many layouts. But I would also get threads going in different forums with the hidden agenda of discovering new sites. So I could see me starting a thread here with the title "show us your web site." My guess is that over time, if it takes off, some people will approach me, I will approach other people, some will be "discovered" in forums like here, and others will be passed on to me by "friends and acquittance's" both live and on the net. In my opinion, and I hope to God I'm right, I don't think finding layouts will be a problem.
If a guy approached me and wanted to have his layout shown, I'd probably say, send me three or four pics of the part you are most likely to want to show. Then if I liked what I saw, I'd say great, go get about two dozen great photos, and pair it down to....(don't know how many yet), then please answer these questions about your layout. I would like to think the written responses from the author experienced at least one spell check. Then depending where I am in the process, I might pass him off to one of the other guys because if he just waited for me, it could be a year of waiting.
I think I'm going to copy and paste this to the N scale thread so I'll address William C's concern as well.
William, no doubt I will get some angry emails from guys with all the usual complaints: why not chose me, you don't have enough N scale layouts, you're and idiot because you think you're a magazine, and many more I haven't even fathomed yet. All the forums together have provided me with a good learning ground over the past 6 years I've been active in them. I've received my fair share of emails calling me an idiot for whatever reason; and I've had people go after me in forums flaming me. Except on two occasions I'm embarrassed to admit, I feel I have handled the scenario well. So you do learn something from all the flaming in the Atlas forums.
Thanks Ken and William for good questions.
Rick Nicholson
North Vancouver, BC
Work on the simple,
nibble on the complex
and the complex will become simple. |
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