Layout boredom and other maladies

Current thinking on the right hand page

I’ve concluded that my layout, the Ocean Park Loop, is boring. Its got some nice points, and I’ve learned a lot during construction, but at the end of the day it’s missing something essential that my old Lost Ocean Line had. The only reason I gave up on the LOL after a couple years of fiddling and use was that I felt I had exhausted all the things I could do with it. 

Problem is the new modular layout seemed to exhaust itself far sooner than the LOL. 

One of the big issues with the current layout is it’s too big. All the modules can’t be left assembled because the layout takes up too much room, and since it’s always disassembled, I can’t run streetcars on a whim to try things. But most importantly I think the current layout is too rigid in its concept and doesn’t allow me to explore all the ideas I have. I realize that I’m not interested in rigorously replicating Toronto streets, but in capturing the essence of my experiences and thoughts.

Beginning thoughts

I’m thinking these days a variation on the LOL - adding the missing aspects the old one lacked and fixing problems - is the way to go. 

What were those LOL issues? The track plan was too complicated and unnecessarily chewed up space that I could have used for scenery and buildings - making buildings and scenery are the things I like the most. I need a simpler track plan that is more streetcar-like than train-like. It needed an urban mainstreet - long and straight, but not too long - for staging ‘typical’ Toronto streetcar scenes that allowed for buildings to be swapped in and out. It needed to be a little bigger - maybe 25% bigger - for ‘breathing room’ as well as providing space for a few more buildings and trees. It was too heavy and used too much wood - I was paranoid that it wouldn’t be strong enough so I over built. I think I could build something a little bigger than the LOL that would be significantly lighter than the original.

Next steps

Back when I was first thinking about the LOL I posted a list of things I think it needed to incorporate. Reviewing the list, I’m still more-or-less in agreement, but I’ve added a few things, so here’s an update.

1. Continuous loop

2. Flat, lots of real estate for buildings

3. Double track, switch-free, straight, downtown street

3. Buildings can be swapped in and out and re-arranged

4. Portable, easy to carry, fits in my econo-box car

5. Easy to take upstairs from the basement for showing off at Christmas and such

There's a Bill Schopp trefoil in there - more later

6. Lots and lots of trees and vegetation

7. Beachfront 

8. Ocean

9. Any and all switches at front

10. Streetcar to the beach

11. The smaller, the better, but not too small

12. Scattered Toronto and Los Angeles

13. One storey residences

14. Innocuous track

15. Lights and lighting and LEDs

16. Surfboard sized

17. Lots of pathways

18. Lightweight

19. No corners

20. Turntable

21. Retro-future, modern, re-purposed stuff

22. Eye-level views

23. DCC and DC

24. Landscape view 

25. Sydney-by-the-Sea

26. Blue, green, sunny, open

27. Percherons

29. People, figures, easy living

30. Streetcars, small diesels, trolleys, railcars and any other small rolling stock

31. Clean construction

32. Houses, cottages, and cabins

33. Streetcar-y track arrangement, not train-y track arrangement.

Most layout planners are far more rigorous than me. I don’t make formal drawings or elegant sketches or use software tools. I have some notebooks and just make rough sketches as my thoughts develop. 

With passing loops a la the Morecambe Tramway

Once I think I’ve settled on a basic plan I’ll pull out the old brass rail and make some full-size sketches in track. 

I’m not trying to be precise at this stage, I’m just playing with lines at present.