Sunday, September 25, 2022

Planning the Lost Observatory Loop

After many iterations of Kato Unitram track fiddling, the LOL III
Planning seems like a rather highfalutin word for developing my thoughts for a little layout inspired by Ottawa's Central Experimental Farm trolley line. Calling it a layout doesn't seem right either. It's more of a little diorama with a trolley loop. And come to think of it, I'm misusing the word diorama. Classify it as you will, I'm naming it the Lost Observatory Loop.

I was going to write some lengthy post on all the ideas and iterations that went into planning this layout, but as I thought about it I realized there were only a couple of points which I think might be generally applicable, so I'll focus on those.

For developing ideas I find it useful to use a sketchbook. I particularly like the 5.5" x 8.5" spiral bound format. I find larger sizes a bit intimidating - all that blank space on a page demands to be filled even if the idea I want to play with is just a small one. I like using a soft 4B or 6B pencil because I feel they allow for a wide range of marks, although I'll use anything on hand if necessary. I rarely use an eraser; I just draw over any mistakes. Also, to help overcome 'getting started' anxiety, I'll open the book at some random blank page and start to work. I don't like the feel of rigidly starting at page one and marching through the book page-by-page to the end - there's something grim about that, and the book doesn't have so many pages that I won't be able to find my work again when I return to it. Also, the quasi-random organization helps me think.
6 of the 20 or so pages devoted to working out ideas for the LOL III
For me planning is trying to find a composition that somehow balances the features I want the layout to incorporate. In this case the main features are: things I like about the CEF, especially around the trolley line; a loop for the trolley (or trollies) to run on; lots of scope for trying modelling techniques I haven't tried before (like making stone walls for buildings and deciduous trees); uses mainly materials I have on hand; shouldn't take more than a year to build; be relatively small, light, and transportable; and most importantly: be fun to build! So far I've been working on a design for a little over a year.

The Tyco trolley is a little too wide.

One aspect I kept going back and forth on was track: standard or narrow gauge? I had settled on HO-scale. I finally decided on HO-9 making use of Kato's N-gauge Unitram track.

When I first saw Unitram track several years ago I was entranced. I bought up a lot thinking I would build an N-scale homage to Toronto's streetcars called Tor-N-to. Time has gone on, and I realize Tor-N-to is never going to happen, although I still love that Unitram track, especially the switches.

Last year's test of the HO-9 Hong Kong tram running along Unitram track in an HO scale street scene convinced me some sort of HO-9 streetcar layout was itching to be built - I just wasn't sure what it would be. 

Although, here's the problem with using Unitram track this way: 2 HO-scale trams can't pass each other because the tracks are too close together. I figured if I incorporated an internal passing track this problem would be minimized. Well, ok, I could make thinner trollies, but that isn't going to happen - I'll need to go to a 1/24 scale hot rod customizing school first to practice my body modification skills :-)

So, in the end there was lots of back-and-forth between trying various Unitram configurations and sketchbook ideas until I settled on a track plan. Frankly, for all the time I spent thinking about this layout, the plan is a dead simple one I've played with many times before, so I don't know what all the planning fuss was about. Anyway, I can now see the basics of the thing, and have settled some questions, so I guess that's what planning is about.

3 comments:

  1. The easiest improvement on this loop layout would be to angle the whole thing on your base. Looks like you have the room to do that. Tracks running parallel to the edges are boring and make the layout look smaller.

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    1. The track will run around the perimeter of the base with the outer edge of the track flush with the base's outer edge (I'll also be making some cuts to the Kato track to get rid of its square corners - Kato enthusiasts might recoil in horror at that move :-) ). I realize that isn't clear in the lead photo as it gives the impression the base will be 2'x4', but that's just the table where I tested the track plan.

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    2. Ugh, I'm going to have to fix up this post as I've only lightly touched on some important topics. With the Loonar Module I learned from watching people look at it and talking with them that the tall trees and eye level stand mean people have to look through it and around it, making the simple loop and small size seem larger. This new layout will build on those things I learned, and it will have an arboritum / orchard of tall trees which will help people look through and around the layout - which seems to make small layouts appear larger.

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