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Offline mike c  
#1 Posted : 17 May 2018 01:51:01(UTC)
mike c

Canada   
Joined: 28/11/2007(UTC)
Posts: 7,880
Location: Montreal, QC
I don't have a permanent layout, but if I did, I am sure that I would have to update it from time to time, to keep it looking modern and relative to whatever trains I would be running on it. This would mean that buses, trucks and cars would have to be swapped out ever so often and buildings would have to reflect the times too.

So, given what I am seeing in real life, I am trying to figure out how many of my chalets should have airbnb stickers on the doors/windows and where can I get little uber stickers to mount on my Wiking and Herpa cars?

How seriously do you take changes in life and in miniature?

Regards

Mike C
Offline Mike863  
#2 Posted : 17 May 2018 02:52:29(UTC)
Mike863

United States   
Joined: 19/06/2013(UTC)
Posts: 61
Location: Florida
Mike,

Many ways to look at this. Many US two rail modelers apparently pick something historical and model that (see Model Railroader magazine). A lot seem to gravitate toward late '40s - mid '50s so they can justify having steamers and diesel/electric locs on the layout. They also seem to be fanatical about 'operations', moving a few wagons from here to there on a time schedule. Whatever flops your mop, not really for me.

If I tried to keep up with the latest, I would have to retire all my steamers, which is not going to happen. I like more the idea of the theme parks (surrounded by them here in Central Florida). Every time you turn a corner, you are in a different age and era. Pay no attention to the out-of-place train rolling through (or the guy behind the curtain). It is all a fantasy world to enjoy any way you like.

Mike
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Offline michelvr  
#3 Posted : 17 May 2018 04:03:20(UTC)
michelvr

Canada   
Joined: 06/07/2012(UTC)
Posts: 1,287
Hi Mike,

You hit the hammer on the nail with this post!

How seriously do I take changes in life and in miniature?

Welll life is what you make of it and I try my best to keep calm and carry on. But in my miniature world I've never been resistant to change so may you be the first to know that most of my layout is now in the history books. Yes taken apart and dismantled. Why? Because I embrace change and as I wasn't too happy with what I created I decided to start anew. Now that I have a clean slate I’m energized to make my miniature world better.

All that is left are the mountains as my wife likes them so I promised that they will stay.

Edited by user 18 May 2018 03:38:47(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Offline Leitner  
#4 Posted : 17 May 2018 10:04:09(UTC)
Leitner

Taiwan, Province Of China   
Joined: 25/12/2010(UTC)
Posts: 274
Personally I just picked up a date (1962) and I stick with it.
Ep. III (My layout is set in 1962).
I collect mainly DSB, DB and SBB but I'm quite... Open minded.
I'm quite a big collector of NOHAB lok :)
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Offline Rwill  
#5 Posted : 17 May 2018 10:25:33(UTC)
Rwill

United Kingdom   
Joined: 04/05/2015(UTC)
Posts: 777
Location: England, London
There are ten loks permanently on my modest layout Loks and rolling stock span eras 1 through 6 and represent most countries in Europe though consists are usually just about correct to the lok with a little bit of licence. Buildings are almost all timeless UK Metcalfe laser cut card. All the people from the town have taken the day off and are sitting in the observation car lok. All the loks are driven by very short drivers who you cannot see. The electric trains run on magical mystical non catenary. Its all on one level so nothing is ever hidden from view. And I am as happy as a pig in poop.
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Offline Gregor  
#6 Posted : 17 May 2018 12:48:43(UTC)
Gregor

Netherlands   
Joined: 17/04/2003(UTC)
Posts: 996
Location: Netherlands
I inherited my layout from my uncle, who had 28 trains ranging from Era I to IV. By now I have added 22 myself which I limit to I to IV as well. Within one train I try to be prototypical.
The scenery is more foregiving/universal and matches Era IV, allthough the Faller 3.0 vehicles (bus and fire truck) are Era VI.

If I would have started from scratch myself, I would probably be more faithful to one Era and location, but on the other hand I like the flexibility.

Best regards,
Gregor
Offline jcrtrains  
#7 Posted : 17 May 2018 13:03:48(UTC)
jcrtrains

Canada   
Joined: 31/10/2009(UTC)
Posts: 597
Location: Toronto, Ontario
Originally Posted by: michelvr Go to Quoted Post
Hi Mike,

You hit the hammer on the nail with this post!

How seriously do I take changes in life and in miniature?

Welll life is what you make of it and I try my best to keep calm and carry on. But in my miniature world I've never been resistant to change so may you be the first to know that most of my layout is now in the history books. Yes taken apart and dismantled. Why? Because I embrace change and as I wasn't too happy with what I created I decided to start anew. Now that I have a clean slate I’m energized to make my miniature world better.

All that is left are the mountains as my wife likes them so I promised that they will stay.



Wow, that is a change. But each time we re-build, we realize what we like and can emphasize it in the next layout! Looking forward to the next plans.
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Offline SteamNut  
#8 Posted : 17 May 2018 14:18:25(UTC)
SteamNut

United States   
Joined: 11/05/2013(UTC)
Posts: 488
I made mine a privatbahen so I can say they buy any equipment so long it is cheap.
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Offline kiwiAlan  
#9 Posted : 17 May 2018 14:29:57(UTC)
kiwiAlan

United Kingdom   
Joined: 23/07/2014(UTC)
Posts: 8,082
Location: ENGLAND, Didcot
I work on the basis that if it is a modern layout, there will be lots of modern locos and rolling stock, but there will be the periodical Dampfspectakal, or Diesel special to allow running of older items.

And then even today on German railways you find semaphore signals, so you don't need modern signals everywhere, and buildings will be the same for decades.

Offline RayF  
#10 Posted : 17 May 2018 16:25:09(UTC)
RayF

Gibraltar   
Joined: 14/03/2005(UTC)
Posts: 15,838
Location: Gibraltar, Europe
My collection of trains spans era I to VI and most European countries, so having details on the layout that are right all the time is an impossibility.

I have chosen my buildings to be Germanic and fairly timeless, so with a bit of squinting they look OK for all Eras. My most modern building is the 1960's Petrol station, and I've been looking at replacing it for some time with something that would be acceptable for earlier eras.

The vehicles on the layout are not fixed, so I can swap them around so that they are fairly accurate. Of course old cars are still visible on the road today...

Figures are fixed down, so swapping them is fairly problematic. My Preisers are generally good for eras III onwards, but the earlier eras will have to live with the anachronism of girls in jeans and short skirts. When running Era VI one also has to ignore the fact that none of my figures seems to own a mobile phone!

As far as Geographic location is concerned, I have to live with no windmills in my low countries, and no snow or huge mountains in my Switzerland. I have no problem with that....



Ray
Mostly Marklin.Selection of different eras and European railways
Small C track layout, control by MS2, 100+ trains but run 4-5 at a time.
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Offline jcrtrains  
#11 Posted : 17 May 2018 17:51:34(UTC)
jcrtrains

Canada   
Joined: 31/10/2009(UTC)
Posts: 597
Location: Toronto, Ontario
Originally Posted by: RayF Go to Quoted Post
My collection of trains spans era I to VI and most European countries, so having details on the layout that are right all the time is an impossibility.

I have chosen my buildings to be Germanic and fairly timeless, so with a bit of squinting they look OK for all Eras. My most modern building is the 1960's Petrol station, and I've been looking at replacing it for some time with something that would be acceptable for earlier eras.

The vehicles on the layout are not fixed, so I can swap them around so that they are fairly accurate. Of course old cars are still visible on the road today...

Figures are fixed down, so swapping them is fairly problematic. My Preisers are generally good for eras III onwards, but the earlier eras will have to live with the anachronism of girls in jeans and short skirts. When running Era VI one also has to ignore the fact that none of my figures seems to own a mobile phone!

As far as Geographic location is concerned, I have to live with no windmills in my low countries, and no snow or huge mountains in my Switzerland. I have no problem with that....





Ray;

I think we have the exact same approach. I am Era II to VI, although I do have one rake of lovely Prussian Era I coaches. My buildings are also pretty generic in terms of Era. The trains of all Era's co-exist. The turntable contains a BR 70 all the way to a BR 145. There is even a AE 6/8 from the BLS; so even geographical location has been taken with broad license. The vehicles are all relatively current; from 1990's through to today.

It is not perfect but it makes me happy!

However, I's still love that HOm branch line integrating into the layout with the Tillig dual gauge track.

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Offline kimballthurlow  
#12 Posted : 18 May 2018 02:14:06(UTC)
kimballthurlow

Australia   
Joined: 18/03/2007(UTC)
Posts: 6,653
Location: Brisbane, Australia
My layout is pretty generic in terms of buildings, and background sheets.
So except for the electric engine shed and catenary, the layout replicates eras 1-4.

My train models cover the period 1933-56, so I feel very comfortable with the ambience in which they run.
Changing the vehicles (motor, horsedrawn etc) creates the right scenario for me.

Kimball
HO Scale - Märklin (ep II-III and VI, C Track, digital) - 2 rail HO (Queensland Australia, UK, USA) - 3 rail OO (English Hornby Dublo) - old clockwork O gauge - Live Steam 90mm (3.1/2 inch) gauge.
Offline mike c  
#13 Posted : 18 May 2018 02:18:19(UTC)
mike c

Canada   
Joined: 28/11/2007(UTC)
Posts: 7,880
Location: Montreal, QC
Not bad for a post inspired by driving around my hometown and seeing most of the cars on a Saturday night apparently had Uber stickers on the rear windows and wondering if that would also occur in model.

MC
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Offline Carim  
#14 Posted : 18 May 2018 10:04:12(UTC)
Carim

United Kingdom   
Joined: 15/09/2014(UTC)
Posts: 649
Location: London
Originally Posted by: RayF Go to Quoted Post

As far as Geographic location is concerned, I have to live with no windmills in my low countries, and no snow or huge mountains in my Switzerland. I have no problem with that....


I know that it doesn't bother you.......but I suppose you could get pictures of windmills/the Alps, cut them out and back them, then temporarily add these cut-outs with blu tack (or similar) to your backscene. Finally, remove the cut-outs when you've finished running Dutch/Swiss trains.

Carim
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Offline Rwill  
#15 Posted : 18 May 2018 11:42:09(UTC)
Rwill

United Kingdom   
Joined: 04/05/2015(UTC)
Posts: 777
Location: England, London
Originally Posted by: RayF Go to Quoted Post

As far as Geographic location is concerned, I have to live with no windmills in my low countries, and no snow or huge mountains in my Switzerland. I have no problem with that....






Ray, dont want to pick nits, but in many of your superb photographs of your collection there is often a fairly chunky mountain and quite a bit of snow in the background = Ok maybe not of Alpine proportions but enough!
Offline RayF  
#16 Posted : 18 May 2018 14:42:12(UTC)
RayF

Gibraltar   
Joined: 14/03/2005(UTC)
Posts: 15,838
Location: Gibraltar, Europe
Originally Posted by: Rwill Go to Quoted Post
Originally Posted by: RayF Go to Quoted Post

As far as Geographic location is concerned, I have to live with no windmills in my low countries, and no snow or huge mountains in my Switzerland. I have no problem with that....






Ray, dont want to pick nits, but in many of your superb photographs of your collection there is often a fairly chunky mountain and quite a bit of snow in the background = Ok maybe not of Alpine proportions but enough!


Ok, you picked the right nits! BigGrin

The mountains on the backscene do place the layout at least in the foothills of a mountain range, so I guess it's not so good for the Low Countries!

As to the snow, I always thought the light areas on the backscene were bare rock. I had to go and have a look. It could be snow, I suppose...Blushing

Ray
Mostly Marklin.Selection of different eras and European railways
Small C track layout, control by MS2, 100+ trains but run 4-5 at a time.
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