Cliches of Layouts or Model Railways that you dislike.

[Bufferstop]

Back to my garage to play trains mixing GWR steam with 06 diesel shunters that were confined to Scotland and anything else I fancy doing !!!

I like it

"It's my railway and I'll run it any way I want to" said the Fat Controller, as Duck chuffed past pulling a rake of Virgin liveried MkIIIs with a "Queen Mary" brake van on the end.

[Jill the stationcat]

Are there any that anyone wants to name?

I'm thinking Perth show last year, a certain German layout evidently totally based on a childish fascination with the release of gas from the neither regions!

No train 'movements' (sorry for the bowel reference!) but the Faller road vehicles were buzzing about like Bluebottles!

The operators (railway modellers???) didn't seem to like the comments they were getting from the spectators as regards the lack of trains but as they apparently represent the Scottish Flower perhaps they felt they could be 'prickly' as to their responses!!!???

OK no response from the owners so far on this site (embarrassed maybe? I doubt it! Don't care less, more likely...)???

Note that they weren't at Perth this year but

[Jonny]

Bufferstop's comment made me laugh. I'm surprised Queen Mary isn't some obscure Thomas character.

In terms of cliches, I don't know, really. Perhaps naff grass cover and ballasting that doesn't actuallly sit between the sleepers. You know, that you always see on Hornby demo layouts. *shiver*

[buz]

Hi all
I can appreciate the effort and cost that goes into building a model railway.
My pet hate is becoming more common and more difficult to avoid.
And I am not all that immune from it either
That is card building kits I don't like them they are to flat and the other plonk and play buildings
At least the card kits can be jazzed up a bit but the plonk and play is very hard to personalize.
The result is that the layout Sumffin and the layout Ellseware next door end up looking much the
same, even when built by two different people.
To make it worse with plastic kits appearing to be getting harder to get.
I don't really know how this same old same old factor creeping into the hobby can be stopped.
As many people these days don't have the time or skills to knock up something from scratch,
to give a real point of difference.
So the two options I dislike are becoming very hard to avoid.
The other thing I dislike and I have come across it many many times is exhibition layouts that
are two high.
Meaning children cannot see it with out perching precariously on the crowd control barriers and the
mobility challenged cannot get a good view either because of the layout hight and children perched on the barriers so cop a double whammy.
regards John

[Ross Mason]

Evening guys

Although I enjoy viewing most layouts i have seen at exhibitions and try to take into account how much time and effort it has taken exhibitors to build, operate and even transport an exbo layout.

My one main gripe is when beautifully detailed layouts, have trains either whizzing round far too fast, or even more to the point, locos shunting around depots or yards at ridculously high speeds.

I know models can be differing in performance, but i do believe there is no excuse in not getting something so basic yet so crucial right, especially in this DCC era and smooth running, reliable locos.

[luckymucklebackit]

One that has come to mind recently is misuse of the Peco LK10 Plate Girder bridge Sides. Under no circumstances should the ends of these parts be unsupported as I have seen on some layouts. If they are too long or too short for the bridge span being modelled, make your own out of plasticard otherwise they look totally unprototypical.

Rant over

Jim

[buz]

Evening guys

Although I enjoy viewing most layouts i have seen at exhibitions and try to take into account how much time and effort it has taken exhibitors to build, operate and even transport an exbo layout.

My one main gripe is when beautifully detailed layouts, have trains either whizzing round far too fast, or even more to the point, locos shunting around depots or yards at ridculously high speeds.

I know models can be differing in performance, but i do believe there is no excuse in not getting something so basic yet so crucial right, especially in this DCC era and smooth running, reliable locos.

hi Ross
Why just DCC?? this problem is easy to solve with the right electronic analogue controllers as well
Which can be purchased or easily constructed even to the point braking distance slow take off and Emergency stop can be simulated.
This has been so since at least the 1970's that I know about.
Why is it people assume analogue just can't do anything worthwhile??
So unless it is a child's layout there really is no excuse for an impression of Brands Hatch (Spelling) raceway.
Regardless of control method.
regards John

[Cypher VII]

Any layout using setrack or Peco will get passed by at an exhibition. A proper model should have proper track with realistic rail height (no Code100) and formations that do not consist of only two radii of pointwork. British railway track was amongst the most varied anywhere and we should celebrate this diversity on our layouts. This where EM and P4 score - you have to build your own track so you might as well build it correctly. This is to my mind the one thing that 00 still lags behind on.

While I too think that set-track is... Not the option for me. I feel as if I'm lucky, starting my modelling journey now - Where 4mm fine-scale track is available ready made. Coaches, wagons and loco's a being produced are of a quality not before seen in British scales.

While I have lots of opinions about what I choose to model and not to model, I would never criticize anybodies layout, it's their time, effort and money which they put into their layout - and thusly so I feel as if it would be wrong to bring up points that annoy me about other peoples layouts. Because there is always something I can learn from someone else.

- Jack

[bike2steam]

While I have lots of opinions about what I choose to model and not to model, I would never criticize anybodies layout, it's their time, effort and money which they put into their layout - and thusly so I feel as if it would be wrong to bring up points that annoy me about other peoples layouts. Because there is always something I can learn from someone else.

- Jack

Good for you my son, I wholeheartedly agree, I dislike threads like this as they are counter productive, and negative. But it's a fact of life you always get the miserable, moaning, whinging, nerd that wants to upset everyone else, especially the arrogant know-it-all thats only been in the hobby for a few years.
Rant over.
Carry on modelling AND ENJOY IT.

[Cypher VII]

While I have lots of opinions about what I choose to model and not to model, I would never criticize anybodies layout, it's their time, effort and money which they put into their layout - and thusly so I feel as if it would be wrong to bring up points that annoy me about other peoples layouts. Because there is always something I can learn from someone else.

- Jack

Good for you my son, I wholeheartedly agree, I dislike threads like this as they are counter productive, and negative. But it's a fact of life you always get the miserable, moaning, whinging, nerd that wants to upset everyone else, especially the arrogant know-it-all thats only been in the hobby for a few years.
Rant over.
Carry on modelling AND ENJOY IT.

I think the meaning cliche has been a bit lost on this thread. A cliche would be:
Modelling a station that never exsisted (I'm planning to do the same - so not criticism there!)

Where as negativity is simply... Well..

[Jonny]

Can't help but think that Stanier's comments are incredibly snobbish. I've been to exhibitions where people have tried to model a stretch of railway line accurately, and while it's excellent from an aesthetic standpoint it's incredibly boring operationally, often involving one or two trains going back and forth over a very short line and often coming off the rails whilst doing so.
I can't help but think that railway modelling is a hobby that should allow you to flex your creative muscles and run trains however you want to run them rather than conform to an accurate, but narrow, definiton of what railways are supposed to be. At the end of the day, we make a model railway to run trains, don't we? My layout currently has three stations, three big loops, a goods yard and some sheds at one end. It's probably pushing things in terms of realism but I can do an awful lot with it from an operational standpoint.

I remember seeing one layout at an exhibiton near Saltaire called The Island of Snowdor. It was a small layout with snow on it and Percy running round. Was it realistic? No. But did it look good and was it fun to run? Yes, it was very popular with the people and children at the show, and it didn't come at the expense of the myriad realistic layouts downstairs. There's room for both kinds of railways in my opinion.

[kevin sharpe]

I did post a while back about or great hobby.
My show layout was done as the write up below tried to put in pictures but hit a brick wall so any help how to do this
Gosunderton

Built on a 1.52m x 0.65m base board this layout is a variation of Forge track plan for small layouts by CJ Frazier for n gauge to show that you can develop the train set into a model railway.

The name is a play on words because it is built on a base board that will fit under a bed and does not take long to set up because it is plug and play, all you have to do is put your trains on it will work as dc or dcc layout .

Anyone from Lincolnshire could say the name should be Gosberton.

All the buildings are kits of plastic or card and can be obtained from any good model shop or the web the back scene is from various web sites that provide free to use art work

The track is Peco that you will get with your train set but you will have to add some more, it has been weathered ,the points are operated by wire in tube you will also see working colour lights .

Trains on the layout will be based on current rail scene but a visitors from other times may well appear. Location is somewhere on the Lincolnshire Nottinghamshire boarder. Because it is still used when there is a diversion from the main line it has survived without too much change. But good news for the line passenger traffic is increasing.

Can you find the tardis?

Do feel free to ask any questions

Kevin Sharpe

[Stanier]

Can't help but think that Stanier's comments are incredibly snobbish.

Well it depends on your point of view. This hobby has split into two groups - the toy train operators and the real railway modellers. I come from the era (I started in 1947) when RTR consisted of three locos and about three coaches made by Hornby running on three rail track. In those times you couldn't build a model railway unless you were prepared to make almost everything from scratch as even kits were still in the future. Now I was trained as a locomotive engineer (never practised -went to Rolls Royce instead) and I probably set higher standards than most folk. However with modern RTR, and the amount of material there is by way of kits, there is an opportunity to build a really accurate model of a railway scene. I am just disappointed that so many people are still playing trains rather than reaching for the higher standards and greater satisfaction now on tap. It does jar when you see trains at an exhibition running past you which bear no resemblance to real life, but if that's what floats your boat I guess I just need to do as I do now - walk on by.

In 1953 I managed to build a model of the LMS test train - Dynamometer Car No 3, MTU, and special tender - which won a Diploma at that year's Model Engineer Exhibition. It was built to 18.83 mm gauge, anticipating P4 by about 25 years. There is still modelling done to this level these days, but it seems to be getting less every year. In 1984 I started an etched kit business to get a wider range of LMS coaches on to the market. I have delivered over 2000 kits since then, and now and again I see one or more running in a train of correct formation which cheers me up. I don't mind being called a snob or elitist - I know that what I am doing suits me, I just wish that more modellers looked at their railway and decided to try a bit harder to achieve realism. My own layout always seems to meet that criterion if the reaction of visitors is any guide.

[TK421]

There's only one cliche in my book, the Hornby Trackmat, anything modeled beyond that is a step in the right direction to me.

There is always going to be something you don't like or you'd do different just imagine how boring this hobby would be if we all modeled Ashburton

[Netchap]

COACHES
I am totally new to the hobby and enjoying myself enormously (although I havnt even laid any track yet) but cannot get my head around the gaps in coridoor trains. It kills a layout, Alas I shall never be able to model an accurate express.