Scale Miles vs Your Miles

[Outback]

Ok I realise that a scale mile (in HO) is somewhere around 63 feet (or something like that - I could be way off too) in 1:1 scale,

And I am also well aware of how we compress things so we can get the most bang for our buck on our layouts,

Both of these things taken into consideration and the fact that it is not likely that any of us has a space large enough to build a layout with even one actual scale mile - never mind multiples of them to imitate reality realistically in miniature...

My question is...

What personal measurement do you use or impose upon your layout to represent a mile?

I am currently working with 10 ft = 1 mile. Sometimes that seems too short but other times it seems a bit long when considering compression and space limitations.

 

[flh80]

My layout is base on the "Twilite Zone Effect". Instead, my layout jumps from one scene to the next with all distance between mysteriously disappears.

 

[RW&C]

^^ The mechanics on your line discovered one night that, with a few extra locomotive parts and a tube of shoe glue, they could create a portal. They did, and that saved them a whole lot of work.

My road's nowhere near big enough to have miles. Miles is the distance between the layout and the workbench.

 

[trailrider]

Oh, I dunno... One end of the layout in my 14 x 14 dedicated train room represents central Illinois. The other end is Denver. I measure the distance in "smiles"!

 

[Gary B]

Oh, let's see, from here to there.

 

[Outback]

Well, yeah I guess that would be the norm all things considered.... sMiles, here-to-there, and scene-to-scene. It makes sense, it really does but, I want to put in mile marker signs and have certain things noted by mileage for Maint'ce crews to identify (brigdes, culverts &c) with ease. I guess this would fall into the excessively proto rivet counter catagory, huh?

I just like the idea of it and the additional proto-scenic value of them. As previously noted I have decided on 10 feet = 1 mile with mile signs at each increment and all bridges, grade crossings and other track-to-world interferances marked accordingly. That brings my currently in the works 32 foot layout (with future expansion to just about 65) to a present total of 3.2 miles.

WOW!! HOLY SMOKES!!! That is umm,,,, not huge At least not as long as it seems while looking at things between scenes. Ok so my idea is flawed... but I still like the concept. Maybe they could represent something other than miles? But what?

My switch targets are all numbered down the line for ease of referance also. Similar in concept but a different egg and less noticable against distance.

Hmm...

 

[Selector]

Oh, I dunno... One end of the layout in my 14 x 14 dedicated train room represents central Illinois. The other end is Denver. I measure the distance in "smiles"!

Touche!!

I measured my main line in seconds of churning. I like steam, particularly the valve gear and rods churing around spoked or Boxpok wheels. When they are working the grade, I like to see it all happen, and not for the time it takes to get around an oval or figure 8 on a sheet of plywood.

So, I built a 60 foot folded loop with changes in altitude. It was a lot of work, but, except for some 6' tunnels to break things up and to add some realism, I stand in the middle of my rectangular layout and just pivot and watch. Smiles all around.

 

[fast_ian]

... Ok so my idea is flawed... but I still like the concept. Maybe they could represent something other than miles? But what?

"Ergs", "foobar's", or whatever you fancy! It's your layout, use whatever you want!

We already "play" with time, why not invent distances as well?

Cheers,
Ian

 

[Secondhandmodeler]

I suppose you could use feet instead of ten feet. You wouldn't want every foot marked because obviously the train didn't run a mile in a foot. You wouldn't have enough scenic separation in that distance. However, five feet could possibly be enough separation to denote a five mile difference if you were into the next scene. You would also have more than two or three markers on the whole layout if you wanted unlike when you use ten feet per mile. I could be talking out of my you know what, but at least it's a thought! I hope that helps.

 

[Rico]

I use "scenic seperation" to rack up the miles, tunnels,cities, backdrops etc.
Works for the most part and gives a sense of getting somewhere in the timetable.

 

[Outback]

... However, five feet could possibly be enough separation to denote a five mile difference if you were into the next scene. You would also have more than two or three markers on the whole layout if you wanted unlike when you use ten feet per mile. ...

Hah, the funny thing is, I actually understood that It is an idea with merit. I might play with that space/time continueum(sp) thing a bit.

I just like the idea of mile markers but I also like the idea that they actually mean something. They need a smiley for "whacked out modelrailroader".

 

[bigford]

you guys kill me we all know a scale mile is 33 feet and 63 feet is 2 miles
in the Normal scale!!!!