Iron Horseman
Well-Known Member
Some people have already crossed that line. I've mentioned it before but seems like it has been years since it came up. I know a fellow who did a 100% reproduction of a Colorado narrow gauge town and mine. Sidings were the right length, buildings all properly placed. No selective compression. A very large layout with very little of anything in it. Operated it 100% realistically. One had to do stops to let off/on the switchman, allow time for the brakeman go walk the train, allow time to air up the brakes, etc, etc. No fast clock. It took 10-20 real minutes just to do a run-around move. boring boring boring. Not all that exciting to look at except from a historical point of view.Interesting comment - us wanting to make things as real as possible.
Same thing with the Train Simulator. Real time running down the track adjusting the throttle and brakes for the grades that are 10 - 12 miles apart. Running at 30-40 mph it takes forever and is equally boring.
With too realistic operation, suddenly it isn't fun anymore it is just work. There is a reason they have to pay people to do this in real life.
With too realistic scenery it is 99% trees, fields, and the like, no one wants to walk 100 feet of layout and see nothing but trees, fields, weeds, trash, etc. Especially in this day and age they would be bored after the first 3 feet. That is why much layout space is given to the creation of interesting scenes. People loading freight cars, having a picnic, going to the roach coach for lunch, hanging laundry, keeping bees, etc. In real life one would pass by those bee hives every day for years and years and years and never see someone working them.
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