Taking the "EZ" way out


abcraghead

Mmmm, turbos
In the latest installment of "as the railroad turns...."

The move which prevented the construction of the Tualatin Electric, (version 5.7,) looks as if it will prevent me from a layout of any kind. My new place is an apartment with very limited space and equally limited ability to attach things to walls and etc.... Additionally I do not anticipate that I will have time or money to invest in a serious layout, even a portable, module based variety. I foresaw myself putting away my nice, weighted, weathered cars into storage, boxing it all up, and calling it good with a heavy heart.

As the years had passed, my tastes and desires had changed a great deal. Originally, like most modelers, I just wanted to mess around with trains, and this developed into a lust for big layouts with long runs of through freights and otehr glamorous things which one with limited space finds only frustration with. Switching? ZzZzZzZz! Then I began to play with the ultimate scale -- 1:1 scale -- and the world changed.

As I put away my layout plans in a sad reverie, I remembered what I truly enjoyed about model operations -- switching. No, not switching puzzles and timesavers and track that takes six hours and two aspirin to figure out how to navigate. Switching that requires sorting cars into blocks, delivering cuts, spotting cars, pulling spurs, dealing with paperwork like switch lists and car numbers. Especially switching with a two man crew -- anyone else could be the hogger, I'd rather play conductor and give the orders. Note that I'm so insane about this, I've considered using pen-lights as stand-in's for lanterns, so as to signal the "engineer" manning the throtle. (I've done this with full size lanterns in a darkened club layout room, but... umm... you have to be careful where you swing those things!)

And this brought me to a relization: I could have my cake and eat it too. Can't afford a layout? I could afford at least some track. Don't have space for something permanent? I could go temporary, with something that could easily be stored when not in use. Don't have a clue as to a "permanent" prototype? How about something that would be the ultimate in modular?

Yes....

Make fun of me if you will.

I've just turned in my layout plans for a bunch of Bachmann EZ track.

And I don't care if anyone thinks that's childish.
 
> Make fun of me if you will.

Not me... After all, this is a hobby and it's supposed to be fun.

> I've just turned in my layout plans for a bunch of Bachmann EZ track.

I've seen photos of HUGE layouts in Japan done with Unitrack, which is essentially the Kato N scale version of (and inspiration for, since Unitrack was first) E-Z Track. It had viaducts and bridges and a passenger station and all kinds of cools stuff.

It was all set up on a hardwood floor, and it was obviously temporary. I think it was a club, they all brought track, built a fairly big layout, ran trains for a while, and then took it apart. With DCC you wouldn't have to worry about wiring, so it would be even easier to do now.
 
Make fun of me if you will.
Not very likely, for years I deamed of the layout I'd build and 4 years after I retired I started building. That was a LOT of years in the planning stages. I bought many items I'll never use, but all in all it was fun, not near as much work as building the layout. ( fun work :D) There were many test tracks though, the best one was 16ft X 3" hinged in the middle for storage, just clip a power pack on the rails and that was it, after all trains were meant to be run
Cheers Willis.
 
A layout is a layout. If it meets your needs, it's sufficient.

On a related note, if you like switching, Joe Fugate is always looking for more people to run the Roseburg Yard once a month...
 
I've got both the Bachmann variety in 18" radius curves and the Atlas variety in 24" radius curves. Nothing wrong with runnin' 'em! Hopefully soon I'll get started on my series of modules. I'm actually getting some real plans together, so hopefully this spring....

In the meantime, enjoy yourself!
 
Actually I originally posted this to LDSIG, but they are so busy right now arguing whether it's more holy to follow a prototype or to proto-freelance that it made a resounding "plunk" into the ocean.

It has occured to me though, as I thought about it more and more, that those getting into the hobby have a tendency to change their minds alot, whether it be in their choice of models, or the track arrangments in their layouts. That, and people *really* have limited space.

While a product like EZ track will never win the prototype fidelity contest on looks, just because it's a sectional "rugrat" track *doesn't* mean it can't be used for serious operations. I've noticed Bachmann is making more and more variety of track peices in the Nickel Silver variety or EZ track, including #5 switches and wyes, and really wide radius curves. Imagine it like a takeoff on Dave Barrow's approach to operations, only with the track sectional instead of the layout.

The only downside at the moment is trying to figure out how to represent industries in a robust, easy to store fashion. For my purpose all they really need to do is represent the industry type so as to make it easily identifiable to the crew.

If I had a little more cash, I'd have chose the Atlas trackbed product, which would allow the modeler to remove the roadbed at some future point and use the track on a permanent layout. However I managed to get a much better deal on the Bachmann product, hence my choice.
 
ABC,

Take a 3x5 or 4x6 card. Put some writing on it. Fold it in half. Place near spur. Instant industry.
 
I think if I moved back into an apartment, I get into more weathering and detailing of freight cars and locos. I really like to do it and there is so much to learn.

Bill
 
Alex, have you seen Bachmann's ad for their track? Shows it running from a carpet into a fully sceniced scene. Build up the base a little, sprinkle some ballast and done. Something to keep in mind whens it's time to use the track permanently.
 
Yeah, I lost a lot of possibly interesting posts on LDSIG in the tidal wave of prototype vs freelance posts. I think the last couple of days there's been nearly 200 posts on the subject.

I started with EZ-track, it was my Torture Test Track (tm) to check out locos and other stuff while I was constantly fiddling with my trackplan for the dream layout. Then, I decided to put that aside and just build something, which has turned into a couple of connected 4x8s and a second level switching layout (not connected with the rest of the layout yet)....

EZ-track has been relegated to a short section for coupler height checking and another section for the DCC Programming track....

Kennedy
 
Jeff:

Yes, it's a yahoo group with something like 1000 posts each month. On digest, you often get four or five per day! I finally had to set it to "no mail" to survive. Lots and lots of debate, and occasionally feedback.
 
mushroom2 said:
Alex, have you seen Bachmann's ad for their track? Shows it running from a carpet into a fully sceniced scene. Build up the base a little, sprinkle some ballast and done. Something to keep in mind whens it's time to use the track permanently.
Hello do you have a link to where i could see that i have to run mine on a carpet but i would prefere some kind of table to put it on
thanx
alex
 
abcraghead said:
The only downside at the moment is trying to figure out how to represent industries in a robust, easy to store fashion. For my purpose all they really need to do is represent the industry type so as to make it easily identifiable to the crew.
.
Alexander - scenic flats/building fronts glued to backing boards? Photos of buildings likewise. Walthers semi relief buildings? DPM Modulars simply added as front walls against a backscene?
Shortliner(Jack)away up here in the Highlands;)
 



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