QUOTE I also enjoyed the 'instant' layout that Rich did with an oval and siding, a few 'rocks' and some scatter!!!
This was in the "Lay-Goh" episode. It was pretty amazing what you can do with a pepper shaker and a few rocks in just 10 minutes. It was all on black paper under the track so putting large black sheets of paper under your layout and working on that seems like a good tip if you want to create instant layouts by scattering buildings and everything everywhere.
And when its time to pack away you can just lift the paper up and put the scatter back in the pot! Don't say you don't pick up money saving tips at Model Rail Forum!
QUOTE Looking at the #20a. Does the equivalent of these big clubs exist in the UK where dispatchers (or Fat controllers) organize the drivers and signal men on complex operational layouts?
The short answer is No! Even at exhibitions it does not happen. Random trains just appear from the fiddle yard and dissapear back to the fiddle yard. I think the issue is one of space and the cost of real estate in the UK. To make something like the dispatcher operations interesting with several operators responsible for sections of track probably requires a very long circuit. The one in the TV programme was about 100m long wasn't it (or some considerable length)? That would take an HO scale loco running at scale speeds about 5 mins to cover! That would be real heaven!!!
Happy modelling
Gary
