the MRH Forum

Modules on this and the other side of the Atlantic ocean (initiated by ChrisNH) Dream and design
Reply
New member 20 posts americaN New member 20 posts
americaN

ChrisNH wrote in another thread:

A little off-topic.. but that FREMO layout looks lots of fun to operate. I really wish there was a local group doing FREMO or OneTrak for operations. Everything I see in New England for modular N seems to be N-Trak for show running. Triple mainline railfanning is not my thing.

Chris

ed: Checked out the website, cool stuff!

First of all, thanks for the compliment about the website. But the website would be not possible without my fellows who build modules the way I thought modules in N scale with North American prototype have to be.

But back to the subject: from my point of view there are different approaches to modular railroading in North America and in Europe. For realistic operation you Americans make a round robin group and meet in a big basement or garage. Modular railroading seems to be a thing for shows and conventions with the focus on conventions. On my side of the Atlantic we do not have your basements, so realistic operation on bigger layouts is almost a monopoly of the FREMO (FRiendscircle of European MOdelrailroaders). At the 25th anniversary meeting in Alsfeld 2006 the H0 layout with European prototype was almost 3.000 ft long!

So oNeTRAK is IMHO just a compromise, especially for the back of the operators... Module systems with operation in mind like Free-mo and Free-moN rise the rails to 50 inches, what is also good if you want to see more than the roofs of your models. What I am wondering about at the two last mentioned systems is first of all the "american" tradition of using transition or fitter rails to connect the modules and second the  specification of a good amount of tangent track at the ends of a module. But I also know that some freemoN groups are testing modules with the rails flush to the endplates.

Chris, maybe you can initiate a free-moN group in New England. Join the free-moN Yahoo Group. Or initiate the first American americaN-group .

Just my two cents

Bernd

http://www.america-n.de

 

berNd

[image]
american modelrailroading and operation in N scale
 
Reply 0
ChrisNH Super User 1,277 posts
ChrisNH

Layout height is another

Layout height is another reason I am not fond of N-Trak. It makes sense for shows, I guess, but not so much for operating.

Curiously at a show I was at this year there was an O scale modular group. They had their trains up pretty high, 50" maybe a little more. It really made the big trains look BIG. The kids had no problems standing on the provided step stools to see better.. and it helped to control curious hands..

I am not going to be organizing any clubs until my 2 mo. and 18mo old get a little older and my time a little more predictable.. but its definitely something I have throught about.

I think building operations oriented single track modular layouts is a fantastic thing and truly hope it catches on here as it has in Europe.

Chris

 

 

“If you carry your childhood with you, you never become older.”           My modest progress Blog
Reply 0
americaN New member 20 posts
americaN

Rail height

Chris,

at the FREMO 1300 mm rail height (a bit over 51 inches) is the standard for all scales and prototypes. Since modular railroading is an adult hobby, nobody complains about it. And the youngsters use a beer crate or a step stool to have a good look on the layout. A little ladder even helped my 4 1/2 year old to keep her train in view.

 

At train shows, where we sometimes participate and always have stools for the kids, only adults viewers criticise the height. 

berNd

[image]
american modelrailroading and operation in N scale
 
Reply 0
jarhead Prolific poster 1,734 posts
jarhead

Layout Height

 Our On30 modular club is at 36" high. And it has been the most effective thing that we have done. The children (future of our hobby) has no issue of seeing it, they don't need to climb on anything to see it ad they stay for hours watching the trains/operations of the layout. It has been also a great thing for handicap individuals on wheelchairs. We have received so many different positive compliments that we never thought it was going to be a great hit. We had never had an issue with kids touching or breaking anything. The most troublesome has been more of the adults than children. For us, it has been great because we use less materials and it is lighter to transport. 

That has been our experience with the Florida On30  Renegades group. It has been such a success that the Texas On30 Outlaws has follow suite and also the group at Jacksonville, FL and another one in California has follow our standards. 

 

 

Nick Biangel 

USMC
Reply 0
americaN New member 20 posts
americaN

Layout Height

Nick,

as I stated before, the primary goal of the FREMO gatherings is realistic operation at meetings without an audience. Train crews accompany their train alomg the layout. If the primary goal is participation at public shows you may have to put other focal points.

And don´t underestimate the "point of view" factor. My eyes height is about 68 inches, so they are just about 112 scale feet above your 0 scale rails. At our 51 inches high N scale modules, my eyes are still 226 scale feet above the rails. For the same point of view on your trains, you can almost let them run on the ground!    

berNd

[image]
american modelrailroading and operation in N scale
 
Reply 0
jarhead Prolific poster 1,734 posts
jarhead

Thank You

Thank you so much for clearing that up. I missed the portion that you guys operate without an audience. If that is the case I guess we would do the same thing. 

 

 

Nick Biangel 

USMC
Reply 0
Scarpia Prolific poster 2,152 posts
Scarpia

Modular NH

Chris, even though I'm in HO, if you get a group here in NH going, I could easily do a N module. Just let me know!
HO, early transition erahttp://www.garbo.org/MRRlocal time PST
On30, circa 1900  

 
Reply 0
jarhead Prolific poster 1,734 posts
jarhead

Group- Attack

Oo-ohh ! I feel a group brewing !!!  That's a good thing !

 

 

 

Nick Biangel 

USMC
Reply 0
Wolfgang Regular poster (deceased) 253 posts
Wolfgang

H0

We at the FREMO do it in H0, too. Here's the report from the last meeting in Braunlage, with a lot of pictures and video. Same layout height.

Wolfgang

Logo.jpg 

 

http://www.westportterminal.de/
Reply 0
ChrisNH Super User 1,277 posts
ChrisNH

Thats pretty cool stuff!! I

Thats pretty cool stuff!!

I think HO would be a fun way to go to. I will float the idea here and there although right now I don't think I could organize something like this.. down the line I think it would be worth a try!

Chris

“If you carry your childhood with you, you never become older.”           My modest progress Blog
Reply 0
Scarpia Prolific poster 2,152 posts
Scarpia

Selfish

I'm  very selfish. Were I to do a module thingy, I'd prefer N scale due to the smaller size (easier to transport), and the fact that I don't have N scale now. It would be fun to dabble.
HO, early transition erahttp://www.garbo.org/MRRlocal time PST
On30, circa 1900  

 
Reply 0
ChrisNH Super User 1,277 posts
ChrisNH

Yeah.. module size is an

Yeah.. module size is an issue.. hmm.. zTrak?

“If you carry your childhood with you, you never become older.”           My modest progress Blog
Reply 0
fduck101 New member 11 posts
fduck101

Groups

I don't want to jump off subject so I'll add my $0.02 on my hieght. I'm 5'9"....No just kidding, I have my layout set at about 44 1/2". It's a little short for me while standing up but my oldest girl, 19 months old, finds it great standing on a chair. Now to jump off subject a little. We have been trying to get a group going around here but so far there is only 3 people around that really are into a group. We need a few of y'all to move to northwest Oklahoma. lol.
The old Frisco rides again!
Reply 0
Reply