Neat idea

My daughter's current career goal is to be an author of fantasy books.  She is currently working on her first book and I'm amazed how much detail she is putting into it (including creating her own language, as Tolkien did).  I wonder if she has plans for a train...

Good idea...but...caution

A well executed layout like this could be very interesting...but one cautious thought...

Make sure that the fantasy is a theme that will continue to hold your interest over time.  I do remember, from long ago, a novel where the connection between various dimensions involved using a railroad--so you could have a small fantasy one and a small layout of whatever era, connected by a tunnel portal...

In an old model railroad magazine (I don't recall which one) I recall seeing a lunar railroad for moving supplies around.

Model Railroader had a "Lunar Railroad"...

Model Railroader had a "Lunar Railroad" layout in the April 1978 issue as a joke... but it was well thought out, and seemed plausible.

And let's not forget the "Galaxy Railways" anime from Japan, featuring a whole range of both historical-looking and pure SF trains. My son is in the process of putting together "Big One" from that show, in N scale...

http://www.funimation.com/shows/the-galaxy-railways/videos/episodes

And yes, that's a flying, space-going UP Big Boy....

There was a SF novel "Desolation Road", by Ian MacDonald,  that centered around a railroad in the far future on a terraformed Mars, the Bethlehem-Ares Railroad.

Hmmm.... BARR.... I like the sound of that... 

Raising Steam - Terry Pratchett

My favourite for this would be Terry Pratchett. He has an entire series of 40 books set on the mythical Disk World, which rised on the backs of four giant elephants standing on the back of a Giant turtle. The books and the world are high detailed and cohesive with characters appearing  in multiple novels. However, his latest book is Raising Steam, the arrival of the Railway!

http://www.terrypratchettbooks.com/index.php/books/raising-steam

steamboy

I got this movie "Steamboy" several years ago.  Loved the steampunk Edwardian era equipment.  (good movie until the end)

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Steamboy+Movie&FORM=RESTAB

a railway based in speculative fiction?

I'd think a fantasy world would also have fantasy power instead of steam or diesel? Something we don't now anything about so it would have to be developed and explained as the story unfolds. First step would be setting era, location,and scientific and cultural facts about the world. In the end it would be about like a normal layout just different details, scenery ,and operations. It would probably be a lot easier than trying to build a prototypically correct layout since no one could point out your errors :> ) .....DaveB

Sir Terry Pratchett

A discworld novel with trains....Ohhhh fabulous joy!!

The best comic fantasy series ever written!!

By the way it is now SIR Terry Pratchett! It may not matter to you yanks but it is a matter of pride to us Poms and Colonials!!

There was a small Lunar layout doing the exhibitions in Australia. Not a great model but!

OKGraeme

An Aussie living in Owasso OK

More thoughts

The Galaxy Railway was less well received than its predecessor, Galaxy Express 999. In either case I don't fancy trying to make the trains fly through space (Eberrons' Lightning Rail and the TW Ironhorse from Rifts have similar issues). Nor try to make an N or HO Yamato or Arcadia. I've seen a Spirited Away layout too, but it doesn't look like such a good model. You'd have to know the movie to understand the reference; it just looks like a recent British prototype magazine cover image of one such "amphibious"train (as also used to happen on the old Burdekin rail bridge when the river flooded).

As regards Raising Steam, first a british magazine features this:

then someone writes to Sir Terry, who agrees with the writer who thinks Discworld hasn't the industry to make use of steam railways. So the writer writes into the magazine to suggest his alternative - diesels (see: the Ankh-Morpork and Uberwald). This seems rather backwards to me.

And then we get Raising Steam. ?

As regards fantasy power, sometimes they do have steam, as the world may develop like Earth, they may be connected to Earth, or it may be simply an alternative Earth. New Crobuzons' (The Bas-Lag Trilogy - China Mieville) public transport system and the Transcontinental Railroad Trust were all steam-operated; apart from the Chain Cars in the night, steam trains mostly run the Breach from Earth to Malifaux (Malifaux - Wyrd Games); despite the fact that in the late 1880s electromagnetic power was already in use, the steam train is most commonly used in the Weird West (Deadlands - Pinnacle Entertainment Group); and throughout Khador and Cygnar territory, most railways use steam(Warmachine/Iron Kingdoms, Privateer Press). Then again, Green Storm supply trains are electric (Mortal Engines series - Philip Reeve), with onboard generation, apparently; the trains on the railsea (Railsea - China Mieville) are quite the anachronism stew, with a mix of diesel, steam and clockwork most commonly, as well as electric, slave, animal and sail propulsion and two examples of a strange and unnamed technology; and of course some trains are just powered by alchemy or various kinds of magic. Who needs coal for a steamer if your fireman is an elemental mage specialising in fire? (If you're thinking Avatar: the last Airbender, I am not sure if I approve. Well, the Fire nation did have some things that looked cool, but turned out to be the kind of cr@p militaries are issued with in superhero media which does nothing but get destroyed in droves in an attempt to show the levels of powers in use, but really just shows poor planning and writing. And the Legend of Korras' metalbending? I'm sure Aangs' line about that was supposed to be a throwaway joke... Still if you think like that you could do an elemental-magic powered rail system. Water and fire magic might save you on fuel and pollution...)

I don't think it would be really interesting to show the Invisible Railroad (Skullduggery Pleasant series- Derek Landy) given that the trains are encased in concealment bubbles (which disappoints Valkyrie, as she was expecting the entire system to be invisible) although they are fully submersible, you shouldn't see anything, which is kind of a detriment at model railway shows.

No Link just a Memory

I don't have a link for you, just a memory from the late 1990's. There was a guy, I think he worked for Disney or maybe it was just a "Hollywood" effects studio-- I don't recall that detail-- who made equisite fantasy railroads in G scale. He had a main railroad which was fantasy based, set in an alternate world. But he also had trains made around Orc, Elf, Vampire, Super Hero, and other fantasy themes. I think it was more of a what-if one-off type thing to see if he could do it nd to amuse his kids or grandkids, whichever it was. i have no idea if the site is still out there, but if not maybe the Internet Wayback machine could dig it up. It was exactly what you're looking for.

John

Look at Peter F. Hamilton's Commonwealth Saga

Peter F. Hamilton's SciFi Commonwealth Saga used the idea of wormholes linking planets, where rail was the main method of freight and passenger movement through said wormholes. He even had basic descriptions of the rather large locomotives.

Pandora's Star

Judas Unchained

Hogwart's Express ...

... may fit the bill.  Easy enough to model as the trains are readily available in several scales.  King's Cross Station (Platform 9 3/4); Dagon Alley; that cool arch bridge; and of course Hogwart's School of Wizardry would make very interesting scenes.  Pumpkin fields with loading facilities and a Pumpkin Juice Factory could offer something a bit different.  Perhaps even a "spaghetti bowl" style of tracks everywhere with people wondering where the the train will pop out next would be fitting as well.

Rowland Emett

Is a good jumping off point. There were a number of "G" Scale railways in the 90's built around his types of drawings. 

Some modelers of renown from then are Bruce Bates, Samuel Addison Muncy, Rick Drescher. Those are just the names I can remember offhand. There was even a group called A.W.N.U.T.S. (Always Whimsical, not usually to scale). There is a current organisation called AWNUTS Again and is located at whymsical.com 

I think the higher standard

I think the higher standard will just make them look like better toys. But hey it's your idea and you are the one it needs to please. Our new guy wants to model a jurasic park themed layout, train, so he is firmly in the fantasy gig as well. Not sure how it will turn out but I suspect many of us will be helping him along with it.

Now that is something I am definitely not interested in but I am not interested in the modern era or in narrow gage either, but that does not mean I am going to try and discourage him or you from doing what you like. I would suggest making sure what ever you do your trains have an economic reason for being and do not try to eliminate the laws of physics, for example modeling outer space with no gravity and having your trains magically stay on the rails. Or having a train on the moon with no air and trying to support combustion with no oxygen, whistles would be useless as well no air no sound waves.

The present crop of special effects guys are really missing the boat with some of these things when ever a shoot out or explosion happens. The gratuitous noise really distracts from the story when nothing is damaged by it. Much like the old westerns where the six shooters rapidly became 48 shooters for example.

Best of luck with your idea, you will likely have a one of a kind layout.

Rob in Texas

Aren't there some "middle earth" modelers somewhere?

Or whatever it is in the Hobbit....I never read "The Hobbit" but it seems to me I once chanced upon a site or yahoo group  where modelers were modeling something called "middle earth" . I have a vague recollection that it had something to do with Tolkien..... I may be all wet but I'm sure someone will correct me if I am

Michael

It is

Middle Earth in The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, but alas, there are no trains in middle earth, or that would be my obvious #1 choice.

Sir Terry and Language

Not only is Disc World getting railways ("When it's railway time then railways will appear, so it must be railway time" Lord Ventinari) but some of the text just has to be read in 't best Lancashire accent as well. "It's about 't knowin' o 't steam"

Enjoy the book!

?

"I think the higher standard will just make them look like better toys."

What's changed, in a hobby where we simply accept that railways work by spotting wagons at certain precise points on the line whereupon they will magically uncouple themselves? Especially if using British mainstream standards (I know you can change out those silly tension-locks if you wish. Few do it though.)

Emmett's cartoons, and any modelling accurate to them, are much of what I was trying to avoid. As with the things I saw on AWNUTS, which is why I am also not going as far as Rogue County. I don't want to make it clear that civilisation as a whole has decided that adults who read fantasy are inferior beings and that the only fantasy permitted is childish caricatures. Certainly don't let your children read Perdido Street Station or Iron Council.

skiloff - that hasn't stopped multiple people from designing it, if not trying it.

Hogwarts has most certainly been done.

Not sure how many times the whole assemblage of Hogsmeade and the castle have been modelled but the train has certainly appeared on many a layout.

"Or having a train on the moon with no air and trying to support combustion with no oxygen, whistles would be useless as well no air no sound waves."

You have no idea.

Not surrealist art, this is what appears on screen.

You really have no idea what

You really have no idea what you're missing...

BTW... MR's Lunar Railroad required no combustion - it was electric, batteries charged from solar panels. And a horn or whistle, if required, could easily be a radio signal to all EVA suits within range.

Forced Perspective?

Dear MRHers,

Leaving aside the child-scaring fire-breathing-style trains mentioned thus far
(touches of MotorHead's "Orgas-matron" album cover art?),

I'm reminded of the story "Whistle up the Chimney".

Miss Millie Mack bought some firewood for her winter's fireplace, inc "the door from a bogie louvre".
She knew not what a "bogie louvre" was, but set a small piece of it on top of the first night's fire...

The rest of the story is profusely illustrated with pics of Aussie passenger and freight trains
(mostly SAR and VR prototypes), which

"...came down the chimney,
out the fireplace,
went down the hall,
out the front-door,
and away into the night..."

Some prime opportunities for multi-scale "forced perspective" modelling,
thinking G for the internals of the house, and N SG for the trains...

Happy Modelling,
Aim to Improve,
Prof Klyzlr

PS the story evolved into a small series,

one episode of which saw Millie's cat "tom bowler" fall off the mantlepiece and onto the tender of one of the passing trains. The story tells of Tom's mission to find a train which will take him back home (via the aforementioned chimney run), before Millie burns the last piece of "the door from a bogie louvre" on the last fire of winter...

I'm not.

Not only because I completely forgot the title, but because I would have to make the train come out of the fireplace, cross carpet, out the window, down the street, up a power pole, along the lines and up into the night sky, all without visible track. And also because it looks too much like the Penola I was trying to avoid.

I wouldn't rule out horror, but it has to make more sense than a Hallowe'en train set.

http://leadfoot17.deviantart.com/art/Last-of-the-Ghost-Trains-32604875?q=favby%3Athoughtengine%2F37919343&qo=815

http://karola-j.deviantart.com/art/Ghost-Train-2-309378052?q=favby%3Athoughtengine%2F37919343&qo=816

http://thylacinee.deviantart.com/art/Ghost-train-156701275?q=favby%3Athoughtengine%2F37919343&qo=820

http://thoughtengine.deviantart.com/art/Ghost-train-152205569

http://jasonheeley.deviantart.com/art/Final-Train-91220373?q=favby%3Athoughtengine%2F37919343&qo=823

http://www.deviantart.com/art/Ghost-Train-200107148

http://greenfeed.deviantart.com/art/ghost-train-71326007

A thought about architecture on the layout:

Some more thoughts on settings

I suppose the easiest would be to redecorate common trains and run them through an obviously made-up place. A fantasy- style city which now has industrialised? Or maybe just a Western town in the style of Deadlands?

If I decide to take the stereotypical fantasy setting and drag it out of Mediaeval Stasis, I should probably use more primitive Georgian/Regency trains. These can still vary, dependent on the individual civilisations involved, as I'm imagining one race having massive modern-looking horrors, some having electric units, some with the Stirling Single as their newest and greatest, and others who still use crude John Bull, Samson or even Trevithick-esque designs. Some homebrewed to a rather stereotypically On30 level.

Getting the more primitive trains is the problem, forgetting N, as they were often too small to work in N (not that no-one's tried but I can't find any), in HO there are only the DeWitt Clinton (OOP, but parts and old stock still available), Lafayette (still available on the Bachmann website) and John Bull (OOP, and only a few spares still in stock) sets from Bachmann, and not so much searching the Euro manufacturers (Der Adler, and an early Swiss train, and some much later trains which are mostly terribly expensive.) Maybe there's a Rocket, Northumbrian or Lion I haven't seen yet?

Middle Earth Railroads

Broadway Lion, who frequently discuses his New York Subway System an the Model Railroader Forums. posted about his former layout  The Eregion System in a discussion about freelance layouts.  Its setting was Tolkien's Middle Earth.

A Garden Railroad set in Middle Earth    http://www.laketownandshire.net/

Also found a board game called "Railroad Tolkoon" with a Middle Earth theme. and a Middle Earth Railroad map for Sid Myers Railroads.

"....in the first chapter of LotR, where one of Gandalf's fireworks acts like an express train."   and there are are other analogies to railroads, however there were no railroads mentioned. 

Raising Steam

Just finished reading "Raising Steam" by Sir Terry Pratchett.

A good Discworld book as usual but by far not the best. Obviously the author has not really had much to do with trains but a good try nonetheless. Some of the comments about train spotters and anoraks will probably go over the heads of non-British readers but having done some spotting myself when I was on holiday in the UK I can say that those comments while a bit exaggerated are spot on.

OKGraeme

An Aussie living in Owasso OK

highway70

That's pretty cool!  Thanks for sharing that.  Would love to see that in person.