European exhibition style layout discussion

Howdy. With the new year I'm thinking ahead to the next show here in Medford. I've always been a fan of the Exhibition style layouts you see in the British Mags and am considering doing that in N. I have an English friend who has a OO scale layout he brings to the show every year and I gotta say, it's popular. Here in the states we think huge and have the luxury of space, but is that really good for our modeling or just another point of frustration in out lives. Do we want to start a life long project modeling LA to Chicago or would something simpler do?

Basic concept is to model a scene with some basic siding and a run through that disappears to the rear of the layout. Think a long doughnut. Modular in construction with space inside for the operator to manage the staging track behind them. Google it

I have space, just no time or energy for my Magnus Opus which would be a Pacific Electric layout of San Fernando in 1950 in a three car garage, but I do have those things for something less. Doing some on line searching you can find cool layout concepts and construction ideas especially on some of the British forums who do to policy must remain absent from this discussion.

The other advantage to this kind of layout, especially if you build to Fremo standards at the ends of the display is being able to share it at shows where you have an active group. Here in Medford, frankly the capitol of N scale production (MTL) you'd think N scale would have a huge presence...but it doesn't. In 16 years I've only met 5 people who model in N scale and none of them are interested in any sort of social organizing or club activities. You do N scale in Southern Oregon and you do it by yourself. Which brings me to the concept of an Exhibition layout and it's value. I can have a functioning layout that is infinitely expandable as my space and time frees up, take it to shows and display it with or without help and still have sections I can travel with for the big shows up in Portland and Seattle (and SF) when the opportunity presents it's self.

Now the only problem I have is deciding what to model.

Thoughts?

I'll leave you with this video of an N scale layout of Santa Barbara done in England. Google the links to the forums for more photos but you'll see what a master work this is and how clever the back of the house looks with it's computer control.

 

I too enjoy some of the British on stage / off stage layouts with the "fiddle" yard in the back. That Santa Barbara layout is really nicely done and thanks for sharing that with us Joe.

In the 1990's I had a home layout which used a pair of Ntrak modules between two more special sections. There was an 8ft long, 4 track staging yard that was normally set in the front but a few inches lower than the rest of the layout. Hidden track built into the frame that these modules all set on carried the main line which was the Ntrak yellow line down to that level. A total of 13 numbered Atlas re-railer tracks made all the track connections between the various modules. I had a central control panel that mounted on the yard module and a 16 conductor cable to each module made those electrical connections.

The same sections could be put up on legs and bolted together with the staging yard behind the Ntrak Modules sky boards. In this configuration it would be an exhibit layout 3ft x 12ft. It all fit into the bed of the Toyota pickup I had at the time. I set it up once in the living room (when the wife was away) to try it out and it worked fine. Never did actually set it up at a show as I was always taking the Ntrak modules to show with the club.

Here is a link to some pictures of it that I have on my blog.

 

Man, I am so disappointed. Here I was, all excited that maybe somewhere there is a european prototype modular layout!

I really need a club where I can run all my european trains!