Where to start?

[belg]

How do I progress to make my town/city look like this????????
http://www.horailroad.com/fsm/fsmlayout.html
I want to work towards this type of look but just don't know where to start. Do you layout something like this on paper first and work with paper footprints to make it all fit? I know it's ambitious to try for a look created by one of the masters of model building but being anal as I am I won't except less than what I think is best, so no I'm not "KIDDING" by trying to make it look like a master piece the first time out. I hope this doesn't sound conceited because I'm still just getting my feet wet well at least I'm up to my knees by now. LOL Let me have your best shots guys.

 

[Keith 55]

Well, Belg, if I were you I'd go to the source of your inspiration. George Sellios is pretty well-known. His layouts have been in MR mag. several times.
Maybe search back issues at the MR website, to know which issues to hunt for. There's probably a contact address on his website, too. I'll look through my back issues and see if I can find some hints on his methodology.

 

[belg]

books

Keith do you know if he ever wrote any books?

 

[davidstrains]

There is a "coffee table" book about the F&SM. I have seen it advertised in a couple of mailers that I receive but I cannot find one of them right now. I am not sure who the author is on the book. I think the one that I have seen is a "volume 2" there must be a vol. 1 out there also.

 

[Matthyro]

Belg, at the bottom of the link you provided it talks about a book. I imagine it would be a Kalbach pubilcation you could get from the Model Rairoader site

 

[davidstrains]

Belg,

Internet Model Trains has it for ~$18.00. Here is a link.

Here

 

[RailRon]

The book 'THE FABULOUS FRANKLIN & SOUTH MANCHESTER RAILROAD' was written by George Sellios. I found the following link which comments on the book and the layout. There is also a link to order it online.

George's work is really amazing! To reach his museum quality is quite a chore... But then again - you're right Belg, why not try it?

Ron

 

[Tyson Rayles]

Allen Keller's Great Model Railroad video series has 3 tapes on this layout. There is a how-to section on each tape, buttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt, as far as how he planned all that out???????? He didn't, he just starts building and it somehow comes out allright (his words not mine). He says he does not recommend this method for anybody else. While just about all the buildings are scratchbuilt he doesn't plan those either. And no, he doesn't "see" it in his mind before he starts either. He just goes and it works (for him anyway ). belg you might want to get some of those tapes for reference, they do have some great tips!

 

[60103]

Just remember that George is also Fine Scale Miniatures, so he is a professional model railroader (in the sense that he gets paid for it!)
There are several ways to approach this. You can plan it to the micrometer, you can build and then put on the layout, you can find buildings that you like and think would work together and then build them.
You can also build and then change or replace when your skill gets up to where your oldest building embarrass you.

 

[Russ Bellinis]

I think you need to start with your track plan. Your minimum radius will determine where your tacks run, and you really can't change those too much. Then you need to plan streets. You may be able to selectively compress them a little by making them a little bit narrow, but if you make them too narrow, scale cars won't fit. After that you can plan the buildings to fit in the spaces you have left. I can't tell you how to match George's work. I would read his book, also look for articles in back issues of Model Railroader by Earl Smallshaw. Once you have the buildings built and installed on the layout, then add details. As you get better and want to replace earlier work, have at it.

 

[shamus]

Hi Belg, I used to plan my towns when I was into N and HO before I went into logging railroads. I would draw out on paper the track plan and cutout many pieces of card to represent the town and fiddle around on the plan until it looked right.

Here's an N-scale photo taken quite a while back.

Shamus