N Gauge Forum

Thought this would make an interesting Poll.

PROTOTYPE FREELANCER - Someone who models a real railway/railroad but with some variation to location and equipment.

TRUE FREELANCER - Someone that models am imaginary location and maybe runs trains made up of fictitious Railroad/Railway company or region.

PROTOTYPE MODELLER - someone who sticks to the perfect replication of a time, era and location.

JUST FOR FUN MODELLER - Someone who runs a mixture of trains of various nationalities and scenery that resembles no where in particular but has a ball watching trains,

Well I myself fall into the True Freelance category, being a non-conformist I like to have something that no one else has got, my Railroad is called Utah Central which existed for a very short while in the 1800s and certainly not in the days of diesel locos, another section of the layout is a Heritage Railroad called "The Arches Scenic Railway" also fictitious.

Hey ORB. Good idea for a poll.

By your definitions I'm mostly prototype, building as accurate a model of central Reading in 1974 as my memory and research will allow. I will model the smallest details as long as I like them. But then I will stretch my imagination and incorporate art deco buildings because I like them or adapt areas of the town to suit what I would like to model such as a bus station or a tug.  Then I will also occasionally run modern trains from around 2007-8, or the odd GWR steamer as my mood takes me.

Generally my aim is to make something accurate because that gives me great satisfaction, but to include what I want for the simple pleasure of it. And then to have fun doing the modelling and running the trains.

I am mostly just for fun but want to make the scenery and track as realistic as I can without going into 'rivet counter' mode.  Location is loosely based on the Starcross/Dawlish area as there are legitimate reasons for using plenty of curves and tunnels and I have always wanted to do a sea wall. There will also be some elements based on Guildford - as the station area is cut from chalk. Have some of the trains that do the Dawlish route.

However fantasy takes over as there is a Eurostar service to Penzance and also freight and passenger services from Japan! The buildings are a mixture of modern and continental - sourced second hand at fairs and eBay. The electric trains have been converted to diesel at the moment but may put in some catenaries so they might revert back. Still in early stages of building the scenery.

I'm an N gauge modeller ;D

However although I try to be accurate and prototypical I also do it for fun and enjoyment and don't mind mixing a little across a limited range of eras - the poll options makes it look like you can't have fun if you model prototypically.

H.

Quote from: oldrailbug on January 01, 2012, 03:13:03 AM
Thought this would make an interesting Poll.

PROTOTYPE FREELANCER - Someone who models a real railway/railroad but with some variation to location and equipment.

TRUE FREELANCER - Someone that models am imaginary location and maybe runs trains made up of fictitious Railroad/Railway company or region.

PROTOTYPE MODELLER - someone who sticks to the perfect replication of a time, era and location.

JUST FOR FUN MODELLER - Someone who runs a mixture of trains of various nationalities and scenery that resembles no where in particular but has a ball watching trains,

Hi ORB, nice idea for a poll. However, I would have thought you need another alternative; sort of like prototype freelancer, but people who model a ficticious location, but try to run trains as acurately as possible - there seem to be a few of them about. Just a thought. (I've ticked prototype freelancer - Northallerton is a real place)

Cheers
Kirky

This Poll has been done before with only the first three types of modeller listed, of course everyone models differently but the vast majority of modellers could be inare coveredvolved in building layouts in one of the listed categories.

Quote from: H on January 01, 2012, 08:35:14 AM
I'm an N gauge modeller ;D

However although I try to be accurate and prototypical I also do it for fun and enjoyment and don't mind mixing a little across a limited range of eras - the poll options makes it look like you can't have fun if you model prototypically.

H.

I would have thought Prototype modellers would be just as happy doing their thing as anyone else, if it comes across as Prototype modellers don't have fun it is purely unintentional.

I put just for fun.
The reason being modelling Japanese and British,I often want to Incorporate bits of both
Lyne End is a fictitious layout based loosely on Bembridge  IOW, with period stock but will deviate at times. :D

I'm in the same camp as Kirky, and have put myself in the Prototype Freelancer section.
My location will be fictitious, but the era and stock will reflect that location. I do not intend running anything that wouldn't have been seen at that location, so even though I like Deltics I do not have one.

Thanks for setting the poll up, ORB - the results could be quite interesting.

I have gone for 'Just for fun' as interpreted the other three as being of the highly detailed scenery type (even if the scenery is fictitious)

I guess I'm between a Prototype Freelancer and Just For Fun.  I try to model the BR Network SouthEast era, but I also like to paint trains that never existed in NSE livery into that livery.

I voted "just for fun" as my layout will not be based on any location.

I am building it so that i can just run trains / shunt wagons etc.

Reuben.

I'm sure the poll is just for for fun, and to see where the membership interest lies. None of us are any better/worse for what we do with our hobby. At the end of the day we are all Nthusiasts/Nutters :NGaugersRule:

So, in which category would I fall, if I modelled a plattform end with signal box and foot brigde as close as possible to a prototypical station because I like the scene but put it on a ficticious station? I think, I'd be FREELANCE PROTOTYPE  - Someone that models an imaginary location and maybe runs trains made up of fictitious Railroad/Railway company or region but tries to be prototypical believeable. Maybe by modelling and mixing scenes from various real places or by modelling details that would be there if it had existed.

Just for fun - If i ever built anything that looks like the real thing.... it's by accident !  :smiley-laughing:

Prototpye modeller for me.
Saneham Tey which is a pretty accurate copy of Marks Tey on the GEML. This is a group effort for the exhibition circuit. Next up is my personal layout to be built/started this year, ply sorted for base boards just need to build them now, this one is going to be a copy of East Suffolk Jc in Ipswich also on the GEML.

Stu

A cross between Prototype Freelancer and Prototype Modeller, but I've gone for the first as I will never have the time, detailed info or inclination get things accurarte to the Nth detail...

Roy

Ive gone for Proto- Free lance.
Im modeling the Yosemite Valley Railway but only have a scale half mile rather than the 78 that the real one occupied.
The station names are real, the trackplan isnt.
The industries are pretty real, the train lengths arent
Im also operating up to about 10 years after the real deal was scrapped.
As ever, the plan is to have fun, and build a model I can be proud of that looks nice and works well!

At the moment, very much "just for fun", although the intention is for some kind of consistency of time period, if not specific geography.  No pre-grouping steamers and Japanese bullet trains on the same layout!  I'm interested in learning more as I go along about how railways really worked, and if I can fit some of that in I will, but something that's fun for me to both build and operate in the limited space I've got is the top priority.

For me it is Prototype Freelancer, as although I have tried to capture the essence of the line in Japanese the layout is set, the station itself is fictitious. Also with the stock; I can run what I term 'true Chuo' trains, but a few visitors do regularly crop up...

How do everyone,and a happy new year to all who can be bothered to read my ramblings.

Anyway,on to the subject.

I model,predictably,the east coast mainline,in a purely fictional location in south yorkshire.It is mainly BR blue era with a smattering of large logo and railfreight red stripe.I am going to buy a Pacer and a Supersprinter in the future to add to my existing loco,dmu and hst fleet as well as maybe a couple of blue class 56's when they become available.As a fictional town,I have modellers licence on my side and can allow my imagination to run wild,just need to get on with it.I'm currently setting up scenic boards that fit over the top of the storage yard and to the right of the layout because I went a bit mad at the track laying stage,almost completely filling a 10 foot by 4 foot baseboard.Although it is based on the east coast mainline,I do have a western region hst,but instead of seven coaches,mine has eight.I also have a 121 bubblecar which were well known for not occupying east coast routes but not on my layout.As my signature at the bottom of my contributions says,"its my train set and I'll run worra like!"

Thats all from me. ;)

Pete
:Class37: :NGaugersRule:

Another ECML-er here  ;D

Mine is a completely fictional town, but it is meant to capture the feel of the southern end of the ECML at the end of the 80's into early 90's, possibly somewhere north of Peterborough so not too urban. 100% accuracy of stock isn't important to me, so although Swallow HSTs and a '225' are the mainstays there are also two 47-hauled sets to add a bit of variation - one in Intercity, and one in NSE on diversion from Kings Lynn. DMU stock was whatever was available in the right livery, so Regional Railways 156s on the mainline and blue/grey 108s on the branch.

The biggest fictional element I suppose is the rail-fed dairy as I think they all disappeared long ago in the real world? Having been around dairies a fair bit I thought it would make a change from the usual industries you see at exhibition  :)


Paul

I'm still planning.  However I'm quite definite about the setting.  It will be set in the early thirties, with grouping rejected (who could have wanted four regional monopolies in the French model) in favour of more competition with the authorised Railway Companies being allowed to run on any company's lines for the same charge as the own company.  I still need to work out some details to make the alternative history believable.

Originally set in Bolton, the location will now be Turton nearer the sea, allowing me to run LNWR, L&Y, MR, GCR and others.

I went for True Freelance as the closest box.

I try to model contemporary north west England, only having stock that might reasonably appear north or east of Manchester, and what little scenery I have so far is intended to reflect the geology and architecture of the area.  I think that puts me somewhere between Prototype Freelancer and True Freelancer but I'll plump for the first. 

I try to model post WWII GWR and generally manage to keep locos, rolling stock and buildings as authentic as possible. The Freelance part comes in  when it comes to the actual track design which is more to suit the available space that to follow any particular prototypical location.

I describe myself as a what iffer. I pick my town, based on the actual railways (maybe even layout) but tweak things, sometimes quite major things, to meet my needs.

My last/current layout was unusual in that it stuck fairly faithfully to the maps and timetables, and the track layout was pretty close. My next will bear somewhat less resemblance to the real Salisbury, as it will play host to EMUs.

Well, prototype freelancer best describes me.
Though saying that, I do stick with modelling what was around and what ran in the era I'm modelling.
So no GM diesels will be appearing on my layout!  :smiley-laughing:

Don't really have a set period/time/company so I put down 'just for fun'. When I ran my British stuff it was whatever I fancied although I did try to fit in a few local elements such as my Bedford coal truck, Wemyss and Fife Coal wagons and a wagon from Tullis Russel, a local paper mill 6-7 miles from where I live.

Alex :wave:

Im a prototype freelancer!!!
Though I dont like to model passenger trains, much preferring freight  :thumbsup:
I'd like to build an oil terminal, a freightliner depot eventually and have a trackplan for a china clay layout somewhere on my computer!!!!!

I think I'm a prototype freelancer - my layout is meant to represent the London Midland region between 1955-65. So you'll see things that could conceivably have co-existed, but in reality never did. So I can justify running an ex-LNWR 'Cauliflower' beside a green-liveried 'Peak'. You won't find any Eric Treacy photographs of such an occurrence but it might just have been possible! And in my N gauge world , it's definitely possible!! What I strive for above all is authentic atmosphere - even if the rivet counters can find fault!! 

A build then design type, thats why I may never finish this first Layout.

Me ?
lazy/bone idle etc. sinse November  :'(  or shall I just say  'resting'  :smiley-laughing:

I put 'true freelance', I will have anything that runs well, leaning mainly towards steam locomotives, but I do have two D200 red bears plus a DE 10 diesels and a EH500 electric  locomotive (all JNR)  because they look great, have fantastic traction, Cheaper than UK stock and they run like silk, I love our British loco's but other countries also strike a chord like France, Japan, Africa, India and the Auzzie stuff too, let alone the American giants, if it runs well, is put together with some thought, it's on the layout.
                                                                                                         That only leaves the location, which I have stuck mainly with British'ish..... with the odd Kato Building and the like thrown in, .... ok, its a dogs breakfast, but it will be interesting to see how it all fits,.....even if it does look strange,.... what on earth I'm I going to call it????

Quote from: Bluebottle on January 30, 2012, 05:01:57 PM
ok, its a dogs breakfast, but it will be interesting to see how it all fits,.....even if it does look strange,.... what on earth I'm I going to call it????

Sodham Hall ;D

Me? Just for Fun. Although I have a time era, late 80's to mid 90's, I've a soft spot for 73's 47's & early HST's. If one day a Western pulled up next to a HST Swallow in my "world" it wouldn't be an issue, like wise if a 66 was to make an appearance, well that's life.

At the moment I'm not too worried about the fine detail, but I do appreciate and admire the work of those who do. For me it's more about appearance, if it looks about right then that's fine.

Yep! Definitely a "Just for Fun" modeller although in time I might change, who knows, I just enjoy the challenges of  N gauge.

Jack

Quote from: newportnobby on January 30, 2012, 05:30:19 PM

Quote from: Bluebottle on January 30, 2012, 05:01:57 PM
ok, its a dogs breakfast, but it will be interesting to see how it all fits,.....even if it does look strange,.... what on earth I'm I going to call it????

Sodham Hall ;D

:smiley-laughing: :smiley-laughing: :smiley-laughing:

 NOW THAT'S A REAL WINNER.......ummm, I like it!