Do we expect too much ?

[Dr Al]

Also Code 55 was available in the late 1980s, but not the single slip.

The flexible track was available (branded as Super N, SL300X) long long before any turnouts were available in the mid 1980s, and I don't think the pointwork started coming out until the 1990s, which is probably why its initial uptake was slow.

Cheers,
Alan

[Newportnobby]

Is arguing about arguing expecting too much of us?

[austinbob]

Is arguing about arguing expecting too much of us?

Arguing about arguing Mmmm. I feel a new thread coming on! Oh perhaps not today.

[Basinga]

...otherwise we'd still be enjoying pancake motors and pizza-cutter wheels...

As someone who's been out of the hobby since the days of basic detailed, sloppy hand-painted locos running on pizza cutters, I was genuinely amazed at how much progress has been made.
Slipping back into the hobby with locos bearing the tiny details like buffer beams, realistic wheels in detailed bogies and handrails, I'm not complaining about anything.

[DesertHound]

I actually like the pizza cutter wheels on old Farish stock - each to their own I guess 

[DesertHound]

Belstone

I looked at the thread you posted here on a previous layout of yours - thank you for sharing it with us. I'll admit that I didn't read every post, but did take a good look at all the pictures (would like to go back over it and read the text when I have time).

Anyway, this is just to say that I can see what you are trying to achieve. Dovetailing that with this topic, I can understand very much how detail doesn't necessarily have to be king and it's all a matter of perspective and, as you said earlier, relative modelling (in that everything is to the same standard, or thereabouts).

I like your use of the word "impressionist" in look. If we thought of a painting, well, they are all of different standards. Some of the most famous look like they've been painted by a five year old, yet fetch millions because someone finds a meaning in them. That same painting wouldn't look right if you blended it with a Monet (or Monet himself used different techniques on the same painting), and so it is that consistency from a modelling perspective all goes in to creating a picture / setting / image, which can be very convincing.

Apologies if this seems likes it's pulling the topic away from the original question. It's merely to build on Belstone's observation that simple can also be beautiful and this is where older (Farish) stock can fit in. For this reason I have included it in this thread.

Again, not wishing to pull the thread too far off topic.

Dan

[railsquid]

...otherwise we'd still be enjoying pancake motors and pizza-cutter wheels...

As someone who's been out of the hobby since the days of basic detailed, sloppy hand-painted locos running on pizza cutters, I was genuinely amazed at how much progress has been made.
Slipping back into the hobby with locos bearing the tiny details like buffer beams, realistic wheels in detailed bogies and handrails, I'm not complaining about anything.

Yup, until last year I hadn't handled any models newer than my late 70's/early 80's Hornby/Lima OO stuff. I chanced upon some Japanese N-gauges stuff and was blown away by the quality and detail. And ended up getting some more... and more...