Three train rule

[buzz]

Hi all
Recently I read a 1950's publication.
That stated you need three train lengths between stations so your train appears to be going somewhere.
I have seen this in more recent publications as well.
I can see this working with train set three or four car trains.
But today with houses getting smaller and real trains longer.
And lets face it a seven car train looks better than three.
( note I have deliberately kept to very roughly train set sized trains)
Can this rule still be practical today.
What ingenuity can take the place of three train lengths of space lets face it unless you live in or get an old house you are not likely to have a large basement or large loft to play with.
regards John

[jward]

so you don't have 3 train lengths between towns, and don't have the room? the solution is simple: hide your train between towns. it can be as simple as a tunnel it must pass through, or a rock cut that temporarily obscures at least a part of it, or even a grove of trees. anything that hides your train creats the illusion of more distance.

another favourite of mine is to minimize straight track. if you have a long straight running along the wall, it only drives home how small the layout is. put a nice gentle curve or two between towns so that you can't stand in one town and see the next one, looking down the track.

[Heave]

Have your main go into a tunnel.

Loop inside the tunnel and come out some distance "Down the wall" and a slightly different direction and elevation.

Or even come around and climb past loop mountain to reach the second town which might be a few feet above the one you left.

Do what I like to do, climb a mountain pass and go out of sight making it necessary to walk around to the other side of the room.

[OldTimer]

Here is a workable way to make the main line of even a simple layout seem larger.

Let's say we have a 4X8 oval with a passing siding/run around track at one end and three sidings distributed around the layout.  There is a station on the passing track, two of the sidings serve at least one industry, and the third siding is an interchange track.  Park your engine and caboose, if you use one, at the station.

Put three or four cars on the interchange track using your 0-5-0 (your hand).  These cars represent cars dropped off by a connecting railroad, your railroad's link to the world.  We;ll deliver them to industries served by our railroad.

Go back to the station and fire up your loco.  Go the the interchange track and pick up the cars.  Head out for the first industrial siding but DON'T stop the first time you come to it.  Make some number of circuits of your loop first.  Then stop and switch the siding (pick up any cars already there).  Head for the next siding.  Again, take several laps to get there.  Switch that siding, remembering to pick up any cars already there. 

Pull your train to the run around track and put the engine on the other end of the train.  Go back to the station in the opposite direction.  How many loops did it take you to get to the second siding?  Run that many loops back to the station.

Take the cars you picked up and deliver them to the interchange track.  Run your engine back to the station and shut her down.  That's a good day's work!

[Jim Banner]

Here is a concept I've always wanted to try but never have.  It puts 3 towns in as little as 10 feet.  As shown, the layout is 12 feet long with 18" curves.  But the idea can be expanded in length and/or larger radius curves can be used.  In the version shown, there would be over 3-3/4" between rail heads where the tracks cross, using a 3% grade.  What the towns lack in actual horizontal separation they make up with some vertical separation.  Extending the vertical separation with tall trees would help enhance the apparent horizontal separation.

The concept is that the end towns are about 10 feet apart , following the track, and the town in the middle is about 10 feet from each of the end towns, again following the track.  Using the "three train lengths rule," each of those trains could be half a dozen cars plus a locomotive.

For even more running length, the end loops could be helices.  The added vertical separation would enhance the apparent horizontal separation even more.

Please keep in mind that this is a basic concept with many variations possible.  It is NOT a track plan!

Jim