Layout Design - 1 - Prototype v Freelancing

In Layout Design Process 4 - Railroad Modeling I identified that the layout design process can be broken down into three primary functional areas: Concept, Structure and Layout Detail.

Layout Detail. Layout Detail identifies the parameters within which the layout must be designed. It is broken down into two main elements: 5) Layout Design, and 6) Construction to build the railroad.

 

Under the element Layout Design, the following area is considered: Prototype v. Freelancing.

 

Degee of Fidelity to Prototype

The common goal of model railroading is fun, and each model railroader has his own idea what fun is. For a railroad modeler there are three design approaches, or three degrees of fidelity in modeling the prototype: prototype, prototype freelancing or freelance prototype.

Prototype. This design approach where actual main and branch line schemaics, site trackage and scenes, place names, trains and ther consists, interchanges and operating practices are adopted. This approach offers the advantage of an in-place reference system - where the model is the faithful reproduction of the original in miniature.

Prototype freelancing. This is a variation of the prototype approach. Usually the variation is found in the question 'What if ..... ? (.... X railroad is still in existance) ( .......... abandoned line acquired by someone else) or (....... X railroad built a line from Y to Z).  It uses one or more prototype railroads to establish a set of guidelines and then creates a railroad within the chose framework. The modeler chooses to portray an area of the country or an operation activities that are based on sound prototype practice, a plausible traffic rationale and functional interchanges wth prototype railroads.

Freelance Prototype. The railroad is fictional, but is based on prototype practice, is run as a prototype and is modeled in such depth as to become believable a railroad. The modeler selects the topography, industries, motive power and rolling stock, etc., and combines them to form a railroad to his exact liking. It balances creativity and credibility. 

There are 4 excellent sources for showcasing railroad modeling:

• Great Model Railroads, a Model Railroading annual magazine.
  
• Model Railroad Planning, a Model Railroading annual magazine.
• Prototype Modeler (out of print) located at trainlife.com
• RailModel Journal (out of print) 
  

I was influenced by a number of railroad models: 

• Jack Burgess’ Yosemite Valley,  (prototype)
• Tony Koester’s Nickel Plate Road (prototype)
• Tony Steele's D&H, (prototype)
• Bill Darnaby's Maumee (freelance prototype)
• Allen McClelland's Virginia and Ohio (freelance prototype)
• Tony Koester's (freelance prototype)
•  , Omaha and Northwestern (freelance prototype)

The WWSL

Well you wont find the Western Washington Short Line referenced in any books, magazines or railroad historical societies, or located on any map except the one here. The Western Washington Short Line is a freelance prototype railroad. It is a fictional Class III railroad, occupying a real logging railroad right of way originally built by the Schaefer Brothers Lumber Company in the late 1800s, with its own alternate history blended into the real economic and social history of Gray's Harbor County.

The WWSL will interchange with three Class I railroads : the Northern Pacific, the Milwaukee Road and the Union Pacific. These railroads will be modeled under the prototype fidelity design approach.

The WWSL will also interchange with two Class III railroads, the freelance prototype Olympic Peninsula Logging Company and the real but otherwise prototype freelanced Saganaw Timber Company (What if the STC didn't dissolve in 1947 but instead sold its right of way to the WWSL and became an industrial line servicing a pulp mill?).

Why add two more railroads to the mix? While it would be easy for the WWSL to service all those industries, I thought it would be interesting to have additional railroads participating on the layout for operational diversity. 

A little of everything in the layout design: prototype, prototype freelance AND freelance prototype!