Keeping the original concept, making it more workable, fitting it into a new space, and adding your usual fine touches - nicely done. I hope the client can find a way to get it built.
Hi Peter Thanks for Sharing we helped Client with existing built layout and was a Great John Armstrong design ,Those early L Girder design make hard to access and reassembled they are more permanent design.Great way to approach you can stand behind your proven construction techniques and Design.Great that you can help Client and Complete his Midland Custom Railroad. Best regards Dan Vargas
John Armstrong is like the Beatles of model railroading planning and the fact that you have altered and improved two of his plans, thus far, without a revolt is proof positive that you are well received in the community and have the recognition as a great model railroad planner by the community. Congratulations.
The Beatles seem to be one of those rare groups that will never go out of style. John Armstrong layout designs and spaghetti bowls have more or less gone away in favor of linear, around the wall (with optional peninsulas), and shelf layouts.
@@themarkwiens I agree 100 percent but like John Armstrong fans, Beatles fans they sometimes didn’t move on from there and think if you redo one of their songs that it’s a sacrilege. The point I was making was that he did redo 2 of Armstrong’s plans and no one bitched, so he must have done it right, lol. Peter creates great plans.
Sadly, the look and feel of the ingenious Armstrong plan are lost. The signature double track wye made perfect sense in the way it tied the yard into the continuous running double track main line. Indeed, lower level staging does make sense and could be achieved by grafting it onto the existing main line without compromising the overall concept. The same goes for the branch running past the TV. Just my two cents.
The original plan only had a double main about 3/4 of the way around. There was a section of single track. At least now, there are two independent loops.
@@mpeterll True. One could argue that it actually adds interest to the layout where signaling and occupancy detection are required for trans to safely pass the bottleneck. It could be entirely automated for continuous running. Anyway, it was great to learn of an Armstrong plan I wasn't aware of.
The kidney lake could actually be a flooded quarry. I know that original plan very well indeed. Dreamt of it myself many a time in my youth - even drawing additions to it in the book itself.
Those Atlas design books were made for one reason, to sell track! As a person who once built a layout with tight curves and short turnouts I think your client will be very please with how much better this design will run. You did an assume job keeping the spaghetti bowl with out it feeling like it is a spaghetti bowl.
Dear Peter, awesome tweak of this former John Armstrong layout plan. Humbly think you did a great job especially on reducing the spaghetti feel the former version couldn’t avoid. The fact you were able to create the illusion this railroad goes on forever, even on the drawing is an amazing feat on such a relatively small footprint. Love the 2° realignment to open up the necessary space for the Y junction. Cheerio
I do not get why the TV is there. you can't really watch it from the bar. I'd make the perpendicular to the bar. Make it so it could tilt up or down to watch it. I think it is a very good track plan using the client's Givens & Druthers!
I have done a few, along with many British designs (none published on this channel though). There is a Japanese layout design video coming up in a few months.
Great job Peter. I wonder if the previous layout company was the one I originally contacted before I found your website? They used to have a standing advertisement in Model Railroader magazine but I haven’t seen anything of them since COVID. Anyway, based on my observations since you first took on my job, you are definitely the best professional layout designer and constructor bar none.
I love your videos because they’re always informative, detailed, and I always learn something new from them. I do have a question: which planning software do you use? I’m about to purchase a new computer and would like to start improving my own layout planning abilities.