Lance is a rebel

[chuck geiger]

March 2017 Model Railroader, Lance Mindheim goes against the typical MR grain and talks about a few
things, how to achieve realism with a muted warehouse and a parking lot on a layout instead of a merry-go-round next to an ice
cream store. He also uses various paints and products not in the WS or Walthers mold. I trembled when I saw
no (use to be Floquil paint list) now Model Masters and kits list adhering to the vendors of the
publication sponsorship's.

[Philip H]

He's been rolling like that for years - and with the quality of his work . . . . hard to argue.

[basementcalling]

I count myself lucky to have been able to sit down with Lance a couple times at MARPM meets and talk to him before and after some of his clinics and listen to his presentations too. I'm not sure he's a rebel, but he definitely has a narrowly defined slice of how to maximize your enjoyment of the model railroad hobby. I don't adhere to everything he touts - see the 19x20 foot layout in my basemebt - but many of his ideas make a lot of sense, in addition to saving dollars. People getting into the hobby, or looking to downsize after a move or a failed effort to complete the more traditional fill a room with a layout attempts, could do a lot worse than to bookmark his blog, buy one or two of his books, and try some of his ideas out on a shelf style layout.

[Chris333]

What a DCC controled VR headset?

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I count myself lucky to have been able to sit down with Lance a couple times at MARPM meets and talk to him before and after some of his clinics and listen to his presentations too. I'm not sure he's a rebel, but he definitely has a narrowly defined slice of how to maximize your enjoyment of the model railroad hobby. I don't adhere to everything he touts - see the 19x20 foot layout in my basemebt - but many of his ideas make a lot of sense, in addition to saving dollars. People getting into the hobby, or looking to downsize after a move or a failed effort to complete the more traditional fill a room with a layout attempts, could do a lot worse than to bookmark his blog, buy one or two of his books, and try some of his ideas out on a shelf style layout.

One thing to keep in mind. Many of his ideas don't ONLY apply to "simple" layouts. In fact, his Downtown Spur is far from a shelf. It fills a basement. But it absolutely carries over the same mindset. Instead of filling it with mountains and coal mines, it's full of parking lots, scale sized roads, and a handful of industries.... And visitors with their jaws on the floor.

In my case, switching downtown York is very similar to this. It's not a shelf, it's not necessarily small, but the same practices that he champions will be similarly applied. You gotta slow down. There's no fast clock. You want those cars to stay where they are? Better set the handbrakes, etc...

By applying these things to a small layout, you can make if feel like a medium sized layout. By applying them to a medium sized layout, you can make it feel like a real basement filler.

[Dave V]

I'm going to try to apply this philosophy to my new HOn3 endeavor.  Tempting though it will be to try to cram compressed versions of 4 or 5 signature RGS scenes into a 12 x 14 space, I'm leaning toward just two LDEs of realistically-sized versions of Ophir and Rico with lots of plain single track running between.  It may reduce operating potential by reducing the number of online industries but as Ed points out you can greatly make up for that with things like air brake tests and creeping your 6-car stock train past the cattle chutes one car at a time.

[Philip H]

I'm going to try to apply this philosophy to my new HOn3 endeavor.  Tempting though it will be to try to cram compressed versions of 4 or 5 signature RGS scenes into a 12 x 14 space, I'm leaning toward just two LDEs of realistically-sized versions of Ophir and Rico with lots of plain single track running between.  It may reduce operating potential by reducing the number of online industries but as Ed points out you can greatly make up for that with things like air brake tests and creeping your 6-car stock train past the cattle chutes one car at a time.

Let's face it - your chosen prototype goes a long way to doing this anyway - the RGS had a top speed of, what - 9 miles per hour?   

[Dave V]

Let's face it - your chosen prototype goes a long way to doing this anyway - the RGS had a top speed of, what - 9 miles per hour?   

Oh, there are stories of those galloping geese going up to 35 miles an hour...sometimes without a motorman on board!  But yes, track speed is considerably less than the 79 miles per hour I've grown accustomed to on the Middle Division.   

[Dave Schneider]

His work is what inspired me to rethink my modeling and a move to HO from N. A simple 10 by 13 foot L-shape (plus staging) representing an uncompressed portion of the real world. Seven turnouts, one engine, twenty freight cars. All detailed to the best of my abilities. It has been a good decision so far.

Best wishes, Dave

[chuck geiger]

Rebel meaning he is not using the Cody Grivno, David Popp, Pelle' Soeberg template. I love his work and always have.
This also makes it more prototypical for beginners. When this is spelled out it
makes it easier for newcomers to achieve realism instead of LIFE LIKE grass mat with track.

[Spades]

I like Lance's two websites a lot useful info right there.