When did the site
start, and why?
From the Introduction to
my first book, 52 Micro Layouts You Can Build (2002):
"[In early 2001] I launched a project to see how small a model railroad layout
could shrink and still be fun to operate. I designed and built the Squarefoot Estate
Railway, a working G scale line in less than one square foot. I described it
on the Internet and began to hear from people who also wanted to try their hands
at building an ultra-small operating layout. Interest snowballed almost immediately.
"We dubbed them 'micro layouts,' and I started adding examples -- both my own
and other peoples' -- to my website [in January 2002]. I reckoned there would be
maybe 10 or 15 layout possibilities in these extremely small sizes. I was astounded
when the total collection passed 25 ... then 50 ... 75 ... and grew beyond 100 different
layouts! It's still growing, and I'm still amazed and delighted at the ingenuity
and imagination of model railroaders worldwide."
Why is the site now called "Micro/Small Layouts"?
[This section added November 2006]
There are lots of good layout ideas that don't fit into a four-square-foot format. To include them, the site's emphasis
has been shifting from the canonical micro layout to more generally "small"
layouts, loosely defined as up to about 4x6 feet (1200x1800mm) in size. My monthly
e-magazine, Small
Layout Scrapbook, covers all small layouts and has
become the principal growth area on the site. It often comes out twice a
month in order to present the wealth of material that continues to pour in from all
over the world.
As a result, in November 2006 I changed the name of the site from Micro Layouts for Model Railroads to Micro/Small Layouts for Model Railroads.
How big is the site?
[This section updated February 2008]
The website continues to grow.
As of 12 December 2005 there were 543 individual layouts on the site, by actual count. There were well over 600 layouts on the site at the end of 2006. In February 2008, there are more than 1,000 layouts in all.
This number includes the 250 plans in the completed Micro Layout Design Gallery
and the entire, continually-growing archive of Small Layout Scrapbook (monthly e-zine) issues since May 2002, plus a number of in-depth Small Layout Articles.
Because we were seeing so many good ideas that required a space larger than four square feet, the
Micro Layout Design Gallery was topped out and frozen at 250 plans in June 2004.
There are 65 contributors from 14 countries on five continents
represented in this amazing collection, which someone described as
"full of exceedingly creative concepts for getting the most bang out of
the least space."
What is a "micro layout"?
From the beginning, "micro
layouts" have been defined as "small
model railroads, usually less than three or four square feet in area, that nonetheless
have a clear purpose and excellent operating capability."
The prescribed layout size is more a state of mind than a rigid dimension, although
"four square feet or less" ("under 3600 square centimeters")
has become the canonical size for a micro, regardless of scale. What distinguishes
these layouts from simple dioramas is the requirement for "excellent operating
capability". These are working railroads, not just display scenes or tail-chaser
loops.
Note that, in addition to micro layouts, this site now covers all minimum-space layouts up to 4x6ft (120x180cm) in area.
Why would anyone want to build
a small layout?
Advantages of micro/small layouts include:
- They're small enough to complete in a reasonable period of time;
- They're small enough to be reasonable in cost;
- They're small enough to permit detailing to the nth degree;
- They're often small enough to take with you to train meets and parties;
- They need very little space and are easy to store;
- And last but not least, they're a lot of fun!
Is publishing the site a
big job?
Yes. I'm the only M/SLMR employee,
and I spend several hours every day on correspondence dealing with the
website, often in several languages. Preparing and posting the material also takes considerable additional time and effort.
But it's well worth it. Many people have been involved in "spreading the word"
about small layouts, but I'm proud that this site has acted as a headquarters, storm
center, and above all a source of inspiration for people who find new hobby enjoyment
in building and operating small layouts.
How do you know the site's
a success?
[This section's data updated February 2008]
First, our statistics measure our success in attracting and holding readers. The site is currently receiving over 2000 unique visitors a day (more than 60,000 per month). During a typical month, visitors come from 70 or more countries around the world. We welcomed our one-millionth visitor in October 2007.
In the April 2005 issue of Model Railroader magazine, Lionel Strang
listed this site as one of the "Top 10 web sites in model railroading."
This site is also beginning to show an influence around the world. For example
the largest British narrow-gauge exhibition, ExpoNG held in Kent in October 2004,
featured a contest for shoebox layouts overtly inspired by this website. (The entries
are pictured here.)
Our influence has also crept into Expométrique, the French
narrow-gauge and secondary-line show held in Paris in December (now called
Railexpo as of 2007). In 2005
the shoebox entries were dubbed "Arendtiennes", and one French
correspondent told me, referring to this website, "Vous êtes une
référence en France." (I think he meant that the site is
now a recognized authority in the field.)
Magazine coverage of small layouts has increased significantly over the
past few years, a trend that I hope will grow and prosper in the years
ahead. As an example, three articles of mine about micro layouts appeared
in the October and November 2005 and February 2006 issues of Scale Rails/NMRA Bulletin magazine, published by the U.S. National Model Railroad Association (NMRA). The articles attracted many favorable comments.
But my most important gauge of success is the e-mail I receive from model railroaders
around the world, who report they have found new ways to enjoy their hobby with very
small layouts. A good example of this sentiment, representative of hundreds of messages
I receive, came from R.P. in Connecticut USA:
"Keep
up the great work. You have put a lot of the fun back in model railroading!"
That's the stuff that
keeps me going and makes it all worthwhile!
Carl Arendt
Pittsburgh USA
February 2008
P.S. Yes, that is my
eyeball peering through the 7/8n2 scale boxcar door in our logo (at the top of this page). The model man is
one of Carlo
Spirito's wonderful
7/8" scale (1:13) figures.
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