Scene Composition


   A southbound local passes bridge E8, south of Bloomington, IN on my old N scale layout.  I devoted a full thirteen feet to this ‘boring’ scene.   There were no industries, no turnouts, nothing but the field and stream modeled as they actually appeared.   Of all of the factors that contribute to realism, at the […]

Capturing the Essence of a “Place”


Topic: Model Railroad Design The ultimate model railroad design goal? Capturing the essential elements of a scene successfully enough that you have the sense of “being there”. It’s an elusive target because hitting  it is hard to break down into a step by step, “how to” sequence.  At the root of the problem is the harsh reality that […]

Fighting Gravity


Fighting gravity.  In modeling terms it’s the subconscious, omnipresent, urge for order and uniformity.  We can get away with it when modeling man made features such as structures, roads, and rolling stock.  We can’t get away with it when comes to scenery.  If we can’t overcome this innate urge, our results will indeed look like something […]