I’ve always felt that the old modeler’s adage of “no detail is better than a bad detail” made sense. If we need a specific detailed part, and the only thing on the market is a crude soap carving, you’re better off omitting the detail as opposed to trying to represent it with an unsightly placeholder. […]
My immersion in model railroading is largely a selfish pursuit. I like getting compliments as much as the next person but my drive is primarily internal, a desire to create images that give me pleasure to look at, to create scenes that I enjoy operating, experiencing, and interacting with. As modelers we have an advantage […]
“You can almost always return to Home, The Place. But — eventually — you can never return to Home, The Actuality. It’s as gone as gone can be.” John Simpson There’s an old expression, you can never go home again. In the quote above, taken from an online essay, John Simpson explains it succinctly. Although the physical […]
Why do we photograph and create video of our layouts? After doing so, why do share them with others by posting them publicly? The answer to the first question is an easy one to answer, for me at least. Photography allows me to interpret and experience the layout in ways that are simply impossible with […]
From time to time I think about why model building never made the leap from recreation to fine art. Why is it that a sculpture can have mass appeal for the ages and be museum worthy but at best, a well done model seems relegated to a small niche museum. Why is it that when […]