Defining Model Railroad Design Success


A pair of boxcars sit in front of A-1 Farmers Choice on the switchback segment of my Downtown Spur layout. A successful model railroad design is one that provides a platform for several hours a week of relaxing hobby time…recreational time…..fun time.  It doesn’t really matter how those minutes or hours are spent.  If there […]

The “Finished Layout” Landmine


The mid-morning sun washes over Florida Bottling on The Downtown Spur layout. A landmine is something you didn’t see coming (but could have), step on, and then suffer the consequences.  To that extent it’s not the same as being subjected to some totally random negative event.  If you know you’re entering a mine field, you […]

Finally, We Have Figures!


I never thought I’d see the day. In what, to me, is one of the biggest technological breakthroughs in recent years, we FINALLY have miniature figures that are useable. Real people, in real poses, crisply cast. I’ve always been a believer in the adage, “no detail is better than a bad detail”. In that vein, […]

Defining the phrase “Detailing”


In this photo of a scene taken on the project currently in my shop, the emphasis was on put on the numerous scenery layers and matching the complex color patterns of the structure. At this point I haven’t added one traditional “detail” part such as a switch stand. When those parts are added, they will […]