It’s February in 1961 as the local hauls a UP PS-1 down The Horn Lead. Effectively weathering rolling stock for this era is totally different than more modern times and, in a way, harder. One of the hardest weathering skills to master is that of the light touch…of not overdoing the effect. As you work, […]
A backside view of some structures on my LAJ layout. Although no longer rail-served, it’s clear they were at some point. The end game for most prototype and proto freelance modelers is to try to capture the essence of a place in miniature. A major part of that quest is the elements we ultimately select. […]
I remember visiting the Miami rail scene for the first time as if it were yesterday. No photo, video, or television screen could match the all-encompassing sensory experience of seeing it in person. The heat, breeze, humidity, sounds, smell, and impossible-to-define energy completely transcended any previous ways I’d thought of it. It was the same […]
This is real railroading. There is no circus train passing a marching band on a nearby street. There are no saturated primary colors or eye-catching architectural masterpieces. It’s flat black tankers under dull brown trees, gray gravel, and mud puddles. The shot was taken earlier this year in Old Hickory, TN at what appears to […]
A key scene on The Downtown Spur is the point where the line crosses 12th Avenue. A major element is the Metrorail line running overhead. However, just because it’s there, should we model it? My next book will be “Realism Principles For Model Railroaders”. Give me four to six months to get it on the […]