Model Railroad Blog

What We Want & How to Get It

 

Which DCC system is best?  What is the best aisle width? What era should I model?  What radius should I make my curves?  Ultimately questions such as these end being no more than  minutiae, generally irrelevant.

There are two primary reasons we engage in model railroading.  First is the satisfaction of assembly and as a creative outlet.  The second, and most important, is to re-create an emotional connection in miniature.  To be transported in such a way that meaningful emotions are triggered.   Without this self awareness we are just gluing pieces of plastic together and watching something move back and forth.

Having a creative outlet and experiencing the satisfaction of assembly goes far beyond the trivial.  It goes beyond basic recreation.  It reduces stress, increases our quality of life, and more and more studies show that if applied intensely delays the onset of dementia.

The emotional aspect is far more important and for most modelers exists only in the sub-conscious.  Somewhere in our brain is a rail experience that unleashes a wave of pleasant thoughts or memories that washes over us.  If we are effective in our modeling we can trigger those feelings every time we interact with our layout.  In the end, this is why we do what we do.

How do we do it?  In terms of the satisfaction of assembly it’s just a matter of keeping on, keeping on.  Spend time modeling.   The emotional trigger takes more work.  The higher our modeling quality, the more realistic our layout appears and the more effective we will be in re-living our experience.

The pursuit of realism is grossly misunderstood and, as a consequence, modelers don’t proportion their efforts in relationship to the benefits they provide.  In the chase for realism most modelers focus on two areas, prototypical accuracy and ‘details’.  There is nothing wrong with either but those aren’t the primary contributing factors.   If a window frame has six mullions instead of eight the brain won’t pick up on it.  If a freight car has seven rivet panels instead of eight, the same thing.

The two primary drivers of realism are, in order of importance, scene composition and color treatment.  They are the visual foundation.   Composition and color are the sledge hammers that drive home the experience we crave.

Scene composition has to do with the elements we select, their proportions, and the space between them.  If you miss the boat in this area (generally by spacing things two closely), it’s virtually impossible to recover no matter how skilled of a modeler you are.  Unfortunately, as important as this subject is virtually nothing is written about it.   The best you can do is to recognize when it’s done effectively and study the successful modelers work carefully.  Mike Confalone, Jim Six, Tom Johnson, Paul Dolkos, and Steve Peck are several among many that jump to mind immediately.

Color has to do with far more than hue.  It has to do with placement, patterns, the use of black, and understanding what color you are looking at.  Effective color application takes practice but can be learned.  In this area more help is available.  One of the best resources are the primary contributors on the Rust Bucket forum.  They are the masters of color and exceedingly generous with their time.   Their advice is useless, however, if you don’t actually follow their suggestions.  My experience has been that modelers are more than willing to go to clinics, ask for advice online, and read articles but rarely take the step of actually putting such knowledge  into actual practice.

Once we can bring our desire for emotional connection into the conscious realm and understand what skills it takes to maximize the experience we are on our way to elevating what we get out of the hobby.

Barrow’s Stamp

 

Advancement in our hobby is driven by leadership.  In our case it seems to run in twenty year waves.  Somebody comes along, moves the needle, and we ride it for several decades.  As things begin to peter out, a new visionary comes along and the cycle repeats.  In the late 1970’s the triumvirate of McClelland, RMC, and Koester dropped the bomb resulting in a revolutionary improvement in how we viewed and interacted with our model railroads.  An idea alone isn’t enough.  It has to be communicated.  Although McClelland had the concept,  I doubt there would have been much impact had not Tony recognized the value and communicated it so effectively.

Historically, what wave are we riding now?  Again it’s a triumvirate –  David Barrow’s planning and design concepts, Paul Dolkos’ scenery methods, and Tony Koester recognizing the value and communicating it to the masses. Although I’m flattered, I have to laugh when somebody refers to a design style as a ‘Lance Mindheim’ design.  I’m just the student.  My influence is David Barrow.   The same could probably be said for my friends Tommy Holt and James McNab whose ‘Barrow Stamp’ is clearly evident in their designs.

For some a career is a job, for others it’s a calling.  For David Barrow it’s the latter.  Still a practicing architect, his career spans almost six decades.  During my recent trip to Austin I was fortunate enough to be invited over to his home which he both designed and built.   Designed in the Texas Hill Country style,  I’ve never scene a residence that is so cohesive, that fits into it’s environment so well.  Everything fits and flows together with nothing included that doesn’t tie into the overall effect.  The guy is good.  When you get somebody that gifted in art, and that experienced, it would be wise to pay attention when they apply those same skills to model railroad design.

Following my visit, David forwarded the following quote from noted architect John Pawson.   “John Pawson maintains that minimalism is not merely a case of “throwing out the sofa and painting the walls white.”  This is not architecture of absence, it is defined not by what is not there, but rather by the rightness of what is.  You reduce, you simplify and at first there is less and less to look at.  Then, as you go on attenuating and compressing, you come to a point at which you go through a barrier and pass through into…a kind of mirror world in which you see, looked at with enough clarity, not emptiness but a sense of richness.”

In the intro to Pawson’s book “Minimum” he writes:  “The minimum could be defined as the perfection that an artifact achieves when it is no longer possible to improve it by subtraction.  This is the quality that an object has when every component, every detail, and every junction has been reduced or condensed to the essentials.  It is the result of the omission of the inessentials.”

This is where David is coming from with his approach to the hobby and it bears close study by anyone seriously interested in looking for ways to improve their experience and increase their enjoyment.   If I had to summarize his primary lessons they would be:

 

Scene Composition

Studying David’s work, the one of the biggest lessons I learned  is that scene composition is the number one, overriding factor in determining how realistic a model railroad appears.  Scene composition has to do with the elements we include, their size and shape, and of particular importance, the spacing between them.  The Lubbock layout in the 2006 issue of MRP (shown below) to my eye was one of the most realistic I’ve ever seen….and it was totally unsceniced and unpainted.  Stripped of the extraneous, leaving only composition, drove the point home that this is where our primary focus should be.

 

Linear Design Emphasis

You will never get lost operating on a Barrow design.  When you see it in front of you, you don’t need a track plan.  You start at one end and the track logically goes where you would expect it to.  Railroads go from point A to point B, taking the shortest and simplest route possible.  They don’t like loops to increase mainline run. They don’t build over/under bridges because they look cool.  It’s almost condescending to assume that we need ‘tricks’ in order to make our craft interesting.  In it’s actual form, railroading is more than fascinating enough without muddying things up with visual overload and over compression.

 

Quick launch/simple construction

Once an individual is drawn to our hobby, it is critical that we keep them in the fold and develop them.  To do this we need to maintain their morale and enthusiasm.  This is done by giving them successful experiences early on.  We need to give them realistic, yet simple to build, layouts that give them a ‘quick launch’.  David’s construction methods are the epitome of ‘quick launch’.  Once you have the layout up and going  you can always go back and add details.

 

Ergonomics

Comfort is one of those subtleties we are often not aware of.  It’s absence however, stealthily saps our interest without us being aware of it.  David is a pioneer and fierce advocate of ergonomics.  Layout comfort is the FIRST step in the design process.  He is unyielding in this point.  No duckunders, no narrow aisles, no Rube Goldberg devices.  Everything is labeled. Framing the presentation and cleanliness rule the day.

 

Further Reading

If you want to delve more deeply into this subject I suggest the following issues of Model Railroad Planning: 2004, 2006, and 2007 (especially the ’06 issue).  As an alternative you can purchase all of the MRP back issues on DVD.

Barrow1

An argument could be made that David Barrow’s Lubbock Industrial District track plan (MRP 2006) is one of the best model railroad designs of all time.  Realistic, perfectly composed and visually balanced, operationally interesting, ergonomically perfect,  it hits all of the bases.

Barrow2

 

Take note of the visual impact and realism of this scene (MRP 2006. T. Holt photo).  Notice that it is completely un-sceniced and uses code 100 track.  This drives home the point that scene composition is the primary visual factor in driving realism.

 

Instant On Layouts

Topic: Model Railroad Design

Topic: Model Railroad Operations
Model Railroad Design

 

East rail was an ‘instant on’ layout.  In the evening, after my family duties were met, I could grab an ice cold beer, hit the switch, and run.  This, sub-conscious ease of use,  encouraged an atmosphere where I was operating almost daily.

 

Is your layout ‘Instant On’?  Can you walk up to it, flip one switch, and immediately begin an impromptu, twenty minute, solo operating session that will run problem free throughout?

Or, do you need to set up bench work, cassettes, clean track, move cars,  or uncover it before you even begin? Can you get through a simple twenty minute session free of derailments and stalls?

Ease of use is one of those ergonomic subtleties that lies in the subconscious but dramatically effects how often and to what extent we participate in the hobby.

You’ve had a long day of work and commuting, evening arrives, and the thought of getting some running in drifts through your mind.  Next up is what it takes to do that.  “Well, I need to take a few sections out of storage, mount them on legs, clean some track”, all of which may only take ten or fifteen minutes. Unfortunately, that ten or fifteen minutes of set up, maybe even five, is enough resistance that we hit the television remote instead.  It all adds up and I wouldn’t be surprised if it cut hobby participation by seventy five percent.

Ideally you want ‘instant on’.  You want to be able to hit the switch and go.  If it’s that easy you’ll find a dramatic increase in how often you run.  This feeds upon itself motivating you to spend that hour on a weekend to do some modeling, run even more, and the cycle repeats.

Given the choice between a modest layout that requires some set up versus a micro layout that is ‘instant on’ I’d suggest the latter.   In any family situation there is give and take to maintain harmony.  It is absolutely reasonable for a spouse to NOT want a layout in the living area of a home.  If the home or apartment is relatively small, you may have a situation where all the space is living area.  This means the best you’ll be able to negotiate is some form of module situation that stays in a closet only  to be set up temporarily when you want to run. It’s an environment that subtly discourages hobby participation.

An alternative would be an ‘instant on’ micro layout as shown below.  As simple as the platform is, I wouldn’t underestimate the operational potential, ability to develop skills,  and its ability to serve up ‘satisfaction of assembly’ opportunities.  When broaching the subject with your spouse it’s paramount that you make an honest commitment to clean assembly, a family friendly appliance if you will.  This means a very clean fascia trim strip and neat execution.  The layout would take up no space than a bookshelf.  Drawers below could hold mid-stage construction projects so they aren’t in view.

Model-railroad-design-10Aug2013

Finally, ‘instant on’ isn’t so much about layout size as it is readiness and quick ramp up.  I know of many medium size layouts that are ‘instant on’.

 

 

The Realism Hierarchy

Pyramid

In my October 26th blog, What We Want, How to Get It,  I brought forth the idea that one of the primary reasons we model is to re-create an emotional connection in miniature.  To be transported in such a way that meaningful emotions are triggered.  To this end, the more realistic we can make our modeling the more effective we will be in transporting ourselves to where we want to go.  As with all things, some elements contribute more than others.  That being the case, it makes sense to focus initially on those areas that are most crucial and create the most impact.  Start with the big ticket items and then tick other items off the list in order as time permits.

The foundation of realism is built upon effective scene composition and color treatment.  If you miss the ball with either of these two elements, you’ve created a hole you can’t dig yourself out of.  No degree of modeling skill will compensate for ineffective scene composition or color treatment.  To be blunt, you’re screwed.  For whatever reason, high levels of detail are often associated with realism.  Detailing is a relaxing.  It’s rewarding.  Although it does make a difference,  the impact is far less than other areas.

 

Scene Composition:  Scene composition relates to the elements we choose to put in a scene, their relative size/shape/proportions, and of critical importance the space between them.  The number one modeling error is placing elements too close together.  Some masters of scene composition are:  David Barrow, Mike Confalone, Paul Dolkos, Tom Johnson, and Jim Six to name a few.

Color Treatment:   Color treatment address color selection, color placement, color patterns, edging of color patterns, washes, and the effective use of black and dark brown.   The best teachers of this subject can be found on the Rustbucket forum.

Effective Backdrop Treatment:   Backdrops take up an enormous amount of surface area.  In addition, they are oriented perpendicular to the eye.  For these reasons, any missteps will be glaring.  A distinction should be made between “effective” handling and “artistic” handling.  This is a subject area best approached from the outset with the philosophy of do no harm.  Unless you are an artistic master, keep it simple and subdued.  A pale blue, cloudless sky with a one or two inch simple gray horizon line is often adequate.

Scenery:  Volumes could, and have, been written on the subject.  Some things to try include static grass, natural soil and ballast products, and the higher end grass/scrub products available from Scenic Express.  Be aware of oddly shaped tree armatures or armatures with overly thick branch ends.  Keep it neat.

Basic Neatness:   Keeping things neat, tidy, and vertical costs nothing and pays big dividends in terms of appearance.  Keep your ballast neat and off the sides of the rails.  Keep your trees and poles vertical. Make sure your structures are cleanly seated in the scenery.

Cross Sections:  This refers to the with and radii of elements such as window frames, rails, and poles.  Due to limitations in the casting process these elements are often overly thick.  If you can’t replace the part, at least paint it a dark color.  If you can replace the part err on the side of too thin vs. too thick.  A few excellent manufactures of parts with fine scale cross sections are: Tichy, Grandt Line, and BLMA.

Details:   Fun. Satisfying.  Relaxing.  Go for it.  Just be aware that the visual

Coupling Cars, “Give me a stretch”

Topic: Model Railroad Operations

 

So, how are your coupling skills?  Are you doing everything by the book?  Are you sure?

In the January issue of The Dispatcher’s Office*, professional rail Dan Sylvester writes, “When making a joint (coupling) the speed should not exceed 4 mph.  Stop and stretch the coupling to make sure the pin dropped.  If coupling to more than one car, stretch the entire track, make sure you’ve got the rear car before shoving the track.  This is especially important when switching without air.  When the engine stops, the cars won’t unless they are all coupled together.”  He goes on to explain in graphic detail what can happen if you don’t perform this safety check and things go wrong.

Stretching a connection after coupling is a common rail practice that we can and should incorporate in our model operations.  Not only does it add interest, it serves the same purpose as on the prototype.  If you scroll to the 2:07 mark of this YouTube video you can hear it in action.

*The Dispatcher’s Office is the quarterly publication of the Operations SIG.  At only seven bucks per year, membership is a great bargain.

 

Following the above post, professional railroader Barry Karlberg added,

“You brought up stretching the joint after coupling into a car or cut of cars in your latest blog.  Good!  There is also “give me some pin”, or “I need a pin” when uncoupling, that is when the couplers are stretched and the man on the ground can’t get the coupler pin to lift and cause the coupler to uncouple.  A rather common occurrence in real life railroading.  So the engineer then has to bunch the cars so the pin can be pulled.  I have been doing this on my model railroad as it helps me get my uncoupling tool between the coupler faces to uncouple the cars.

The other real life railroading coupling event that occurs on my model railroad is when coupling into a car, the couplers do not always match up, or mate.  One, or both couplers get pushed to the side.  In real life, the engineer must pull the engine ahead so there is a gap (50 feet if you are going by the rules) between the cars where the coupling is to take place to allow the conductor to straighten the couplers so they will mate.  Sometimes it takes more than one try to get everything lined up, especially on curved track.  The spring loaded couplers on my model cars need a slight push with my uncoupling tool to get them to line up during the joint.  A mismatched failed joint on the prototype occurs more than you would expect, especially on curved track.

On a model railroad it is so easy to just couple and uncouple the cars with the assistance of your hand, but think about how it is with real world size cars and locomotives the next time you switch some cars around on your layout.”